Memory Question - Brand Name or Generic?

[TrECeNTeRs]

I have been wondering this for some time now and instead of asking I have just kept my ear to the ground and I haven't heard much about this.

I figure overclocking section would be the best section to ask this question since most overclockers would know more about it.

What are the diffrences in brand name memory such as "corsair" and generic memory or house brand?

I have 2x 256mb of the generic ddr pc3200 and it runs good for me but also my processor xp1600@1600mhz is holding me back at a dual 152mhz.

Im into FPS games like BF/DC and I would like to know if paying double or triple of the price would double or triple the speed.. or is it just for performance freaks who have nothing better to invest thier money into?

Concidering the cost of living is going up and my paydays are staying the same I figure just buy generic pc3200 and if/when I need faster mhz in ram just buy a pc4200, 4400, or ect..

Or is the scenario a whole diffrent ballgame?

Any help would be appreciated.. Thanks

 

[Shinei]

Clockspeed isn't necessarily performance with RAM; RAM performance is more measured by the timings of the sticks than the speed (bandwidth) of the RAM. Generic PC3200 at 3-4-4-8 will be slower than Mushkin PC3200 at 2-2-2-5, even though the memory "speed" is the same.
If you don't mind the performance hit, stay with the cheaper RAM, but if you want your system to really crank it up, get the more expensive "name brand" RAM.

Edit: Forgot to mention, you have an Athlon, which doesn't take advantage of the bandwidth offered by PC3700 and up. You might get to 466 (233 bus) if you have a great overclocker, but I'd stick with the cheaper PC3500 from a company like Corsair or Mushkin. Expensive but worth it if you're going to push the limit.

 

[Soulkeeper]

i think the hottest new memories are the ones that have the new hynix chips
like two or three of them have it
like pc4400 speeds

 

[WobbleWobble]

Brand names like Corsair and Kingston both have their performance line and value line. I assume you're talking about the performance lines because you're talking about 2x and 3x the price.

If you're comparing their value lines with generic, they'll perform similarily but brand names usually have much better warranties.

If you need the higher FSB, then it may be worth it. I personally don't think it's worth the money just for lower timings. You're better off spending your money on other parts as timings give you miminal performance increase.

Tom's Guide on Memory Timings

There's another article but I can't find it at the moment.

 

[Shinei]

I'm definitely not an expert, but from what I've seen around here, real-world performance gains are seen on Athlon systems with tighter timings; having a tremendous bandwidth does nothing for the Athlon system, unlike a P4 system which will eat every ounce of bandwidth and doesn't care about the timings of the RAM.
Granted, some "bargain" chips will give you lower timings, but they may be less stable at higher clocks and may require more voltage. I say, why take the risk when you can just buy RAM that's meant to do what you want it to?

 

[myocardia]

Tre, generic PC3200 and $100/256mb stick rams run at the same speed. As long as you get ram that will run @200mhz, with timings of 2.5-3-3-6, you won't notice any real differences, except while running Sandra (a memory benchmarking system). Both will run at 400mhz DDR just fine. The real difference comes when you get a proc. that will go considerably higher than 200fsb. That's when the more expensive memory really starts to shine (when it starts paying for itself, in other words). Oh, and as long as you are gonna stick with AMD, you'll more than likely never need PC4000 ram.