Upgrading my RAM: What should I buy?

Benjamin King2 said:Generally speaking, yeah. Just don't try mixing different generations, like DDR with DDR2. If you do, the whole system will just settle on the speed of the slowest stick.

Thanks for the quick reply. Now that I know I can't mix different types, I've got another question: can I mix brands? Like, would it work if I paired up some Kingston with some SanDisk? Cheers.

Theoretically? Not recommended. In reality? It shouldn't be an issue at all.

Jeffrey Chavez6 said:Theoretically, it’s not the best way to go, but in the real world, you shouldn't run into any issues.

Thanks for the reply. Quick question though—is there any way to figure out my RAM brand without actually cracking open the case? I tried using some software like CPU-Z or Everest, but for some reason, they weren't giving me the specific brand info I needed.

On Mount Everest, head over to Motherboard - Democratic Party.

Jeffrey Chavez6 said:In Everest, just head over to Motherboard - Democratic Party.

First off, thanks for the reply. Second, I tried exactly what you suggested, but all I'm getting is a blank gray screen—nothing shows up at all. I've uploaded a screenshot so you can see what I'm looking at.

Yeah, that’s how it goes sometimes—it just won't read. Same deal with CPU-Z. Honestly, I'm starting to think your only real option is to just look at the label on the module itself.

Jeffrey Chavez6 said:Yeah, that’s how it goes sometimes—it just won't read. Same deal with CPU-Z. Honestly, I'm starting to think the only way to actually see what you've got is to look at the label on the module itself.

Fair enough. It’s not a huge deal, honestly. Takes me about a minute to check the physical stick anyway. Thanks for the help, everyone. Cheers!

To avoid cluttering up a new thread, here is what the manual says:

- Dual Channel DDR3/DDR2 Memory Technology
(see CAUTION 4)
- 2 x DDR3 DIMM slots
- Support DDR3 1600/1333/1066/800 non-ECC, un-buffered
memory (see CAUTION 5)
- Max. capacity of system memory: 8GB (see CAUTION 6)
- 2 x DDR2 DIMM slots
- Support DDR2 1066/800/667/533 non-ECC, un-buffered
memory (see CAUTION 7)
- Max. capacity of system memory: 8GB (see CAUTION 6)

I am just trying to confirm if I interpreted this correctly... an 8GB total limit, meaning 4GB per slot, rather than 8GB per slot for a total of 16GB, which would obviously be the superior option...😁

Yeah, 8GB is the ceiling.

What does it say in the warnings down there?

Nothing much to report, I suppose:

4. This motherboard supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. Before you
implement Dual Channel Memory Technology, make sure to read the
installation guide of memory modules on page 16 for proper installation.
5. Whether 1600MHz memory speed is supported depends on the AM3 CPU
you adopt. If you want to adopt DDR3 1600 memory module on this
motherboard, please refer to the memory support list on our website for
the compatible memory modules.
ASRock website http://www.asrock.com
6. Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size may be
less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows ® 7 /
VistaTM / XP. For Windows® OS with 64-bit CPU, there is no such limitation.
7. Whether 1066MHz memory speed is supported depends on the AM2+ CPU
you adopt. If you want to adopt DDR2 1066 memory module on this
motherboard, please refer to the memory support list on our website for
the compatible memory modules.
ASRock website http://www.asrock.com
8. The maximum shared memory size is defined by the chipset vendor and
is subject to change. Please check NVIDIA® website for the latest
information.

http://newegg.com/products/details/me...2a1600c9/39552

This is what I had in mind, considering it's the only option available anyway...

this is the processor in question: http://newegg.com/products/detail...b95w-box/40175

I’d just go with the 1333MHz RAM. I mean, the X3 processor doesn't even support 1600MHz anyway, so there's really no point in overspending here.

Don't mix up DDR3 and DDR2 because it won't work—you gotta pick one or the other.

DDR3 is actually cheaper right now.
Two 4GB sticks will run you about $90

My motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-8I945PLGE-RH. Here are the technical specifications:

2 DDR II DIMM memory slots (supports up to 2GB memory)
Supports 1.8V DDR II DIMM
Supports dual channel DDR II 533/400 DIMM

So, it supports DDR2 (up to 2GB total) via two 1GB slots. What I am currently trying to figure out is this... if I understand correctly, those 533/400 figures refer to the MHz. I have been searching online quite extensively, but I am having a hard time finding any DDR2 rated at specifically 400 or 533MHz; the lowest speed I can seem to find is 800MHz. This leads me to wonder: if I purchase two 1GB sticks of 800MHz DDR2, will they work properly? I would hate to accidentally cause issues for my motherboard. Additionally, does the specific manufacturer matter, or is it all essentially the same? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I guess if you grab faster RAM, the clock speed should just scale down automatically. It doesn't really matter which brand you pick, though maybe you could check online or look at the manual to see which manufacturers they actually tested, just to be safe.

Does anyone happen to have some 2GB DDR2 RAM sticks for sale?

Quick question,
So I’ve got this motherboard and I’m looking to beef up the RAM, but honestly, I’m pretty clueless about how this all works... Can anyone point me in the right direction on what I should actually buy?
Thanks,

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=939A790GMH

So, what kind of RAM are you running right now?

Basically: you need DDR RAM (up to 400MHz). Just standard DDR—you can go with DDR1 if you really want to:

and so on.

I guess I don't know exactly what you have in there currently, but I'd probably suggest grabbing two 1GB sticks. You could maybe hunt for some used ones on eBay.

Look, I’m pretty clueless when it comes to RAM, smartphones, and all that tech jargon, so I could really use some help here. Basically, I'm looking at picking up a Samsung Galaxy s3 i9300. It's got 1 GB of RAM, and now I'm stuck wondering if that 1 GB is actually enough or if it's just going to be a total snail. Is this thing actually going to feel fast?

Chloe Vaughn28 said:I don't really know much about memory, phones, and stuff like that, so I need some help! I'm planning to buy an iPhone 5 which has 1 GB of RAM, and now I'm wondering if 1 GB is a lot or a little, and if the phone will actually be fast.

You can't upgrade the RAM on a phone
It comes straight from the factory like that, just like 🙂

What are you even doing over here in the desktop PC section? 😁

But yeah, 1GB should be plenty and it'll be fast enough.