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Ok simple problem lol

Umm i wanna upgrade the ram in this pc so i can open up a few gaming options but i dont know much if anything of whats in this pc cuz its mdg crap

So how do i know what type of ram to buy that this pc can use?
Like DDR,DDR2, dual channel,RD,SD etc?
And how do i know what the highest MHz i can get is?

Ive got 1 stick of 512 in the pc right now and one open slot but i would love to remove that 512 and put in 2gb because my video card does cut into the system ram

I can use the bios to give 512 to the video card and leave 1.5gb for the system and that should be enuff power to run most games on the market decently for 150 or less right ^^

If needed i will pull the ram and get a pic but an explanation on how to identify what i have and what i can use would be better

All my x-mas shopping is done cept like 3 things so that leaves some cash in my pocket for me this pay

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38494

You could just put a 1 gig stick in the extra slot to have a total of 2 gigs. You can mix ram types/sizes.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38495

We really can't tell what kind of ram you need without know what kind of motherboard you have or what the specs on your current ram is.

I seriously doubt you have RD ram though, it's overly expensive, and was only used for a very short time.

Good this about MHZ though is that if you get ram that has too high a MHz rating for your system, it will just clock it down and run it at the lower speed.

Unless your system is really ancient you probably using either DDR or DDR2. And DDR2 has been around for a while. If your system is <=3 years old you are most likely using DDR2. Don't worry about the dual channel stuff. I seriously doubt you'll need dual channel if your sharing memory with your video card. You can still use dual channel, but that just means 2 sticks of ram instead of 1 (i.e. 1gb dual channel is 2 identical sticks of 512mb).

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38496

maybe you have a motherboard that has slots for both old sdr ram and ddr ram
if that is the case then you can not mix ram.

the motherboard manufacture would have put that in the manual and told that to you on a warning slip of paper when you bought the motherboard.
easy thing to see though the new ram is shorter then the sdr ram.

so if you got the two slots one longer then the other use the short one its the faster ram.

but then you can only get one stick of ram that way too.

some motherboards are color coding the ram slots, atleast that is what it looks like
since i have two slots for ram in this new pc with winxp pro. and they are different colors and i have only one stick of ram in the computer.

but find out what type of ram you have in the computer. right click on the my computer icon and on the first context menu click on the word properties.
the first panel will show you what your cpu is what your ram is and what your hd is. and who made the system bios.

then you can just find the manual for the motherboard and see what size's it says you can put in the board.
you might have to go to the library and search for the manual in its online collection if the company put it online or in the library systems?

just might be faster to go to the company site and see if they have the info on it someplace or if you can contact them for free.
if they have paid for help.
then just send an email and tell them in short 1 to 4 lines just what you want to know.

there's a chance they might just answer that short email for free. if they don't then send them another short sharp letter and let them know you're going to blab all over the world how shoddy their system is and how they don't give any help.

they might send some help then.

as they always say be polite. it works. but when it don't its the squeeky wheel that gets the grease.






Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38498

Red Squirrel wrote: You could just put a 1 gig stick in the extra slot to have a total of 2 gigs.  You can mix ram types/sizes.

How so?

I have 512 in the system right now but only 448 shows as system ram because the video is taking a some so 1 gb would put me at 1.5 - and if i -512 for video that leaves me 1gb system

Anyways right click my compter shows
CPU Pentium® D 2.66GHz
2.67 GHz, 448MB of ram
Pulled ram from the pc lol
512 DDR PC3200 NONECC and both slots are the same

Donno if this helps but ... was looking for what kinda motherboard i had and found some info in my bios lol so uhh correct me where im wrong on this

Its an intel desktop board (donno exact model)
System Bus Speed 533MHz (Guessing motherboard speed?)
System Memory Speed 400MHz (ram speed correct? Current? or max?)

L2 Cashe RAM 1024k x2 (guessing i can only put 2 sticks of 1gb and not 2 sticks of 2GB)
Total memory 512 (what ive got ^^)
Memory Mode Single channel (guessing it changes to dual channel once a 2nd stick is placed in)
Bank 0 512mb
Bank 1 Not installed

So from what i understand so far and from the info gathered
Centon 2048MB PC3200 DDR 400MHz (2 x 1024MB) ram would be a "safe" bet to buy 2 sticks of correct? and would cost me about 120$

But if i can go DDR2 i can use Ultra 2048MB PC4200 DDR2 533MHz Memory (2 x 1024MB) and it would be way cheaper at around 60$ with a higher MHz and that would be good right ^^

So how do i know if i can use DDR2 so i can save some money? And a higher MHz speed is better ram if its using that extra speed correct?

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38500

If your PC takes DDR PC3200 just buy another stick of DDR PC3200 off of newegg, or you could even buy a 2GB dual channel kit. What games are you trying to run? Giving more memory to onboard graphics still might not cut it for the most recent games, like Crysis for example. You might want to look into upgrading your RAM and investing in a video card if you want to play newer games smoothly.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38526

Well i have looked into video cards and anything decent is fairly expensive at around 100 - 200$ and mostly effects games well ram effects all aspects of the pc

After the ram is up then im gonna get 18 wheels of steel and look around in stores for some driving sim / racing games with online play (no motor city )

and command and conquer 3 is the game i want most for pc so that may make me upgrade the video card later if i cant run it with just a ram upgrade tho the requirements on that game im just 64mb's short of ram for online play

I may also look into starcraft 2 when i get bored of C&C3

Basicly graphics dont have to be great like lighting,smoothing etc can all be on the lowest options as long as frame rates are where thay should be

Im a hardcore gamer when it comes to sony but pc i dont want the newest or gratest games just the kinda games thay dont make for console like simulation and whatever genre C&C is?

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38528

Okies i put 140 on the credit card but gotta wait a few days before i can order ram and then gotta wait for it to be delivered maybe a week an a half will go by fast

Annnd i bought C&C3 today and its sitting right here still in the packaging
Now the question is should i dissapoint myself by attempting it now or do i wait lol

Requirements (What i got)
OS) XP or vista (XP)
CPU) 2.0GHz (2.7GHz)
Ram) 512MB (448)
Video) 64MB (64MB)



Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38540

Arn't credit cards great? I just put 100ish on mine today, ordered a new drive to replace the one in my system that's failing. My data is on another drive, so worse case scenario I have to go through a whole format again, but I think the drive has been in failing state for a long time. I always found it performed slow, now I know why.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38544

Ya they come in handy for some things ^^

A failing drive huh? That would be my werst nightmare if alot of data was lost lol
How big is the new drive your buying? And better yet how much you pay for it?

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38548

I'm not too worried about the drive, all my data is on another drive and it gets backed up often (full disk backup over network). The current one is a 120GB, I got a 320GB for 80ish bucks. My data one is a 500GB. I could have partitioned the 500GB but I kind of like having 2 drives.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38554

80 bucks? where you buy it from? Thats fairly cheap ><
The ram im getting is 106 USD 2gb 400mhz dual channel but if you know a place online to order for about the same in canada then that would save me the surpise duty fees etc >< never know what its gonna be lol

My mom ended up paying 90$ duty/shipping for a 20 dollar blanket lol
I got away last time on 125$ game/cards with only 15$ duty/shipping

Oh and i tryed C&C3 ^^
Fun but it starts lagging after my base is fully set up and im starting to build an army to attack lol

Image is my army of lag




Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38559

HDD I got at NCIX.com, they have pretty good prices, even better then Tigerdirect for some stuff.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38560

Hmm prices seem to be a bit higher then tiger but would avoid dutys since its in canada ^^
Oh and well im at it umm would OCZ EL Platinum ram provide any more performance then say PNY Dual Channel? Like is spending the extra few dollars worth it or will both be exactly the same once in the pc? aside from price that is.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38561

The higher end suff may increase performance but in most cases you probably wont really see the difference, exept for an extra couple 100 bucks missing from your account. I usually buy the cheap stuff. Though if you want to overclock you'll want the high end stuff.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38565

Well seeing as i have no manual for my motherboard im guessing overclocking is not an option for me unless i can do so from the bios only lol

Will stick with cheap stuff i guess

But usefull information all the same ^^

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38566

Red Squirrel wrote: The higher end suff may increase performance but in most cases you probably wont really see the difference, exept for an extra couple 100 bucks missing from your account. I usually buy the cheap stuff. Though if you want to overclock you'll want the high end stuff.

Exactly, if the RAM you are comparing have the same CAS Latency and Speed, just buy the cheaper one seeing as you aren't overclocking.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38567

I wouldnt personally recomend overclocking. If you got a system to burn, then go ahead, but other then that, OC'd systems arnt all they are cracked up to be.

now if you want cheap, bout the best way to get some crazy cheap parts for a newer system or upgrade is to get one of those hp systems or something form systemmax, with a rebate, and gut it for parts. If you shop around you could get a intel duo system for like 200 bux. 1 small problem tho. The motherboard is almost garanteed to be junk, so dont rely on it.

now, just to ask, why on earth did you buy 400mhz ddr? You do know that you can put any mhz ddr in a system and it will work. It wont run at the mhz rated by the ram, but it works, and the the newer ram is way cheaper.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38568

I havnt bought any yet and i did look for a higher MHz in DDR but have not found anything cheaper other then in DDR2 so feel free to point me at a 2gb set for less then 120 if you know where to find em lol

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38575

Onykage wrote: I wouldnt personally recomend overclocking. If you got a system to burn, then go ahead, but other then that, OC'd systems arnt all they are cracked up to be.

now if you want cheap, bout the best way to get some crazy cheap parts for a newer system or upgrade is to get one of those hp systems or something form systemmax, with a rebate, and gut it for parts. If you shop around you could get a intel duo system for like 200 bux. 1 small problem tho. The motherboard is almost garanteed to be junk, so dont rely on it.

now, just to ask, why on earth did you buy 400mhz ddr? You do know that you can put any mhz ddr in a system and it will work. It wont run at the mhz rated by the ram, but it works, and the the newer ram is way cheaper.

Systems don't "burn" when you overclock them. I run my system 24/7 100% load @ 3.4ghz which is a 63% overclock and is completely stable. Why not get more for your money?

Buying RAM rated at higher mhz when you aren't going to be utilizing those mhz is dumb, especially when you are sacrificing tighter timings. In Athlon 64 systems timings are more vital than mhz. So find DDR400 with low CAS Latency and be on with it.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38579

Thats what im gonna do ^^ just waiting on cred card payment to go through so i can order up but holidays is not helping in that area

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38580

Triple6_wild wrote: Thats what im gonna do ^^ just waiting on cred card payment to go through so i can order up but holidays is not helping in that area

Haha, smart man! That extra RAM should give you the push you need to play C&C.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38581

lesse you want 2gb of 400mhz ddr? I just so happen to have a few gigs of atleast 400, probs 533. If you want, i can dig some up, and probably live with myself if i sell it to you for say $30.00 per gig.

travis wrote: Systems don't "burn" when you overclock them. I run my system 24/7 100% load @ 3.4ghz which is a 63% overclock and is completely stable. Why not get more for your money?

Please dont take this the wrong way, BUT;
I could have guessed your system specs, just because you were supporting OC so strongly. Seems every AMD goober is so headstrong for overclocking. "get more for your money!" You Damn Skippy! Thats why you spend money on a system.

I used to be you. I guess when you have been building pc's as long as I have, you get tired of the patch it up, work on it all the time system. But, then again, some people own harley davidson cycles for the sole reason of working on them.

I bought extreme multi-core cpu's so I would never hit the 100% usage mark, no matter what i decided to do with my machine.


Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38583

I'm not that much into overclocking myself, at least not for a production system. If I had "Trash" systems I wanted to screw around with, I'd do it, if I knew what I was doing. I always thought of how funny it would be to mod a 486 to the point of clocking it to like 1Ghz. Basically drag race it lol.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38584

Onykage wrote: lesse you want 2gb of 400mhz ddr? I just so happen to have a few gigs of atleast 400, probs 533. If you want, i can dig some up, and probably live with myself if i sell it to you for say $30.00 per gig.

travis wrote: Systems don't "burn" when you overclock them. I run my system 24/7 100% load @ 3.4ghz which is a 63% overclock and is completely stable. Why not get more for your money?

Please dont take this the wrong way, BUT;
I could have guessed your system specs, just because you were supporting OC so strongly. Seems every AMD goober is so headstrong for overclocking. "get more for your money!" You Damn Skippy! Thats why you spend money on a system.

I used to be you. I guess when you have been building pc's as long as I have, you get tired of the patch it up, work on it all the time system. But, then again, some people own harley davidson cycles for the sole reason of working on them.

I bought extreme multi-core cpu's so I would never hit the 100% usage mark, no matter what i decided to do with my machine.

Haha, funny I do not have an AMD processor in my machine. And I hit the 100% usage mark because I chose to. I crunch proteins to help find cures for Aids, Cancer, etc.

You might want to think of putting those "extreme multi-core CPUs to work."
www.worldcommunitygrid.org

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4954, old post ID:38588