Quick easy question..

[Juked07]

My brother's computer has 4 slots for RAM (up to 4 gig) but it only has 2x512 in it at the moment, and wants to have 2gb total memory.

Is it better to get 1 stick of 1 gb or 2 sticks of 512? The price seems about the same. Is either option better for performance/power?

 

[DSF]

It may not matter very much depending on the chipset, and if he's overclocking he might be better off with 2x1GB and selling his old RAM. What are his specs?

As a catch-all answer 2x512MB would be better than a single 1GB stick, and it would be a good idea to try to match the timings and voltage of his old RAM as closely as possible.

 

[Harvey]

If he already has 2 x 512 MB, another GB won't cost as much as 2 x 1 GB sticks unless you run into some great special on 2 x 1 GB sticks, in which case, you'll either have 2 x 512 MB to sell/trade or you can try a total of 3 GB.

I've got 4 x 512 MB in my machine, which runs fine. Some mobos don't handle four sticks at max speed, and some don't work at all with four sticks, due to the added capacitance of the longer traces. Search Google to see if there are any problems with the particular board.

There's also the option of buying a 1 GB stick to go with the 2 x 512 MB sticks he already has. That combo should even work in dual channel mode if the board supports it.

 

[Juked07]

Thanks for the quick replies. I'm not at home right now so I'll try to get the details when I have his machine available.