Upgrading RAM

[ZeroCool]

I have a 1.2 athlon with a m7mia biostar mobo. i currently have 128 mb pc2100 DDR memory but I'm looking to buy another 256 mb of memory. Would it be practical to upgrade to say pc2400 DDR memory? Would this affect gaming performance at all? Would another 256 mb of memory affect performance/chop issues? The reason why I'm thinking about buying more memory is because I have a GeForce 3 Ti 500 en route and I figured if i were to add more RAM, (since I could probably use some more anyhow) this may help the big beastly GeForce do its job better.

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"This is the finest weed in the south valley."
-The Lord of The Rings

[rond36]

PC2400 DDR is overclocked PC2100 DDR. That is why it comes with heat spreaders firmly attached so you can't read the chips and find that they are the same as the ones that you just removed. Is your Athlon the 200 or 266 FSB model? Unless your motherboard BIOS can set the FSB and memory bus independently you will overclock your CPU when you set the mem bus to use PC2400. I would say stick with PC2100. I have found that the speed of the memory is less important than the amount installed. I can't tell a difference running my 768MB of PC2700 DDR(real PC2700 not OC 2100) at 2100, 2400, or 2700 but if I take a stick or two out that is a different story.

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How to Use the Fdisk Tool and the Format Tool to Partition or Repartition a Hard Disk (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q255867)
How to multi-boot Windows XP (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/gettingstarted/multiboot.asp)
Microsoft Expert Zone Multi-booting made easy (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/columns/russel/september10.asp)
MSKB How to multi-boot Windows XP (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q306559)

[ZeroCool]

My mobo fsb is 266 so my CPU wouldn't be working any extra. How would I know if I bought OC PC2400 or or non-OC PC2400 RAM?

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"This is the finest weed in the south valley."
-The Lord of The Rings

[mjc]

Almost all PC2400 is oc'd 2100.....

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[rond36]

My mobo fsb is 266
Which CPU do you have the 200 MHz FSB or the 266 MHz FSB model. AMD made two models of this CPU.

JEDEC the governing body that sets standards for computer RAM has never set a standard specification for PC2400 DDR. PC2400 memory chips are not produced by any chip manufacturer so the only way to make PC2400 RAM is to use PC2100 Chips. JEDEC recently set a specification for PC2700 and the chip manufacturers are producing PC2700 DDR chips. Until you see Crucial or Samsung selling PC2400 DDR it doesn't exist. Crucial and Samsung are chip manufacturers together they make almost all of the RAM chips for all of the RAM manufacturers but they won't make the chips before JEDEC sets the standard specification. So until JEDEC sets the standard specification all PC2400 DDR is overclocked 2100 or now maybe underclocked PC2700 LOL. Actualy they are selling PC3000 and PC3200 (overclocked PC2700). This is what Corsair has to say about it:
What does XMS mean, and what is the idea behind it?

We have taken to heart a few facts that overclockers have known for years: [1] that many integrated circuits are capable of operating much faster than their specified speed, and [2] standards organizations by their very nature have a difficult time keeping up with market changes.

XMS, or eXtreme Memory Speed, is the process that Corsair uses to take ICs rated at one speed and verify/guarantee their operation at another speed. Since specifications have not been generated to accurately specify operating parameters, Corsair gives these parts an XMS rating. For example, since PC2400 does not exist according to any valid standards institution, Corsair parts are called XMS2400. This was copied from Corsair's web site.

------------------
How to Use Fdisk and Format to Partition or Repartition a Hard Disk (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q255867)
How to multi-boot Windows XP (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/gettingstarted/multiboot.asp)
Microsoft Expert Zone Multi-booting made easy (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/columns/russel/september10.asp)
MSKB How to multi-boot Windows XP (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q306559)



[This message has been edited by rond36 (edited 05-23-2002).]