Memory question : 1gb stick or 2x512 ?

[DetConan]

Hello again,

Another question (maybe a stupid one, but...). If I build a computer (msi k8n-neo4f and athlon 3200+) on a budget and I only want to buy 1gb of RAM to upgrade at 2gb in the future (16 months - 2 years). I want to buy PC3200 valueram. Is it better to buy 1 stick on 1gb or 2 of 512gb ? Because in the second case, when I will upgrade to 2gb, I will have to get 2 other 512gb or buy 2 stick of 1gb... I do not know if it makes a difference but I am not an overclocker.

What is the best scenario for the best performance now and in the future ?

If I understand well (and am not sure because I am not very good), in the article on fast 2gb ddr kits on anandtech (http://www.anandtech.com/memory/showdoc.aspx?i=2560) it seems to me that if I stay with pc3200 ddr400 memory, i would be better with 2x512 because even in the future, it would be better for me to use 4x512gb (as to get more speed i would have to spend more on pc4000 memory of something like that..)

So, with a possible upgrade in about 2 years, 1gb on 1 stick or 2x512 ?

 

[drum]

I don't know why you would wait 2 years to upgrade ram when it is dirt cheap, but if thats the case go with 2x512

 

[DaRkLoRd666]

get the 1GB stick, its only 10$ more then the 2 512 ones and when 4 sticks of memory is in an amd board it taxes the memory contorler causing a loss in preformace compared to 2gbs in 2 sticks


Also then it is easyer to upgrade to 3 or 4 GB when vista takes over and sucks up all the ram that is possible

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: DaRkLoRd666
get the 1GB stick, its only 10$ more then the 2 512 ones and when 4 sticks of memory is in an amd board it taxes the memory contorler causing a loss in preformace compared to 2gbs in 2 sticks


Also then it is easyer to upgrade to 3 or 4 GB when vista takes over and sucks up all the ram that is possible

QFT.

 

[w00t]

I'd get the one gig stick so you can upgrade later with another one gig stick and have two.

if you had two 512mb you would have dual channel but that doesn't matter much with the AMD64 processor.

the AMD64 on board memory controller does not benefit much from dual channel like the Intel P4 did that is because it's onboard now instead of the chipset. I also would like to make the point that the AMD64 doesn't support more than two sticks of ram yes most of the time ive seen it work but ive seen some peoples temps higher and have to run different settings.

I think the logical choice here would to get a one gig stick now and later down the road pick up another stick than you'll have two gigs.