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cheaper ram

Discussion in 'PC hardware help' started by mcbuff, Dec 25, 2009.

  1. mcbuff

    mcbuff Member

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    i have a dell optiplex ultra small form factor,3.4 ghz with 1 gb ram.i would like to upgrade to 4 gb ram.my ? is:futureshop has 2 gb of buffalo for 39.95 and others are double that.is the more expensive ram that much better than the cheaper or will the cheaper work ok
     
    mcbuff, Dec 25, 2009
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  2. KillerBug

    KillerBug Active member

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    Corsair costs more, but it is worth it, and it is the only thing I trust in mission-critical applications.

    You can get lucky with cheap ram...but it is not uncommon to get a set of 4 sticks, all bad. If you do go with the cheap stuff, get it local at a store that does not charge a restocking fee. Nothing worse than spending return shipping or a restocking fee on bad ram several times.
     
    KillerBug, Dec 25, 2009
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  3. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    mcbuff, what windows are you using & is it 64bit version? ddr or ddr2 ram? where in canada are you?
     
    ddp, Dec 25, 2009
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  4. mcbuff

    mcbuff Member

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    i am using xp home,not sure if its 32 or 64 (how do i tell which one it is).the ram is ddr2.i am from regina sask
     
    mcbuff, Dec 25, 2009
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  5. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    look in system in control panel as it will tell you if 32bit ot 64bit. if 32bit xp then it won't read past 3.25 to 3.5gigs of ram.
     
    ddp, Dec 25, 2009
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  6. mcbuff

    mcbuff Member

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    it is a 32 bit,so it will only recognize 3.5gb but will it function just as good for the 3.5 or should i just go with 2gb
     
    mcbuff, Dec 26, 2009
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  7. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    what are you using it for, games, surfing or what?
     
    ddp, Dec 26, 2009
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  8. mcbuff

    mcbuff Member

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    no games,just surfing and a little downloading.it is supposed to take 533 or 667 but the guy at the computer store said that 800 mhz would work but no go
     
    mcbuff, Dec 26, 2009
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  9. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    go with 2gig especially if you might have onboard video.
     
    ddp, Dec 26, 2009
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  10. mcbuff

    mcbuff Member

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    are some brands not compatible with some boards.i bought these 2 1GB sticks and they dont work.as soon as i put the power plug in the back the power comes on but thats it.nothing comes on the screen,cant turn the power off or nothing.is it because they are 800mhz and my board only supports 533 or 667mhz
     
    mcbuff, Dec 26, 2009
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  11. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    that is what the problem is. if the board ran at 800mhz & you had 533 or 667mhz then no problem. get it replaced with correct speed of 667mhz.
     
    ddp, Dec 27, 2009
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