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Thread: New RAM

  1. #1
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    New RAM

    This may be a stupid question, but I want to make sure before I buy new RAM. The new Item I am looking at is http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820134193
    which is 4GB DDR2 (2x2 dual channel)
    My motherboard says it can only handle 4GB of DDR2, but that was before 2GB DDR2 was available. The reason I'm thinking it'll work is because its still DDR2 and the speed is 667, the max my board can handle. My board is an ASUS P5LD2. Thanks.

  2. #2
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Go to the Crucial Memory website and feed your MoBo details into their memory checker, that will tell you what is possible

    http://www.crucial.com/store/drammemory.aspx

  3. #3
    Senior Member t34b4g5's Avatar
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    Check out the link Johnno (Nihil) gave yah, but from reading the info that you gave i suspect that it should work fine with the selected ram.

    If it's the wrong sort you should be able to exchange it for the correct stick's i would imagine, heck i've ordered wrong parts from newegg and was able to exchange them for the correct item..

  4. #4
    The Doctor Und3ertak3r's Avatar
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    Yeh .. and what OS.. you may only end up looking at 3Gb anyway regardless of what you put in there.. the OS maybe your stumbling point... besides it io only a 32bit Mobo.. so 4gb will be your Absolute Max. I am not sure about *nix,,, but Widows will only report 3Gb..

    Also is your macinne running a single or dual core CPU? Being dual channel 2 x 2GB will be the max (i note crucial only recommend 2GB..interesting)

    Aside from that.. do/did you have CPU heating problems with the standard Intel HSF? (assuming the 3.0Ghz cpu ).. every one that I have seen the complaint is the same overheating.. had to upgrade the lot with super u-beaute cooling solutions.. (btw: I realised it was a serious problem when these faults were in Winter)
    Last edited by Und3ertak3r; May 20th, 2008 at 08:44 AM.
    "Consumer technology now exceeds the average persons ability to comprehend how to use it..give up hope of them being able to understand how it works." - Me http://www.cybercrypt.co.nr

  5. #5
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    The ASUS P5LD2 comes in more than one model............. There is certainly one that supports 4Gb and another that supports only 2 Gb. I suspect that without the additional information Crucial assumed the lower specification?

    My motherboard says it can only handle 4GB of DDR2, but that was before 2GB DDR2 was available.
    Which is when it was made, so I would expect it to only support 1Gb memory strips.

    That leaves the question of whether you are running a 32 or 64 bit system. I believe that there is a 64 bit version of that board?

    Also, you might check if there is a BIOS update for that board that allows it to recognise 2Gb memory strips?
    Last edited by nihil; May 20th, 2008 at 09:48 AM.

  6. #6
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    Ahh, yea, I've updated the BIOS before, but that always makes me uneasy, if you know what I mean, so I won't unless I have to. And I have a dual core 1.86Ghz.
    http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16819115005
    (the exact one)

    Which is when it was made, so I would expect it to only support 1Gb memory strips.
    Yea, I wasn't sure if there had to be new support for increased size RAM.

    I am running a dual boot of XP (32 bit) and Ubuntu (newest release, 32 bit). Would it be worth a reinstall to Ubuntu 64 bit if i get more RAM (if my board will read it)?

    eeh, Asus doesn't seem to give much explanation as to what is going into their BIOS updates. It may just be safer to go with 4 1GB of RAM. So i guess the question I have now is, is 2 GB dual channel (2x1) different from just buying two 1GB, beccause I currently have a single 1GB RAM card, so would it be ok to buy 2GB dual channel and a 1GB to make 4GB (including what I have now), or should I buy two dual channels of 2GB and toss the one I have now (to have 2 sets of specifically dual channel RAM)? To me, it'd seem like the latter is just a waste of money, but I want to make sure.

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    Quote Originally Posted by metguru
    So i guess the question I have now is, is 2 GB dual channel (2x1) different from just buying two 1GB, beccause I currently have a single 1GB RAM card, so would it be ok to buy 2GB dual channel and a 1GB to make 4GB (including what I have now), or should I buy two dual channels of 2GB and toss the one I have now (to have 2 sets of specifically dual channel RAM)? To me, it'd seem like the latter is just a waste of money, but I want to make sure.
    Buying "2 GB dual channel (2x1)" is not different from buying two 1GB sticks. The 2GB dual channel you are referring to would be 2 1GB sticks (1 for each channel)...this would be the case when you want dual channel performance which only works if the sticks have the exact same specifications. Buying two one gig sticks separately could be a waste of time if they aren't matched correctly.

  8. #8
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    I find this a bit of a difficult one to call. As far as I am aware a 32 bit system will only address 4Gb of memory of which 2 is physical and 2 is virtual.?????

    There is a "tweak" that will get the system (well BillyWindoze at least) to recognise 3Gb of physical RAM. I can only presume that this is at the expense of virtual RAM, but physical RAM is a hell of a lot faster.

    I see that you have a single 1Gb strip...... just get another of the same type and clock latency

    OK, that gives you 2Gb............. but if you are doing things that need more I would say that you need to go upmarket with your MoBo and processor first.

    I saw the MoBo on sale over here at £59, so it can't be rocket science?


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    Ok. I'll go with getting more of the same RAM as I have then. Would It be worth getting a total of 4GB of RAM if I am running lots of programs at once?

  10. #10
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hi there metguru,

    Would It be worth getting a total of 4GB of RAM if I am running lots of programs at once?
    Only if at least one of your OSes is 64bit.

    It all depends on what you are running. This is an XP Pro SP3 box with 1Gb and I have never had any low memory warnings. Right now there is 470Mb free.

    Try going into "task manager" and finding out what you are actually using?

    I would say that going to 2Gb will show some improvement, but not as much as going from 256 to 512 or 512 to 1Gb.

    I think that you would get more mileage from tuning and looking for memory leaks to be honest.

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