# using two different company RAMs



## sukesh1090 (Nov 29, 2010)

Guys i have two slots for inserting RAM in which one of them is having a 1GB RAM,i don't know its company name, something SRM and elpidia is written on them and now iam thinking about buying another 2GB RAM of trancend or kingston.so do i face any problem in using two different companies RAM? my friend told me that if i use same company RAM it would be better,if i use different companies sometimes it will show 1GB and sometime 2GB i won't get the performance of 3GB.
do i see any boost in performance when i use 64 bit OS(Win 7) than 32 bit for 3GB RAM?


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## ico (Nov 29, 2010)

Buy a Kingston 2GB RAM. Both the RAMs will work fine and show up as 3GB.

You won't see much performance increase between 64bit and 32bit OS with only 3GB of RAM.


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## coderunknown (Nov 29, 2010)

sukesh1090 said:


> my friend told me that if i use same company RAM it would be better,if i use different companies sometimes it will show 1GB and sometime 2GB i won't get the performance of 3GB.



sometimes 1Gb & sometimes 2Gb? NO. it'll either show 3Gb or PC mayn't boot. means the ram isn't compatible with the old ram.


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## sukesh1090 (Nov 29, 2010)

guys what about kingston hyperX Blu is there any performance difference in normal 2GB and hyperX blu 2GB?


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## coderunknown (Nov 29, 2010)

^^ hmmmm, performance ram it maybe & won't bring any added performance. at least not with a dual core at stock speed. also it bound cost lot more.


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## sukesh1090 (Nov 29, 2010)

whats the role of processor in the performance of RAM?


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## coderunknown (Nov 29, 2010)

just adding fast ram won't increase system performance. the proccy must be enough fast to utilize the ram well. your proccy isn't fast, so 1066Mhz or 800Mhz, both will perform in same way. if you want a better answer i can go deep but will become complicated.

so best bet is to add 2Gb more. if the 1Gb isn't compatible, remove it.


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## ssb1551 (Nov 29, 2010)

ico said:


> You won't see much performance increase between 64bit and 32bit OS with only 3GB of RAM.



So with how much RAM can you have a noticeable increase in performance between 64 & 32-bit OS?


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## sukesh1090 (Nov 30, 2010)

may be 4GB.I read somewhere that the recommended memory for 64 bit is 4GB.


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## pegasus (Nov 30, 2010)

Please use CPU-Z or something like Everest.
Note down the memory timings on the existing stick.
Get a 2GB stick from the market with similar speed, timings.
The regular Kingston/Transcend RAM will have more chances of being similar in specs to the one you have than any performance RAM and hence a better chance of running stable along with the older stick.


Sam.Shab said:


> just adding fast ram won't increase system performance. the proccy must be enough fast to utilize the ram well. your proccy isn't fast, so 1066Mhz or 800Mhz, both will perform in same way. if you want a better answer i can go deep but will become complicated.


I have doubt.
Processor - xyz GHz
RAM - abc MHz
By that logic, processor will usually wait for the RAM to feed it data?

If someone uses DDR2 1066 CL5 and DDR2 800 CL5 kits on a stock Core2Duo rig, will there be any any performance difference between the 2?


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## toad_frog09 (Nov 30, 2010)

My apologies for not starting a different thread as my question is somewhat related to op's query. And of course i am an lazy as$.
.
Anyway, i just wanted to ask that what are various...eh..'topics' one needs to check and understand while upgrading ram?
.
You see I am thinking to buy another stick of 2Gb DDR3 1333mhz kingston RAM when came to know that one is available for 1550 rs here at my town. I already have same 2Gb DDR3 1333mhz kingston RAM (blah blah) stuck in my pc but I am confused cause of annoying words like 'Timings' and 'FSB'.
.
So any help?? And How am I supposed to check if both the rams have exactly same Timings
.
.
Also, being hairy and noob, i dont understand wether I can put 64 bit operating system instead of 32 bit in my pc.
I have phenom II 955 BE cpu, if it matters.
.
And what is the major difference between 32 & 64bit os apart from RAM usage.


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## sukesh1090 (Nov 30, 2010)

i think you can check your processor supports 64bit or not in bios details page bcoz mine shows.any how here is details about your processor
*www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K10/AMD-Phenom II X4 955 - HDX955FBK4DGI.html


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## VarDOS (Dec 1, 2010)

in my case the 2GB + 1GB RAM works, but as said its better to add a 2GB stick and remove the 1GB stick.

And for 2cores processor in mostly 2GB RAM is enough running on 800MHz.


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## asingh (Dec 1, 2010)

pegasus said:


> I have doubt.
> Processor - xyz GHz
> RAM - abc MHz
> By that logic, processor will usually wait for the RAM to feed it data?
> ...



I think it would make a difference, but not something visible to the naked eye. The OPs processor should support a front side bus of 1066Mhz, so adding that extra RAM will help. Plus if he uses Win7 OS, which is highly optimized for RAM usage he should see a snappy (more) system. There would be less thrashing and page file usage too, which would keep the system quicker.



toad_frog09 said:


> My apologies for not starting a different thread as my question is somewhat related to op's query. And of course i am an lazy as$.
> .
> Anyway, i just wanted to ask that what are various...eh..'topics' one needs to check and understand while upgrading ram?
> .
> ...



Please update your signature, and/or mention the full system specifications when you ask queries. Else we need to assume stuff. Regarding your questions while purchasing RAM:

1. Make sure the processor/motherboard support the RAM at that speed. Now there is a slight difference here. Not all boards support high speed RAM out-of-the-box. The website might mention 1333Mhz (example here) RAM speed support for the board, but you would need to make FSB or BCKL, timing, vDRAM voltage changes to get it stable at 1333Mhz speed. This is OC.

2. Try to keep multiple RAM modules of same speed, density and make. Use multiples of 2x for dual channel and 3x for tri-channel (provided board supports).

3. To check RAM information either check the SPD data in the BIOS, or pull up CPU-Z and check. Usually the model number is clearly printed on the RAM side. This can be directly inputted to Google.com

4. Yes you can use 64BIT OS on your system.

5. Here is a good comparison of 64BIT vs. 32BIT. It can be safely extrapolated for Win7. 



VarDOS said:


> in my case the 2GB + 1GB RAM works, but as said its better to add a 2GB stick and remove the 1GB stick.
> 
> And for 2cores processor in mostly 2GB RAM is enough running on 800MHz.



I would suggest 4GB if you can afford it. Though you would need a 64BIT OS.


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## sukesh1090 (Dec 1, 2010)

guys by seeing this pic of cpu-z can you please tell me which 2GB RAM should i buy?
here is details about my motherboard-
ASRock > Products > G31M-VS2


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## asingh (Dec 1, 2010)

^^
It should have written on it PC2-6400.


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## sukesh1090 (Dec 1, 2010)

is it all company RAMs have that same PC2-6400 serial?


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## asingh (Dec 1, 2010)

Yes, that is a standard. Not company specific.


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## Zangetsu (Dec 1, 2010)

@sukesh1090: u can use two rams of different companies..but check for the latency & frequency timings ...shud match...even though frequency cud be different...
for e.g: u can use a 400Mhz ram with 333Mhz..but the higher will set itself to lower frequency.....


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## ssb1551 (Dec 1, 2010)

^^then whats the point of checking latency?'cause anyways the RAM modules are gonna work..
And lets say the latencies are different..then what will happen to the system?I mean will it shutdown improperly or crash or something else..


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## asingh (Dec 1, 2010)

^^
It is not like that. The reason we check timings and speeds before upgrading RAM, so it runs at optimized levels. If OC is being done, this is a highly critical factor. If it will be just plug-and-play then no need to check, the board should support.

But why would you want one RAM to run slower -- might as well purchase to match them up. System would probably not be unstable if RAMs are mismatched.


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## manoj_299 (Dec 1, 2010)

I've used one 128 MB 100 mhz and other 128 MB 133 Mhz together in my PIII MB intel chipset 810e with PIII CPU 1.13 Ghz. I had 64 MB 100 mhz too I changed alternately but I found no problem I found total 256 or 192 MB RAM Full shown in system properties. SO it shouldn't be any problem.  All purchased separately 2nd hand without looking at brand.


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## ssb1551 (Dec 1, 2010)

asingh said:


> ^^
> It is not like that. The reason we check timings and speeds before upgrading RAM, so it runs at optimized levels. If OC is being done, this is a highly critical factor. If it will be just plug-and-play then no need to check, the board should support.
> 
> But why would you want one RAM to run slower -- might as well purchase to match them up. System would probably not be unstable if RAMs are mismatched.



Oh no..I don't wanna buy 2 different speed RAMs.I didn't know there was a difference while overclocking & just simply plugging it.Ok now it makes sense..I mean you would need same latencies while overclocking but not necessary for non-overclockers.Like I have a 2GB DDR3 Zion 1333MHz RAM & I wanna buy another 2GB stick like Corsair or G-Skill.I know I wont overclock so I can simply buy a 1333MHz DDR3 RAM & plug it in my system.


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## asingh (Dec 1, 2010)

> Like I have a 2GB DDR3 Zion 1333MHz RAM & I wanna buy another 2GB stick like Corsair or G-Skill.I know I wont overclock so I can simply buy a 1333MHz DDR3 RAM & plug it in my system.



You shall be fine.


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## sukesh1090 (Dec 1, 2010)

Ok then while buying ram should i also check that cas latency and timings or is it enough to check that PC2-6400 thing?

The latency thing changes while overclocking know?bcoz when i overclocked my processor cas latency changed from 5-5-5-15 to 6-6-6-18.then whats the use of checking latency?

Another thing my board supports just 667 and 800 MHZ ram then the frequency of the ram should be 400,but when i overclocked my processor it gone to 440.how is this possible motherboard should have damaged know? or does the board supports more frequency than mentioned?


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## asingh (Dec 1, 2010)

Just check for PC2-6400. Rest is fine. Do not worry.


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## sukesh1090 (Dec 1, 2010)

asingh said:


> Just check for PC2-6400. Rest is fine. Do not worry.



thank you.please just can you clear that third question.


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## asingh (Dec 1, 2010)

No the board will not get damaged. At time a slight OC can bump up RAM speed, but it should be fine, as long as the board is fine and temperatures are low.


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## sukesh1090 (Dec 1, 2010)

then can i add 1033 MHz RAM?


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## asingh (Dec 1, 2010)

Should be fine.

EDIT:
Sorry misread it. No you cannot. Max you can go till is 800Mhz.


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## sukesh1090 (Dec 1, 2010)

why, if i can overclock it to more than 400,then why i can't use a RAM of frequency more than 800MHz?


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## coderunknown (Dec 2, 2010)

^^ the ram that gets its clock kicked up when you raise the processor bus speed is stretched. its a value ram & your board isn't a OC board. so either you'll get BSOD or some kind of error when you insert ram of higher speed that your board officially doesn't support. or the new ram will be clocked down to 800Mhz,


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## sukesh1090 (Dec 2, 2010)

but i didn't got any problem when my RAM was running at 440MHz,the system was running fine.


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## asingh (Dec 2, 2010)

^^
True, but running it at 1033Mhz will cause issues. It will never run at those speed, since the board does not permit it.


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## coderunknown (Dec 2, 2010)

sukesh1090 said:


> but i didn't got any problem when my RAM was running at 440MHz,the system was running fine.



your board support 667/800Mhz ram doesn't mean your board will run ram at exactly 800Mhz. theres always some small tolerance level. you can upp the clock of the ram a bit (by OC the processor) but 1066Mhz is a different standard. your board may support it but its not officially supported. so expect errors or unstable system.


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## sukesh1090 (Dec 12, 2010)

guys yesterday i went to a shop to buy the 2GB RAM and i told that i want a DDR 2 800MHz RAM and i mentioned that PC2-6400, maximum band width 400MHz as shown by cpu-z and(also as mentioned by asing about that pc2-6400) then he asked me do i need 667 MHz RAM then i told him i want a 800 MHz RAM and my board supports 800MHz so he asked me then why that software shows 400MHz and said there must be something problem in that RAM.Is he telling correctly that my RAM is not working correctly?if not then why do it shows 400MHz though the RAM is 800?
Here is the cpu-z pic.


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## coderunknown (Dec 12, 2010)

DDR. double data rates. 2*400 = 800Mhz.


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## sukesh1090 (Dec 12, 2010)

k.thank you.the guy at the shop also don't know anything like me


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## mukherjee (Dec 12, 2010)

@ sukesh1090

Hey whats that widget that u r using in d sidebar showing cpu stats?

N yes,its 400*2=800.


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## sukesh1090 (Dec 12, 2010)

All cpu meter.you will get it here and also some more.(sorry guys for offtopic)
Windows Live Gallery


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## coderunknown (Dec 12, 2010)

sukesh1090 said:


> the guy at the shop also don't know anything



i am least surprised to hear that.


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## sukesh1090 (Dec 12, 2010)

you should be and are zoin RAMs are good?(i don't know the spelling,i am just writing based on his pronunciation)
BTW he told that kingston comes with just one year warranty but zoin with three years and also the price of zoin as he said is 1.9k,i think that of kingsotn would be 2.3k.


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## Zangetsu (Dec 13, 2010)

Sam.Shab said:


> DDR. double data rates. 2*400 = 800Mhz.



hmm..dat means DDR3- 2*667 =  1334MHZ...


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## sukesh1090 (Dec 14, 2010)

guys what about the zoin rams?


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## Zangetsu (Dec 15, 2010)

sukesh1090 said:


> guys what about the zoin rams?


its zion...

The RAM which i know r best
1) Corsair
2) G-Skill
3) Transcend
4) Kingston
5) Hynix
6) OCZ
7) Mushkin
8) A-Data
9) zion
10) .....(fill in the blanks)


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## sukesh1090 (Dec 15, 2010)

is this the order of quality or all of the rams you listed are good.


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## Zangetsu (Dec 20, 2010)

sukesh1090 said:


> is this the order of quality or all of the rams you listed are good.



this is not a top 10 list...its the normal list of good brands....


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## sukesh1090 (Dec 20, 2010)

k.thanks


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## jerrin_ss5 (Dec 21, 2010)

Sam.Shab said:


> DDR. double data rates. 2*400 = 800Mhz.



hey thanks man even i used to wonder wat's the funda !!!


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