Lost in RAM Madness

[chamele0n]

Looking to go with a new P4 2.4 Ghz system with 200Mhz FSB. Really having a hard time understanding the whole memory situation today. (Last kind of memory I bought was 2 PC150 sticks for my current rig). I want to take advantage of the Quad pumped 800mhz Hyperthreading Deal, but dont really understand all of that either.

1. Can I just buy ANY PC3200 RAM and have nothing to worry about?
2. Do I have to buy in parity to take advantage of the new technology. BTW, looking to go with the Intel 865PE Chipset.
3. How much should I worry about regarding brand name memory? Ive always bought the cheapest stuff off of Pricewatch and never had a problem. (Currently overclocking 800Mhz P3 to 900)

I know what proc and mobo I want...just want to make sure I get the right memory and the most bang for my buck. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Jason

 

[mechBgon]

Welcome to the Forums chamele0n

The lowball stuff is probably going to bite you. If I were getting an i865PE-based rig together, I would use Corsair XMS 3200C2 or higher, depending on whether I wanted to overclock the bejabers out of it.

To run dual-channel, you'll need either one or two pairs of modules. The pairs must match as far as their logical organization (two double-sided or two single-sided modules, can't mix 'em) and it's best to use completely-identical modules.

It would be smart to arm yourself with a beefy, high-quality power supply too, unless you went top-drawer (Antec 400W or something) when you set up your P3.

 

[chamele0n]

Thanks for the quick reply. A quick search found that 1 256 MB of the Corsair XMS 3200C2 is going for $66 a new egg. Lowest price for a generic stick of that is $38. I would love to save the cash, but an extra $50 for some quality sounds like its worth it. Especially cause everyone seems to swear by Corsair.

Im not looking to OC it to death. But it would be nice to bring it from 2.4 to say 2.6 for the hell of it.

 

[ethebubbeth]

Corsair XMS and Kingston HyperX are both excellent modules. If you are looking for something cheaper, go with Buffalo.

 

[mechBgon]

Also keep in mind that it's not unusual to need a little more voltage on the memory modules. 2.70-2.75 volts is ok and often helps iron out little instability problems, as does running medium timings like 2.5-3-3-7 instead of, say, 2-2-2-6.

Most folks these days are going 512MB at the minimum and 1GB if they can afford it, since there are already games out there (and applications like Photoshop, of course) that will take advantage of the extra RAM for faster loading times. Battlefield 1942 and SimCity 4 are a couple that are widely found to benefit from the extra RAM, so consider starting with two 512MB modules if you can afford that. That leaves you room for more, and if you keep the system as long as you kept your P3, you might be glad in the end

 

[chamele0n]

Well, this P3 setup originally had a P-II 266 in it. Yes, my motherboard is THAT old.

I really dont see myself being able to afford the 1 GB of memory. Especially because I can always upgrade in the future if I find limitations.

But also. I haven't been able to grasp the whole 2-2-2-6 or 2.5-3-3-7 thing? What does that code refer to? Something to do with CAS latency?

Please forgive my ignorance, Im just starting to do my research for my new rig and dont remember any notation like that in the past.

 

[mechBgon]

That's the right idea, yeah. First number is CAS latency there. The i865PE and i875P boards often object to having the timings cranked down to the utmost tightness.