the less CAS latency the better?

[Malcolm3000g]

i was thinking about adding 2gb to my computer (Pc3200) but which is better CAS latency 2 or 3? i desperately need to upgrade this computer because i have 2 gb installed but one of the sticks is pc2100.

 

[TemjinGold]

Think of latency as time you spend waiting for something. The more of it there is, the longer you are waiting. Having said that, you will see exactly zero difference performance-wise unless you are benchmarking.

 

[Blain]

I don't look at latency as a measure of performance, so much as a measure of memory quality.

 

[Malcolm3000g]

oh i see... any recommended ram for pc3200 for gaming?

 

[Blain]

If you want 4GB, then buy 2 of These kits.
If you're running a Windows 32-bit OS, the system will only see about 3.5GB of it.

 

[Malcolm3000g]

i see...is that good for gaming? specs:

Asus A8n-sli deluxe
2 gb ram(one is pc2100 , other pc 3200)
ati radeon 4770 512mb pci-16x
amd athlon 64 fx-55
350gb hd western digital

one question though can i use pc4000 ram for this mobo that i have??

asus A8n-sli deluxe.

 

[Blain]

"Gaming" memory is a sales pitch designed to extract more dollars out of your wallet.

Don't mix & match memory types. Buy the memory I linked above and dump your current PC3200 and PC2100 sticks.

The only reason to think about faster rated memory is if you're overclocking your CPU.
And even then you need to take memory voltage into consideration (pc3200 = 2.5-2.7v).

 

[TemjinGold]

What kind of gaming do you plan on doing anyway? Your system is so outdated that the money you lay out for more ram likely isn't worth it as no game you can run well will really benefit from that ram (i.e. you will more than likely see zero difference after adding the ram.) Your hundred bucks and change might be better spent if you saved it towards a system overhaul.

 

[Malcolm3000g]

right now i could run resident evil 5 on max all settings..(which is strange) but i really don't plan on getting a new system anytime soon...im a casual gamer on the pc so i just wantt to run a couple of games on max settings..

 

[TemjinGold]

I understand that but with your rig, anything that could use more than 2 gigs you probably can't run well anyway. There really isn't a game I can think of that your machine can run that benefits from more than 2 gigs of ram. In other words, you'd be throwing your money away buying obsolete tech as you won't see ANY performance difference by buying more ram.

 

[Malcolm3000g]

even if i have 1gb pc3200 and 1 pc2100 installed?

 

[TemjinGold]

Realistically that doesn't make nearly as much difference as you may think. I would do this: get some ram at a local store with a good return policy and try that out. See the difference for yourself and then decide if it's worth $100 to you (if so, return it and buy it online.) $100 is a lot to spend on a system like that especially for no real boost in performance.