So, I got this RAM.

[BlindObject]

Figures I'm going to slowly upgrade my computer. And it's going down like this.

RAM
PSU
Video card

Money for me comes at a slow pace.

So I got my DDR400 (pc3200) which is the same I already have on my computer.

Except on my computer it's 2x256MB.

I bought 2x512MB. I am wondering how I should place them.

Does it matter in which slots? Or must they be patterned?

Right now it's like this

|256|empty|\\//|256|empty|

Should I simply put the 512s in the empty spots?

And how much of a difference should I see on my computer? (Speed and game wise)

Specs of this PC
MS WinXP Media Center Edition Professional SP1
P4 2.8ghz
800mhz FBS
200mhz SB
512MB DDR400 RAM (2x256)
200GB HD
CD-ROM
DVD-Writer combo
128MB DDR Radeon 9200
200W PSU

 

[Shaw23]

Most people along with this guide to upgrading RAM, say that you should never mix different sizes or speeds of RAM.

However, if you are hard headed like me and alot of people I know.... I have always read and been told to put the biggest stick in the first slot. I am not sure exactly what your Motherboard is like but if it is like your example and you want to try mixing the different size sticks, then it would be installed like |512|256|\V/|512|256|.

Depending on the kinds of things you do with your computer... if you arent doing anything that is very demanding, you may want to try to use the 512X2 sticks alone to try and get it to run in dual channel vs. using it all. I think 1GB in dual channel would perform better than 1.5GB in single channel unless you are playing demanding games where more than 1GB is needed.

 

[Grafficks]

Just put the RAM into the currently-empty slots. Most of the time, that configuration you mentioned is usually dual channel. You must put the identical sticks of RAM on the same-colored DIMM-slots.

On most motherboards, a dual-channel configuration is usually:

A1 - B1 - A2 - B2


You current configuration is:

256MB - B1 - 256MB - B2


Am I correct?

If so, you should install it like:

256MB - 512MB - 256MB - 512MB


You didn't post your Motherboard name in any of your specs, so I can't check what is considered a dual channel configuration.

You just need to install each pair of identical sticks in the same colored slots (one color for the two 256MB's, another for the two 512MB's).

Then you will have 1536MB (1.5GB) of DDR400 in dual-channel.

Good Luck.

 

[BlindObject]

My Mother board is a ASUSTeK Computer INC. 'P4SD-LA' Rev 1.xx

I'm mixing 256s and 512s...that's not good?

They're the same speed. Or should I just put in the two 512s alone?

And if I do put all of the sticks, I should put in the 512 first?

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

You can mix the RAM if it's of the same speed and you need the performance boost, though it's generally not recommended by most people. But I'm fairly sure you won't see any problems with it. As for RAM, if I'm correct, your motherboard has two blue-colored slots and two-black colored slots. You should put the two 256 sticks in the black slots and the 512 sticks in the blue slots. You can also do it the other way around i.e. the 256 sticks in the blue slots and the 512 sticks in the black slots. This will put them in dual-channel mode and give you the best combination of performance. Speaking of which, performance will be noticeably faster when it comes to loading areas/levels in games but nothing else, since the limiting factor in the games' performance will be your video card. The most noticeable difference will be in apps such as Nero etc. since they will load much quicker than before.

 

[BlindObject]

I see, that's a good start for me. I just need about 200 dollars to get my Video Card and PSU to support it. And I'm set for a year.=D


Thanks for the replies!

On to installing my RAM!

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

Good to hear. Let us know how it goes. Also, if you need any pointers on what video card & PSU combination to get, feel free to ask.

 

[BlindObject]

Alright, sadly, I just found out my 2x256 is actually slower than my new 512s...

I see the 1.50GB RAM on my specs though.

Is mixing the 2700 256MB and 3200 512MB really terrible?

Or should I simply take out the old 2x256MB and leave the new 1GB in there?

 

[Grafficks]

Does your system even boot up with the 256MB's and the 512MB's in the motherboard?

If it does, then you might find better performance with a larger quantity of slightly slower RAM, as opposed to a smaller quantity of slightly faster RAM.

The only limiting factor is if your motherboard supports mixing different speeds of RAM (it will down-clock every stick to match the slowest one). Even if it does, mixing speeds is generally not recommended.

 

[BlindObject]

Yeah, it does start up. I have the 2 new 512s just in case anything goes wrong though. How do I know which set up is better?


PS: The new 512s alone gave me ~15+ FPS in CS. And everything is just noticeably faster. =D