Ram advice - upgrading a new HP

[MikeMLP]

My father needed a low-cost machine for work, so I pointed him to this: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11108165&whse=&topnav=&browse=&s=1
He wants this machine to last a while, and help him do his work, which includes word processing, browsing the internet, e-mails, large file transfers, and digital photo editing. For that last one, I'm a little concerned about the lack of a graphics card, but I'm mostly concerned about ram, especially since the integrated graphics is leeching off of it. The thing comes with 2x 512MB of DDR400, and we both agree, that isn't enough . I'm not exactly sure what choices to make, and I was wondering if forum members could help.

First, are there any general rules that I need to know about ddr - for example, I know rambus you have to install in pairs, ddr you don't, but are there things that you ought to do, like install equal-sized memory chips? (eg-is mixing 512 sticks with 1 GB sticks a bad idea?) Since, I was thinking about:


adding one or two 1GB sticks to the two empty sockets (if it is possible or desireable to mix 512MB sticks with 1GB sticks)

or -pulling out the gig, and replacing it with two (or more) 1GB sticks.

additionally, this machine may need to be upgraded to vista within 2-3 years. (at which time, I would certainly invest in a pcie graphics card) Should I even consider using ddr1 that is faster than pc3200, or would the performance upgrade not be worth it for the uses of the machine?

thanks for the advice, [H]ard builders!

 

[Jason_Wall]

For the purposes that you have outlined, 1GB of RAM is plenty. You also don't need a boss graphics card. Even the most rudimentary card that you can buy will do just fine in photo editing, and you're unlikely to see a profound difference between a low-end and high-end card. Video editing and creation is a different story. You might be overshooting the mark a bit as far as what you need hardware-wise, but I can understand you're buying for longevity.

 

[benamaster]

PC3200 is plenty with the stock motherboard. Two 1GB sticks is your best bet and you can get something cheap like Corsair Value Select. I wouldn't mix 1GB and 512MB sticks together but that depends if your motherboard is running dual channel or not.

 

[MikeMLP]

Did a little more research, and I'm sure the mobo is dual channel. Pardon me for being a noob, but am I correct in saying that dual channel only works with identical sticks? So say, I added to the 2 stock 512 sticks another matched pair of 1GB sticks, (fitted in the matching-colored slots, of course), would it fail to perform in dual channel mode? Would I have to have four completely identical 512MB sticks?
Overclockers would know, there is something that I heard about matching the memory clock with the fsb clock, but how would that work with AMD HT, since it isn't really a fsb? Are there disadvantages to mixing matched pairs of different-sized memory modules?

Thanks

-Mike

 

[Penz]

I am also curious because I looked at my neighbors PC today and it is also a new HP. He would like more RAM and it only has 2x 256. He would like another 512. I am wondering if I should mix the 2 with a 512 or buy 2 more 256.

 

[scottatwittenberg]

i am still using a socket A to this day, which means i have no personal experience with socket 939..

but... from my understanding.. if you keep an even number of memory sticks in the computer, then it will run in dual channel.. (either 2 or 4 sticks)... however, when you have 4 sticks in there at once, then you will be forced to run the memory at 2t instead of 1t, which will be a little bit slower...

the comptuer will run and run fine with 2x 512 and 2x 1gb in it.. it will even run fine with 2x 512 and 1x 1gb in there. but that will make it single channel.. the performance difference will be maybe 5-7% between each configuration, with the last one being the slowest..

the best idea, is to yank the 2x512, and stick in 2x1gb.. then the next best would be 4x512.. the memory doesn't need to be identical or matched to run in dual channel... but the memory will always run at the speed of the slowest stick.. the weakest link in the chain...


really though, 1 gb should be fine for anything he will be doing.. that computer looks like a good choice, and you can get a $50 - $100 pci-e card and stick it in there, and that will probably make much more of a difference than doubling the memory... but it all depends what he is doing

also, is windows MCE and the tv tuner really necessary? you can get a computer that doesn't have those things and use the money saved for things like the graphics/memory upgrades...

 

[MikeMLP]

Thanks for the reply, I'm not quite certain what you mean by 2t vs 1t, but yes, for now he will most likely use it as is, at least for a little while.

The TV tuner is something he will never use, as he doesn't even have cable TV installed at home to use it, but, alas, where else can you find a pre-built AMD A64x2 for that price from a first-tier OEM?

If I had my choice, I'd build one for him, but he is still antsy about being his own support man (although if you ask me, "customer support" is worse than getting teeth pulled, and more insulting of your intelligence). I personally would have liked to wait until Vista, but his current work machine is a 1997 vintage PII 266, yes, his current, day-to-day work machine... You should see how close it is to imploding... Plus, I have a feeling that all the changes to the OS, workflow-wise would confuse him.

So with him not wanting to spend a lot, wanting support (although I'll do most of that myself anyway ) I figured it was the best option. I have a feeling that these machines with MCE and TV tuners are cheaper, and more common simply because MS wants to penetrate the market with its MCE. Fine by me if I get some decent hardware for less money.