RAM upgrade question

Hey there...
I’ve run into a bit of a puzzle that I can't quite wrap my head around.
Whenever I slot this specific 2GB DDR2 RAM module into the motherboard, nothing happens. No image on the monitor, no attempt to boot into Windows—nothing. So, my first thought was, okay, this stick is definitely dead.
But here's the weird part: when I swap in a known working stick and jump into the BIOS, the system actually recognizes and reads the "broken" RAM perfectly fine. It just refuses to actually launch Windows once that module is involved.
Does this mean the RAM is truly faulty, or am I looking at some kind of glitch with the motherboard or the BIOS settings?
Also, I spotted some 2GB Kingston DDR3 1600MHz RAM for $47. Meanwhile, the 2GB DDR2 800MHz sticks are going for $83. Why is that? What’s the actual difference, and which one would be the better move to install?
I mean, shouldn't DDR3 be more expensive since it's newer?
The motherboard I'm using is an ASRock N68C-GS FX.
THANKS...

What kind of RAM are you running right now, and what's the CPU on your board?

Transcend DDR2 800 MHz. 2GB.
AMD Athlon 64 x2 dual Core 6000
Everything was working perfectly fine on this RAM until just a little while ago.

It’s possible that new RAM module is just faulty, or maybe the motherboard and the stick just don't "get" each other. Did you grab that module off eBay or something, or is it actually a reputable brand?
Also, those boards that support both old and new RAM can be pretty finicky and picky about what they take...

As for pricing—DDR2 is pricier since it's older and harder to find; it's almost becoming an exotic item at this point 😁. But unfortunately, you're stuck with it because your processor won't work with DDR3—it just doesn't support it.

It isn't new RAM. Honestly, my computer was running perfectly fine with this memory until just a little while ago. And no, I didn't grab it from eBay. I'm pretty sure Transcend is a solid, reliable brand when it comes to RAM.
I'm just a bit confused... if the stick is actually faulty, how on earth am I still able to see it listed in the BIOS?

I might also throw in an Athlon ii X3 or X4 for about 100-$50 and some 4GB of DDR3 for $33. Since processors with the AM3 socket support DDR3, it would at least give you a path for an upgrade later on.

It’s possible the system will boot if one of those two sticks is faulty, but you're going to run into serious stability issues. Honestly, if that stick won't boot, just toss it in the trash. As for the DDR2, there isn't really a significant price gap between it and other types of RAM. Besides, your motherboard supports both DDR3 and DDR2 anyway.

So, why wouldn't I just go with DDR3?

Good grief, who on earth would suggest mixing DDR3 and DDR2? It's just not done.

The guy above responded to me saying that if I tried to use DDR3, the processor wouldn't even work.
Well, it’s just common sense, really. That processor is too old to handle DDR3, so there's no way it would even run.

I think you might have misread the specs. While it's true some motherboards don't support two different types of RAM, yours actually handles both DDR2 and DDR3. However, it looks like that specific processor is capped at DDR2 800MHz.
http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K8/AMD...000CZBOX).html
Bottom line? Just grab at least 4GB of RAM and toss that broken stick in the trash.

The memory controller is built right into the CPU, and this processor doesn't even support DDR3.