Will more RAM make a difference?

Thanks Paul for the very comprehensive reply.
Most of that stuff about voltages and timings is over my head.
Have ordered the Corsair RAM and hopefully it will work straight off.
One more question, the existing RAM is Kingston which is a cheaper brand,
could it "pull down" the performance of the better Corsair?
If I thought so I may just run with the 2GB of corsair.

Kenny
Paul" wrote in message ...
Kenny wrote:
Another question RAM.
Crucial Memory Advisor tells me that this:
"DDR PC3200 . CL=3 . Unbuffered . NON-ECC . DDR400 . 2.6V . 128Meg x 64
184 pin DIMM"
is what my m/b supports.
Is this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-VS2G.../ref=de_a_smtd
suitable?
Replies appreciated, don't want to be buying the wrong thing!

Kenny

It is a socket 939 motherboard (GA-K8NSC-939), so DDR would be
a good bet for the memory type.

You can check the customer reviews here, to see if any RAM arrives DOA.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145579

When you use four sticks of RAM, the timing may have to be adjusted
for stable operation. The two parameters of interest are the DDR speed
setting and the Command Rate. Command Rate determines how many cycles
the address/command are presented on the bus. That is set to 2 for
heavy loading situations, or 1 for light loading situations. The
2 setting cuts address/command bandwidth in half, but the address/command
bus is not used full time anyway, so the impact is less severe than
a factor of 2.

These are some options for S939 memory.

DDR400 Command Rate 1T 2 sticks of RAM

DDR400 Command Rate 2T 4 sticks of RAM
DDR333 Command Rate 1T 4 sticks of RAM

Of the two options for four sticks, the first gives slightly better
performance.

So yes, your memory choice looks OK. You'll end up with 2x512MB+2x1GB
for a total of 3GB. If the current BIOS settings are full auto, the
BIOS may select a stable combination of settings. For example, it might do

DDR333 Command Rate 2T 4 sticks of RAM

which is unnecessarily pessimistic. You can change the settings if
you want, but do thorough testing with memtest86+ (memtest.org) and
Prime95 from mersenne.org, before concluding you're finished. You
should at least use memtest86+ on a floppy or CD, before booting
into Windows - if there is a problem with the RAM, you want to
discover that before booting into Windows.

You can verify the memory settings with CPUZ. But that would have
to wait, until your memtest86+ testing is finished.

http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

Your BIOS has a "DDR Voltage Control" setting. Sometimes, a little
extra voltage can help with memory stability, such as if you have
say, one error per total pass of memtest86+. But based on the layout
of your DIMM slots, and the fact they're very close together,
with no breathing room for cooling between modules, I wouldn't
reach for that option unless absolutely necessary. Extra voltage
means a bit of extra heat, which you don't need.

Paul


"Kenny" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the replies. Am using a SATA drive and keep background apps
and services to a minimum, also regular cleanup and defrag.

Kenny
"JS" @ wrote in message ...
"Kenny" wrote in message
...
Using XP/SP3, Gigabyte GA-KNSC-939 m/b, Athlon 64 3200 with 1GB PC3200
RAM (2x512GB in dual channel mode).
I do some video editing but nothing else too demanding.
If I add another 2x512GB will it make much difference?
Would I be better buying 2x1GB matched pair in case of incompatability
with existing RAM?
Replies appreciated.

Kenny

In addition to the other suggestions from John and Rich
what to see how much disk drive activity is going on when
you are doing some editing. A slow hard drive can have as
much impact as memory.

--
JS
http://www.pagestart.com

Thanks Paul for the very comprehensive reply.
Most of that stuff about voltages and timings is over my head.
Have ordered the Corsair RAM and hopefully it will work straight off.
One more question, the existing RAM is Kingston which is a cheaper brand,
could it "pull down" the performance of the better Corsair?
If I thought so I may just run with the 2GB of corsair.

Kenny
Paul" wrote in message ...
Kenny wrote:
Another question RAM.
Crucial Memory Advisor tells me that this:
"DDR PC3200 . CL=3 . Unbuffered . NON-ECC . DDR400 . 2.6V . 128Meg x 64
184 pin DIMM"
is what my m/b supports.
Is this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-VS2G.../ref=de_a_smtd
suitable?
Replies appreciated, don't want to be buying the wrong thing!

Kenny

It is a socket 939 motherboard (GA-K8NSC-939), so DDR would be
a good bet for the memory type.

You can check the customer reviews here, to see if any RAM arrives DOA.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145579

When you use four sticks of RAM, the timing may have to be adjusted
for stable operation. The two parameters of interest are the DDR speed
setting and the Command Rate. Command Rate determines how many cycles
the address/command are presented on the bus. That is set to 2 for
heavy loading situations, or 1 for light loading situations. The
2 setting cuts address/command bandwidth in half, but the address/command
bus is not used full time anyway, so the impact is less severe than
a factor of 2.

These are some options for S939 memory.

DDR400 Command Rate 1T 2 sticks of RAM

DDR400 Command Rate 2T 4 sticks of RAM
DDR333 Command Rate 1T 4 sticks of RAM

Of the two options for four sticks, the first gives slightly better
performance.

So yes, your memory choice looks OK. You'll end up with 2x512MB+2x1GB
for a total of 3GB. If the current BIOS settings are full auto, the
BIOS may select a stable combination of settings. For example, it might do

DDR333 Command Rate 2T 4 sticks of RAM

which is unnecessarily pessimistic. You can change the settings if
you want, but do thorough testing with memtest86+ (memtest.org) and
Prime95 from mersenne.org, before concluding you're finished. You
should at least use memtest86+ on a floppy or CD, before booting
into Windows - if there is a problem with the RAM, you want to
discover that before booting into Windows.

You can verify the memory settings with CPUZ. But that would have
to wait, until your memtest86+ testing is finished.

http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

Your BIOS has a "DDR Voltage Control" setting. Sometimes, a little
extra voltage can help with memory stability, such as if you have
say, one error per total pass of memtest86+. But based on the layout
of your DIMM slots, and the fact they're very close together,
with no breathing room for cooling between modules, I wouldn't
reach for that option unless absolutely necessary. Extra voltage
means a bit of extra heat, which you don't need.

Paul


"Kenny" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the replies. Am using a SATA drive and keep background apps
and services to a minimum, also regular cleanup and defrag.

Kenny
"JS" @ wrote in message ...
"Kenny" wrote in message
...
Using XP/SP3, Gigabyte GA-KNSC-939 m/b, Athlon 64 3200 with 1GB PC3200
RAM (2x512GB in dual channel mode).
I do some video editing but nothing else too demanding.
If I add another 2x512GB will it make much difference?
Would I be better buying 2x1GB matched pair in case of incompatability
with existing RAM?
Replies appreciated.

Kenny

In addition to the other suggestions from John and Rich
what to see how much disk drive activity is going on when
you are doing some editing. A slow hard drive can have as
much impact as memory.

--
JS
http://www.pagestart.com

The computer will perform to the lesser spec. Higher spec RAM will be
degraded in performance, but it will work.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience & Security


"Kenny" wrote in message
...
Thanks Paul for the very comprehensive reply.
Most of that stuff about voltages and timings is over my head.
Have ordered the Corsair RAM and hopefully it will work straight off.
One more question, the existing RAM is Kingston which is a cheaper brand,
could it "pull down" the performance of the better Corsair?
If I thought so I may just run with the 2GB of corsair.

Kenny
Paul" wrote in message ...
Kenny wrote:
Another question RAM.
Crucial Memory Advisor tells me that this:
"DDR PC3200 . CL=3 . Unbuffered . NON-ECC . DDR400 . 2.6V . 128Meg x 64
184 pin DIMM"
is what my m/b supports.
Is this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-VS2G.../ref=de_a_smtd
suitable?
Replies appreciated, don't want to be buying the wrong thing!

Kenny

It is a socket 939 motherboard (GA-K8NSC-939), so DDR would be
a good bet for the memory type.

You can check the customer reviews here, to see if any RAM arrives DOA.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145579

When you use four sticks of RAM, the timing may have to be adjusted
for stable operation. The two parameters of interest are the DDR speed
setting and the Command Rate. Command Rate determines how many cycles
the address/command are presented on the bus. That is set to 2 for
heavy loading situations, or 1 for light loading situations. The
2 setting cuts address/command bandwidth in half, but the address/command
bus is not used full time anyway, so the impact is less severe than
a factor of 2.

These are some options for S939 memory.

DDR400 Command Rate 1T 2 sticks of RAM

DDR400 Command Rate 2T 4 sticks of RAM
DDR333 Command Rate 1T 4 sticks of RAM

Of the two options for four sticks, the first gives slightly better
performance.

So yes, your memory choice looks OK. You'll end up with 2x512MB+2x1GB
for a total of 3GB. If the current BIOS settings are full auto, the
BIOS may select a stable combination of settings. For example, it might
do

DDR333 Command Rate 2T 4 sticks of RAM

which is unnecessarily pessimistic. You can change the settings if
you want, but do thorough testing with memtest86+ (memtest.org) and
Prime95 from mersenne.org, before concluding you're finished. You
should at least use memtest86+ on a floppy or CD, before booting
into Windows - if there is a problem with the RAM, you want to
discover that before booting into Windows.

You can verify the memory settings with CPUZ. But that would have
to wait, until your memtest86+ testing is finished.

http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

Your BIOS has a "DDR Voltage Control" setting. Sometimes, a little
extra voltage can help with memory stability, such as if you have
say, one error per total pass of memtest86+. But based on the layout
of your DIMM slots, and the fact they're very close together,
with no breathing room for cooling between modules, I wouldn't
reach for that option unless absolutely necessary. Extra voltage
means a bit of extra heat, which you don't need.

Paul


"Kenny" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the replies. Am using a SATA drive and keep background apps
and services to a minimum, also regular cleanup and defrag.

Kenny
"JS" @ wrote in message ...
"Kenny" wrote in message
...
Using XP/SP3, Gigabyte GA-KNSC-939 m/b, Athlon 64 3200 with 1GB
PC3200 RAM (2x512GB in dual channel mode).
I do some video editing but nothing else too demanding.
If I add another 2x512GB will it make much difference?
Would I be better buying 2x1GB matched pair in case of
incompatability with existing RAM?
Replies appreciated.

Kenny

In addition to the other suggestions from John and Rich
what to see how much disk drive activity is going on when
you are doing some editing. A slow hard drive can have as
much impact as memory.

--
JS
http://www.pagestart.com

The computer will perform to the lesser spec. Higher spec RAM will be
degraded in performance, but it will work.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience & Security


"Kenny" wrote in message
...
Thanks Paul for the very comprehensive reply.
Most of that stuff about voltages and timings is over my head.
Have ordered the Corsair RAM and hopefully it will work straight off.
One more question, the existing RAM is Kingston which is a cheaper brand,
could it "pull down" the performance of the better Corsair?
If I thought so I may just run with the 2GB of corsair.

Kenny
Paul" wrote in message ...
Kenny wrote:
Another question RAM.
Crucial Memory Advisor tells me that this:
"DDR PC3200 . CL=3 . Unbuffered . NON-ECC . DDR400 . 2.6V . 128Meg x 64
184 pin DIMM"
is what my m/b supports.
Is this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-VS2G.../ref=de_a_smtd
suitable?
Replies appreciated, don't want to be buying the wrong thing!

Kenny

It is a socket 939 motherboard (GA-K8NSC-939), so DDR would be
a good bet for the memory type.

You can check the customer reviews here, to see if any RAM arrives DOA.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145579

When you use four sticks of RAM, the timing may have to be adjusted
for stable operation. The two parameters of interest are the DDR speed
setting and the Command Rate. Command Rate determines how many cycles
the address/command are presented on the bus. That is set to 2 for
heavy loading situations, or 1 for light loading situations. The
2 setting cuts address/command bandwidth in half, but the address/command
bus is not used full time anyway, so the impact is less severe than
a factor of 2.

These are some options for S939 memory.

DDR400 Command Rate 1T 2 sticks of RAM

DDR400 Command Rate 2T 4 sticks of RAM
DDR333 Command Rate 1T 4 sticks of RAM

Of the two options for four sticks, the first gives slightly better
performance.

So yes, your memory choice looks OK. You'll end up with 2x512MB+2x1GB
for a total of 3GB. If the current BIOS settings are full auto, the
BIOS may select a stable combination of settings. For example, it might
do

DDR333 Command Rate 2T 4 sticks of RAM

which is unnecessarily pessimistic. You can change the settings if
you want, but do thorough testing with memtest86+ (memtest.org) and
Prime95 from mersenne.org, before concluding you're finished. You
should at least use memtest86+ on a floppy or CD, before booting
into Windows - if there is a problem with the RAM, you want to
discover that before booting into Windows.

You can verify the memory settings with CPUZ. But that would have
to wait, until your memtest86+ testing is finished.

http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

Your BIOS has a "DDR Voltage Control" setting. Sometimes, a little
extra voltage can help with memory stability, such as if you have
say, one error per total pass of memtest86+. But based on the layout
of your DIMM slots, and the fact they're very close together,
with no breathing room for cooling between modules, I wouldn't
reach for that option unless absolutely necessary. Extra voltage
means a bit of extra heat, which you don't need.

Paul


"Kenny" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the replies. Am using a SATA drive and keep background apps
and services to a minimum, also regular cleanup and defrag.

Kenny
"JS" @ wrote in message ...
"Kenny" wrote in message
...
Using XP/SP3, Gigabyte GA-KNSC-939 m/b, Athlon 64 3200 with 1GB
PC3200 RAM (2x512GB in dual channel mode).
I do some video editing but nothing else too demanding.
If I add another 2x512GB will it make much difference?
Would I be better buying 2x1GB matched pair in case of
incompatability with existing RAM?
Replies appreciated.

Kenny

In addition to the other suggestions from John and Rich
what to see how much disk drive activity is going on when
you are doing some editing. A slow hard drive can have as
much impact as memory.

--
JS
http://www.pagestart.com