simple ram question

[Maezr]

I want to upgrade my ram.

I've heard before that it's best if the two sticks of ram are identical- is this the case? does it need to be the same brand, and same model? or just the same speed?

I know it's DDR 2100 512megs but beyond that I don't know anything about it. how can I find out?

 

[AristoV300]

If your mobo supports dual channel especially true. You would want exact same memory. Most makers sell dual channel kits. If not dual channel, to my knowledge as long as they will run the same speed it shouldn't matter.

 

[InlineFive]

You can probably combine sticks of memory in newer motherboards without any issues at all. However (for stabilities sake) the motherboard will run all the memory sticks at the speed of the lowest stick. For the same reason it is highly recommended not to overclock your memory if you are mixing and matching different memory sticks.

For buying a new stick of memory it would be helpful to know your system specs first. After having said that I would buy a stick of name brand PC3200 memory with good timings.

Hope this helps.

 

[Maezr]

why should I buy PC3200 if my current stick is 2100..?

it's an AMD Athlon 1700+, 512 megs DDR 2100

 

[InlineFive]

Originally posted by: Maezr
why should I buy PC3200 if my current stick is 2100..?

it's an AMD Athlon 1700+, 512 megs DDR 2100

It really depends on your budget and how soon you will be doing a major system upgrade. I would personally get the PC3200 because it is future proof. And it will run sync with the PC2100 in the meantime so it won't cause problems.

 

[Maezr]

okay, I did not know that

I've got an extra stick of PC3200.. could I stick that in there, and it'd work fine? is there any risk I'd hurt anything?

one has ECC and the other doesn't, is this a big deal?

 

[Spamdini]

i have another question that relates to this...

is it worth it to buy dual channel RAM if you have a socket 754 system?

 

[lexxmac]

Originally posted by: Spamdini
is it worth it to buy dual channel RAM if you have a socket 754 system?

Socket 754 systems don't have dual channel support. You can add more than one peice of ram to a socket 754 system, but that is not the same thing as dual channel. Dual channel ram/memory is more a feature of the mainboard than anything else. What 'Dual channel' means is that there are two 64 bit channels instead of one (more wires), so when you use more that one peice of ram in mainboard that is dual channel capable more bandwidth is available to the system. Socket 754 processors are not physically capable of dual channel memory.

Originally posted by: Maezr
I've got an extra stick of PC3200.. could I stick that in there, and it'd work fine? is there any risk I'd hurt anything?

No, you won't hurt anything by using PC3200 in a system than only needs PC2100. Think of it as putting high octane gas in a car that doesn't require it; it doesn't help much, but it doesn't hurt anything. But, just like care that require high octane gas, some systems require faster memory, or they won't fuction correctly.

Originally posted by: Maezr
one has ECC and the other doesn't, is this a big deal?

ECC Ram has a similar situation. As long as the ram is plain old ECC (meaning it isn't also registered, which is sometimes called buffered, look for extra chips that are not the same size as most of the chips on the module, those extras mean its registered), it should work fine in a system that doesn't need ECC. Just like higher speeds though, a mainboard that requires ECC ram won't work without it (usually). ECC ram usually has 9 chips on each side where as non-ECC has 8 chips.

Originally posted by: Maezr
I've heard before that it's best if the two sticks of ram are identical- is this the case? does it need to be the same brand, and same model? or just the same speed?

You don't really need identical modules for any reason, unless you are using dual channel. If you are buying ram, the last thing you want to do is go to a major local retailer like bestbuy or compusa, expect problems and an empty wallet. If you are buying new ram, you could buy faster than you need, for 'future compatability' but by the time you go buy a new computer, that kind of ram will most likely be outdated. Buy what you need, not what a salesman says is best. From what you have said about your system, I'd say its a safe bet to say you don't have dual channel.