RAM question

i need to buy more for my computer. i was going to buy a 1GB pc2700. my question is, are they all the same? right now i have a kingston so i'm probably buying the same brand. i'm seeing a "DDR333" ($90) and "KVR333/1GR" ($100) . do they have to match the one i have on my system?

Yes, the specs have to match. www.kingston.com has a tool to help make sure you get the right ram.

Think KVR stands for Kingston Value Rams. What 1GR stands for I don't know, maybe typo for 1GB.

If you have an Non-OEM MoBo then check MoBo web site for RAM type and speed. Most DDR are either single speed or backward compatible. But, remember that it'll run as fast as the MoBo will allow it to run and the slowest RAM speed installed.

Now some MoBo requires match pairs particalarly the high end MoBo, but if you're running lowend MoBo don't worry the better RAMs won't gain you any speed. Watch out for heat tho.

If you plan to Overclock then you wouldn't be asking here for advice. Overclock MoBo require more particular RAMs and match spec everything with heat speaders. These RAMs are usually sold in pairs and are very expensive.

I run my PC with unmatch brand wise without any problem YET.

mven74 wrote in post #2330655
i need to buy more for my computer. i was going to buy a 1GB pc2700. my question is, are they all the same? right now i have a kingston so i'm probably buying the same brand. i'm seeing a "DDR333" ($90) and "KVR333/1GR" ($100) . do they have to match the one i have on my system?

yes they have to match the one you have in your system...

thanks for your help guys...

tim wrote in post #2336229
Yes, the specs have to match. www.kingston.com has a tool to help make sure you get the right ram.

Thats not 100% true but it is a good idea to match them. If you plan on setting it up as dual channel, they must match, that is same cas, ras and all that stuff. You'll see a rating like 3200 2-3-3-6. As long as those match, it will work. If your into overclocking, them you'll want a matched set of RAM specifically matched so that you can push all of the timings a bit. If they are not matched they must be set up as non dual channel and it will choose the least powerful chip and run with those setting.

You absolutely do NOT have to match the specs of your current RAM unless you are doing DDR2 or overclocking like the previous poster said. In fact, you are probably wasting money matching it up exactly because you are buying the older, slower RAM for just about the same price as the newer, faster, DDR2 RAM.

pcasciola wrote in post #2339271
You absolutely do NOT have to match the specs of your current RAM unless you are doing DDR2 or overclocking like the previous poster said. In fact, you are probably wasting money matching it up exactly because you are buying the older, slower RAM for just about the same price as the newer, faster, DDR2 RAM.

Exactly.

If you had to match ram then my PC would not be running.
Its filled with different brands and different speeds, in different sizes.
But it all adds up to 1.5gb running at 333hz.
If you mix slow ram with fast ram it will simply run at the slowest speed.

pcasciola wrote in post #2339271
.... In fact, you are probably wasting money matching it up exactly because you are buying the older, slower RAM for just about the same price as the newer, faster, DDR2 RAM.

Be careful here, you can not use DDR2 in a mobo designed for DDR. The slot is in a different place and will not plug in. Also they have a different pin count. DDR2 is a 240-pin module, DDR is a 184-pin module even though they are the same length.

2700 or PC333 can be mixed with PC400... but sometimes motherboards can be very finicky. I have mobos that will only work with certain brands types of Dimms in certain slots for christs sake!

So, you can run the small gamble of getting another brand or speed (faster only , and NOT DDR2) but to be on the safe side, you might want to just get the same exact stuff.
right now it's virtually impossible to find any stick of 1GB ram for any price other than about $85.00 - 100.00 (unless you get the super tweaky stuff for a lot more $$) so just spend the $90.00 on the same stuff you allready have and this can help prevent headaches.

Yeah, that's a good point. I didn't mean the OP should try and mix DDR, DDR2, SIMM, etc., just that it's ok to buy faster RAM that is compatible with your motherboard. I often use www.crucial.com to find out what is compatible with a given system or motherboard, or better yet the motherboard manufacturer's QVL (Qualified Vendor List) as a starting point.

Some of my computers have mixed RAM, but the most recent system I built uses 4GB of Corsair XMS2 C4 DDR2 at 2.1v and timings of 4-4-4-12, so I made sure those all matched.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #2341495
right now it's virtually impossible to find any stick of 1GB ram for any price other than about $85.00 - 100.00

That's not always true. I've seen people spend double, even triple the 'typical' cost buying older RAM that is harder to get, and PC2700 DDR is getting there really quick.

I actually have this older dual CPU Silicon Graphics 1U workstation that used some older DDR server memory that costs about $250 per gig, just because it's so old and the memory isn't in demand anymore. I didn't even bother because the system is to old to be worth that kind of investment.

Yeah, that's true .. Look at the ill fated Rambus.. (snake oil that was) Anyone trying to put RAM in one of those Mobos will have to pay about 4X the going rate.

And ECC is allways an issue unless it's the latest,. (it's only in the last few years that ECC has come down to similar pricing as "standard" RAM.. it used to be double the cost or more, period.)

Although you did not ask a question about how much ram to get, 1gb is ok for today but when I upgrade no question I am going to 2gb as I get a lot of spooling now with large images.

Fujifilmnut wrote in post #2342730
Although you did not ask a question about how much ram to get, 1gb is ok for today but when I upgrade no question I am going to 2gb as I get a lot of spooling now with large images.

I have 2 gig and everything runs fine. I am toying with the idea of bumping it to 4 as lately I have been opening a lot of apps.