Is Generic Ram OK?

Sharp10r

I have 4 slots in my computer, and I currently have 2 512 DDR2 500 ram chips.
I looked up DDR2 667 1gb chips on pricewatch today and saw that they are around 15 bucks for the cheapest each, so I could max out at 4 gigs for $60!
So here are my questions:
1. Will 667 work or do I need to stick with 500? (I would be removing my 500 ram, so it wouldn't be slowing it down, I just don't know if the mobo somehow caps the speed.)
2. Is "generic" RAM ok? When I went to the top rated store for the lowest price on Pricewatch it laid out three tiers of ram, good, better, and best with a dramatic price increase per chip.
http://www.1stchoicememory.com/catalog/products.asp?ID=2231 (here's the site)

Will generic be ok? What'd the difference if both have the same capacity and speed? The computer is a couple of years old and I'm just trying to play a couple more thing well on it before retiring it from games and using it solely for Logos' Libronix. Thanks!

AtomBomb

Does that include shipping? For $79.80 you can get 4 1gb sticks of Corsair on Newegg. For $4 more you could get Kingston. Those prices include shipping (to AZ, probably the same to NC).

What kind of mobo do you have? If it's a prebuilt, what is the model?

I've found that RAM either works or it doesn't. More expensive RAM is more likely to work out of the box than cheaper RAM. However, if the place has a good return policy it shouldn't really matter. It might be worthwhile to pay a little more though because RAM that is faulty, but not dead, is a pain in the ass to troubleshoot.

vonPoonBurGer

AtomBomb wrote: »

I've found that RAM either works or it doesn't. More expensive RAM is more likely to work out of the box than cheaper RAM. However, if the place has a good return policy it shouldn't really matter. It might be worthwhile to pay a little more though because RAM that is faulty, but not dead, is a pain in the ass to troubleshoot.

Corsair RAM has a lifetime warranty. Other major brands do as well, but I've actually had to take advantage of Corsair's warranty, and it was hassle-free. Based on that experience, I'd say it's not worth saving a few bucks to get no-name RAM. Buy a reputable brand backed by a lifetime warranty, it's worth it if something goes wrong.

Sharp10r

K. Good to know, I have a Dell Dimension XPS Gen 5, which using a RAM selector I just found out can have a max of EIGHT gigs of RAM (4 2gb sticks).
So next question, I have a Pentium 4 Processor 640 with HT Technology (3.20GHz, 800 FSB) and a 256MB PCI Express™ x16 (DVI/VGA/TV-out) nVidia GeForce 6800.
Is there a point at which adding more gigs of ram would be unnecessary or is it always going to do a major performance booster?

Gihgehls

I always tell people that generic ram is as good as a generic condom: it will probably work fine. Probably.

Clint Eastwood

As long as you don't get it out of a box of cereal you'll probably be alright. If you have the money there's no reason not to get namebrand stuff though.

zerg rush

Keep in mind that you need to be using a 64-bit operating system in order to actually utilize that much RAM. This means either Vista (except starter) or Windows XP-64-bit-edition.

If you don't have one of those two operating systems installed (or something like Linux/Apple/etc.) then you're only going to be using 3 gigs, no matter how much ram you put in. Not sure what your machine is set up as though.

Rook

I think a lot of people really recommend against installing 4gb on a 32bit OS. I know, my friends ASUS manual specifically says to avoid that for compatiblity.

Sharp10r

I have XP Media Edition, so that seals it. I'll get 3 gigs on this machine. But I think my RAM is set up in two paired slots, so don't I want them to have the same amount in each pair for max speed?

DeShadowC

If you use 4 gigs it'll just only read ~3.5gigs of it. It shouldn't cause compatibility issues but it doesn't necessarily mean it won't.

SeñorAmor

I believe that the major difference between regular and generic RAM is the thoroughness of the testing. Generic RAM companies test 1 in 1000 sticks for defects; regular companies test 1 in 100. Those aren't exact number, but you get the gist of my point.

That being said, regular RAM is usually only a few bucks more per stick and much more likely to have a better return policy, so you'd be a fool not to spend the extra money.

tsmvengy

Just keep the RAM you have now and add something like this. $40, free shipping for 2 gigs. Screw that sketchy site you were looking at, not worth it. You want each pair to be matching, but the pairs don't have the same. So your current 2x512 will run in dual channel and this 2x1GB will do the same. Just be sure the same sticks are in the matching slots.

DeShadowC

Gihgehls wrote: »

I always tell people that generic ram is as good as a generic condom: it will probably work fine. Probably.

This is the best analogy I've heard in a while.