Ive read on here that some people frown upon this, but I would have 3 sticks of the same brand, and 1 stick of a different brand. Would this hinder my system more than it would benefit it?
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Re: Mixing RAM?
That's not really ideal, unless you're talking about 4x1gb and have an OS that can address that much memory. Since you didn't provide any more information regarding your system, and since I'm unauthorized to use my powers of telepathy at work, I can't tell you much except give you a generalized response.
The short answer is that it isn't necessarily bad. If they are all the same speed and have the same latencies (which is doubtful) then everything is ideal, considering. However, if they have slower speeds, then they all default to the slowest speed. Depending on the quality of the RAM and your motherboard, you can set them all to a certain speed and set the latencies manually.
The biggest no-no would be to say...mix in a 256mb stick of pc2100 or pc2700 (266/300mhz) with three sticks of pc3200 (400mhz), especially if you have a FSB that operates at 800mhz effective. Now you're not only chopping off your memory's performance, you're also underclocking your CPU in a manner, and boosting your memory capacity by 25% would probably not overcome the slow down in performance. However, not knowing your specifics complicates the equation.
Also, keep in mind the law of complex machines--the more parts, the more likely it is that something will be defective. Having said that, the only way to know for sure is to drop the DIMM in slot 4 and let 'er rip. Worst case scenario (unless you go BIOS tweaking) is that the memory may have errors and you could corrupt your windows install.
That's a very, very unlikely scenario, though. -
Re: Mixing RAM?
Sorry if i was vague, i figured it was a pretty general question that didnt need much info.
In total it would be 4x sticks on 512. I have 2x 512 in my system as is, and im looking to upgrade to an extra gigabyte. Dell uses a pretty obscure brand of ram, and they overcharge like CRAZY on their site for extra ram, so i want to get some ram off newegg. The cas latency would be the same, the speeds would be the same, the only thing that would be different is the brand.Comment
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Re: Mixing RAM?
Hmm. I service Dells at my university; think they use Infineon sticks. They are usually fairly reliable--when one of our POS motherboards fry, we've never had a problem moving the RAM into another machine, and yes, we mix and match when we need to as these aren't for gaming.
You should not encounter a problem, and going up to 2gb should provide tangible benefits. You might consider putting your Dell sticks on ebay considering what Dell wants people to pay for them, and buying 2x1gb retail (hopefully find one with a rebate and break even).
Just out of curiosity, what is the going rate for 2x512 pc3200 on ebay? I just got a new PC, and I'm putting my old system components up for bids. :)
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Re: Mixing RAM?
I have 3 corsairs and one kingston= 2.5 gigs, and it plays BF2 fine
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