RAM advice

  • Thread starter Thread starter Paul Harris
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Paul Harris

Hi.

Up until recently, I have had 2 sticks of Crucial 512mb PC2700 DDR RAM in my
computer. Unfortunately, one of them broke so lately I have been using just
1 stick of 512mb and since then it seems that my system has become more
unstable with some applications/games developing a tendency to crash for no
apparent reason (Kazaa Lite, GTA:Vice City, Thief). I am reliably informed
that that sort of thing often happens when there is only 1 RAM module
instead of 2 or more, regardless of size.

The point is, I obviously need another RAM module but I am somewhat skint
recently so I can't really afford another 512mb so I was thinking of getting
a smaller module, maybe 128mb at least temporarily to sort out the crashing
problems (plus my motherboard has 128-bit dual channel memory architecture.)
However, I heard that it is advisable to use 2 (or more) RAM modules that
are the same size rather than mixing and matching sizes.

Please advice.

Thanks
 
Paul Harris said:
Hi.

Up until recently, I have had 2 sticks of Crucial 512mb PC2700 DDR RAM in my
computer. Unfortunately, one of them broke so lately I have been using just
1 stick of 512mb and since then it seems that my system has become more
unstable with some applications/games developing a tendency to crash for no
apparent reason (Kazaa Lite, GTA:Vice City, Thief). I am reliably informed
that that sort of thing often happens when there is only 1 RAM module
instead of 2 or more, regardless of size.
Click to expand...

That sounds like nonsense to me (except when pairs of modules
are specifically required (see your mainboard manual)), and I hope
others in this group will weigh in on that. Meanwhile, you might try
running a memory diagnostic. Download Memtest86+ from
http://www.memtest.org and run it for a few hours. You
should get zero errors.

-- Bob Day
http://bobday.vze.com
 
Paul said:
Hi.

Up until recently, I have had 2 sticks of Crucial 512mb PC2700 DDR RAM in my
computer. Unfortunately, one of them broke so lately I have been using just
1 stick of 512mb and since then it seems that my system has become more
unstable with some applications/games developing a tendency to crash for no
apparent reason (Kazaa Lite, GTA:Vice City, Thief). I am reliably informed
that that sort of thing often happens when there is only 1 RAM module
instead of 2 or more, regardless of size.

The point is, I obviously need another RAM module but I am somewhat skint
recently so I can't really afford another 512mb so I was thinking of getting
a smaller module, maybe 128mb at least temporarily to sort out the crashing
problems (plus my motherboard has 128-bit dual channel memory architecture.)
However, I heard that it is advisable to use 2 (or more) RAM modules that
are the same size rather than mixing and matching sizes.

Please advice.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Crucial tend to guarantee their memory for life.

Call them up, arrange an RMA and wait 48 hours. Their service is
superb.

By the way, I have yet to encounter a human being who can determine any
speed difference with these so-called "dual channel" motherboards.


Odie
 
Bob Day said:
That sounds like nonsense to me (except when pairs of modules
are specifically required (see your mainboard manual)), and I hope
others in this group will weigh in on that. Meanwhile, you might try
running a memory diagnostic. Download Memtest86+ from
http://www.memtest.org and run it for a few hours. You
should get zero errors.
Click to expand...

Check.
 
Odie Ferrous said:
Crucial tend to guarantee their memory for life.

Call them up, arrange an RMA and wait 48 hours. Their service is
superb.
Click to expand...

I really REALLY wish I could find where I put that memory stick :'(
 
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