Upgrading RAM plz help

[DarthKirby]

I'm upgrading memory to try to get my games to go faster (Medal of Honor:AA, Jedi Knight 2). Right now my computer has 128MB of SDram. I have $55, which is enough to buy 512MB from PNY or Kingston, or 256MB from Crucial. My friend says that I should only buy Crucial brand because it is the best. And after all, it is advertised on this webstite But maxing out on memory seems like a good idea. ANYWAY which of the two upgrades would give me better performance?

 

[agissi]

512MBs of PNY/Kingston would be better. BTW, if your motherboard supports it, for $65 you can pickup 256MBs of DDR2700. So if your mobo does support it, I highly suggest you spare ten bucks

 

[DarthKirby]

I don't know if my mobo supports DDR, it's a "Lomita Trigem Computer, Inc. (U1)", any idea how I can check if it supports DDR?
...And if I did put DDR Ram on it, I would have to remove the SDRAM, right?

 

[SNGX1275]

You can't run ddr and sd at the same time, I couldnt' find much information on your motherboard other than its in an HP510 computer. Its doubtful your motherboard supports both types.
I think Crucial is better RAM but I don't think you buying PNY or Kingston will hurt you at all. I wouldn't recommend mixing your existing ram with anything you purchase though. You can do it, but it has been known to cause stability problems.

 

[StormBringer]

Crucial would be the best choice IMO. This is subjective and you'll probably get a different answer by everyone who replies. I base this on customer satisfaction. I'm a Crucial customer and I am very satisfied with them. They have quality memory and they stand behind their products. I have gotten a DOA module from them before but they rectified the problem immediately with no hassle.

BTW, SNGX is right about your mobo probably not supporting both.

 

[Rick]

Kingston makes fairly good memory and it is usually backed up by a lifetime warranty... It's hard to beat that.

There is virtually no performance increase between brands of memory, rather it is the type that matters. Differences in brands mean differences in quality and compatability.

Yes, Crucial is aweseome. But that 512mb of Kingston memory is going to mean a lot more to you than 256mb of Crucial.

I don't recommend "generic" memory though - Because it is like flipping a coin. A lot of it doesn't work properly. This is especially true in proprietary systems like HP and Compaq.

 

[Vehementi]

I personally would go with the Kingston. It's great RAM, probably not as good as Crucial, but good enough to warrant more of it, definitely.

It's very unlikely your board supports both. I can only think of one board that does, and that's the cheap ECS K7S5A - which is a pretty bad board. SDRAM uses 168 pins, and DDR uses 184. It needs 2 different memory slots.

 

[young&wild]

I do think that Kingston is still good all though not as good as crucial. The lifetime warranty thing is attractive, its stable too. If you on a tight budget but still wants performance, stick to Kingston.

 

[DarthKirby]

Thanks for the advice everyone

 

[Snowy Commando]

i'll give u one reason not to buy generic ram, it will lack the life-time warranty that you need with RAM. 1 of my twinmos sticks randomly faulted recently and i got a swift replacement direct from twinmos.

 

[DarthKirby]

I just got a reply from an email I sent to the eMachines people. Here is some of what they said:

"The T1220 will support up to 256mb of RAM in each of the 2 RAM sockets for a total of 512mb of RAM."

"There are a number of brands that may not work on the system when trying to install the max of 256 MB per slot. eMachines is in the process of testing which Brands of RAM will and will not work with this motherboard."

"Micron, Crucial, Samsung, Smart, Hyundai, and Infineon RAM have all proven to work, only with (2) 256MB chips installed. Do not mix different sizes."

"Legacy will not work. There also seems to be a problem with PNY, a very common brand, not being supported. This has not been tested/verified yet, however a large number of individuals are having difficulties with this brand."

So I guess that means I can't buy a 512 stick of RAM

 

[young&wild]

Well get the Crucial one first....start saving and by the time you have enough money get another 256mb stick.