Do I Need High Performance Memory?

Having been in the memory industry for years, including working for one of the major high performance memory manufacturers, I can say without a doubt "probably not". Unless you are a gamer, overclocker, or system builder who wants RAM that looks good, you will probably not see any performance improvement by spending hundreds more on high performance memory.

Low Latency Memory

Low latency allows the memory to perform read/write functions at an infinitesimally faster rate. However, this slight performance boost will only show up in programs that put a serious strain on the memory, such as games and video editing software. In normal use such as browsing the web, using office applications, etc, you will not get any boost at all. Even in the programs for which high performance memory is designed, the performance difference will be less than 3-5%. Is this really worth the serious amount of extra money? In my opinion no, but some people will argue otherwise.

Overclocked Memory

The other option besides low-latency memory is memory that can be overclocked to extremely high speeds. In my opinion, this type of memory is more valuable than low-latency memory. This is because the biggest performance boost from overclocking comes from the overclocking of the CPU, not the memory itself. Overclocking the CPU can give a large boost to system performance, although I wouldn't recommend it to the vast majority of people. But if you're going to overclock your CPU, you'll need RAM that can keep up. This is where overclockable RAM can be beneficial, although finding high-speed memory is not difficult and shouldn't be terribly expensive.

Heatsinks on Memory

A lot is made of the heatsinks (also known as heatspreaders) that come attached to high performance memory and the idea that they lower the heat of memory, allowing it to be overclocked higher, or that it spreads the heat more evenly among the chips to keep individual chips from failing. However, no data has ever been produced that shows that heatsinks actually lower the heat of memory modules. In fact, in my testing I've found that on some occasions heatsinks can actually raise the temperature of the RAM. This is especially the case for registered memory, which has smaller chips on it. The heat coming off of these smaller chips can get trapped between the circuit board and the heatsinks, causing pockets of superheated air, leading to more problems than if the memory was uncovered. So take anything having to do with heatsinks with a grain of salt. More than anything, they're made to look cool for system builders with case windows!

As someone who has worked with all types of RAM for years, I recommend to everyone to just get memory with default latencies and speeds, because the value of it is far higher than with that of "high performance" memory. Don't believe me? Here is what PC World has to say about low latency RAM. Feel free to let us know if you disagree!

Power Supply Problems after Installing New Memory

Unfortunately, there are certain models of computers that generally ship with lower quality power supplies. They present certain problems when installing more memory or may burn out and need to be replaced faster than other models. This often comes to light when increasing RAM because of the greater amount of power needed to support it. While this can happen in almost any computer, these problems can be seen more frequently in Hewlett Packard Pavilions, Compaq Presarios, and almost any type of E-Machine.

A major indication that your power supply cannot support your new RAM is if your computer will work with one module or a certain amount of RAM installed, but not with two or more modules installed together or when a greater amount of RAM is added. With more than one module or an increase in RAM, you get not even so much as a screen flicker. This can happen when installing all new memory or if you are attempting to use new module(s) with your original memory. In attempting to troubleshoot, you take one or more out and leave one or more in to magically find that it works like a charm. This is confusing when you know that you are not exceeding the limits of your maximum memory, yet it simply refuses to function with what should be an acceptable amount of RAM.

This can happen because the power supply is simply faulty or the power supply is burnt out and you need a new one. If you do indeed need a new power supply, we recommend one from Antec, a very good brand-300 to 400 watts should do it. You can typically purchase one of these for $25-$100-prices can vary widely-at a store like CompUSA or Best Buy. Here's the links to those sites for you.

http://www.compusa.com/products/products.asp?N=0&Ntt=computer%20power%20supplies&Ntk=All&Nty=1&D=computer%20power%20supplies&Dx=mode%20matchall

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?type=category&id=cat01073&DCMP=KNC-TLC&ref=25&loc=GOO

Review your manual or contact your computer manufacturer support to get the rundown on how to replace the power supply before you attempt it yourself. If you are not comfortable attempting the replacement, pay the extra money for a technician to install it. You don't want to cause further damage to your computer in the process!

Memory speeds

If you've been shopping for a memory upgrade you've probably seen the memory speed (or memory bus clock rate) referenced as one of the specifications. This was probably listed in megahertz (i.e. 133MHz, 266MHz, 333MHz) or as PC____ (i.e. PC133, PC2100, PC2700). Memory speed refers to the rate at which operations are executed, or the data rate. Below you'll find the memory speeds available for each kind of memory:

SDRAM:

PC66 or 66MHz
PC100 or 100 MHz
PC133 or 133MHz

DDR:

PC2100 or 266MHz
PC2700 or 333MHz
PC3200 or 400 MHz

DDR2:

DDR2 3200 or 400 MHz
DDR2 4200 or 533 MHz

Within each memory category, you can usually install any of the categorized speeds. However, the memory you upgrade with will clock down to the lowest memory speed that's already installed. In addition, some front side bus speeds will automatically "clock-down" memory speed. The best way to ensure what speed you need is to check what you already have or check your system specifications with your manufacturer or with our memory configurator.

What is ECC Memory?

So, you've chosen the correct model of computer in order to ensure your compatibility. You're ready to choose the size upgrade you need and then you see there are two options of the same size. Many times this is because one is ECC and the other is non-ECC. Some machines can take both so it can be confusing to know which one to choose.

ECC stands for Error Correcting Code. It's a function in the memory that allows it to detect and correct single and multiple bit errors. It is most often found in servers. Usually, desktop computers have non-ECC memory as the standard memory unless specified otherwise at order time. Some machines can take both ECC and non-ECC memory and other machines must have all of the same kind. If it can take both, it will usually default to non-ECC if both types of memory are present. ECC is usually more expensive because it has an extra chip and is more rare.

There are a few ways to determine what type of memory you currently have in order to upgrade with the same type. One way is to count the actual number of chips on the memory. If the number of chips is divisible by 9 (so 9 or 18 chips), then it's ECC. Another way (especially if a heat spreader covers the chips) is to read the actual information on the memory to see if it has any specifications indicating ECC or non-ECC. If you're still not having any luck, a call to your computer manufacturer with your serial number should provide some answers as to what the original memory configuration and specifications were of your computer. Finally, if you still don't know, we have a program that can scan your system and let you know what type of memory you have along with other useful memory information about your computer.

Is RAM the same as hard drive storage?

When upgrading computers, one of the fears people have is losing their data. Sometimes when upgrading, people have to replace an entire memory module to achieve the increase in RAM they'd like. There's a misunderstanding that when you take out the memory, all your files will go with it. Fortunately, this is not the case. Files are permanently stored on the hard drive while the memory is a temporary storage location.

Computer memory is referred to as DRAM. This stands for dynamic random access memory, which means when the computer power is turned off, all the information in the memory is lost. So, what is it used for? Well, it helps speed up the processes of the computer. It serves as a temporary storage and retrieval point for data so that it doesn't have to be written and read from the hard drive every time an application needs data. So, basically RAM temporarily stores data used very often so it doesn't have to be searched for everytime it's needed. This also explains why there's a major slow down when your computer runs out of RAM. When there's no more RAM space, the computer must use an area of the hard drive (referred to as the cache) to serve as RAM, which majorly slows things down.

Click here to read more on how memory works.

How Do I Know Which Memory to Buy?

Buying memory can seem like a scary and confusing thing. There seems to be so many choices... pin count, capacity, speed, etc. Luckily, there is a simple way to find what you need. The easiest thing to do is to find your machine type and model and plug it right into our memory configurator.

What if I don't know my model? The first place you can look is on the computer (or printer or server) itself. If you can't seem to discern any of the numbers and letters listed there, check with the manual that came with your computer. If you don't know what your manual is, try finding the serial number or service tag located near the bar code on your machine. Many of the OEM's have a place you can look this up on their website or you can call them with this information in order to find out your specific model.

What if my computer is custom built? The first thing to do is to try and find the brand and model of motherboard. Usually, you can plug this information into a memory configurator. If you still don't know this model, we have a program that will search your system for the memory specifications you need. It is called the Memory Matchmaker.

Why can't I just buy standard memory with the right specifications? Many computers use the same type of memory. For example, a Dell Dimension 4500 uses the same exact memory as an eMachines W1500. So, you'd probably wonder why you even have to choose your model. This is a way that we can insure compatibility and eliminate the guesswork for you.

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