Trying to upgrade DDR2 RAM on an old computer

[NewbieOneKenobi]

I currently have 4 GB RAM on my computer, 2x2GB DDR2 800, A-DATA VITESTA matched for dual channel.

I'd like to make an upgrade, but I can't find matching sticks. I can only get the 1066 version of these sticks.

Alternatively, I could buy just about anything 2x2GB at DDR2 800 (twice cheaper without a heatsink than otherwise).

What would be the better way?

I could fork out a lot of cash for 4 GB sticks, but those are pretty expensive here. Also, no 1200 MHz sticks, only 1066 with some luck.

(Won't be replacing the PC any time soon.)

[tp4tissue]

I currently have 4 GB RAM on my computer, 2x2GB DDR2 800, A-DATA VITESTA matched for dual channel.

I'd like to make an upgrade, but I can't find matching sticks. I can only get the 1066 version of these sticks.

Alternatively, I could buy just about anything 2x2GB at DDR2 800 (twice cheaper without a heatsink than otherwise).

What would be the better way?

I could fork out a lot of cash for 4 GB sticks, but those are pretty expensive here. Also, no 1200 MHz sticks, only 1066 with some luck.

(Won't be replacing the PC any time soon.)

you don't need them to match.. 

[NewbieOneKenobi]

I currently have 4 GB RAM on my computer, 2x2GB DDR2 800, A-DATA VITESTA matched for dual channel.

I'd like to make an upgrade, but I can't find matching sticks. I can only get the 1066 version of these sticks.

Alternatively, I could buy just about anything 2x2GB at DDR2 800 (twice cheaper without a heatsink than otherwise).

What would be the better way?

I could fork out a lot of cash for 4 GB sticks, but those are pretty expensive here. Also, no 1200 MHz sticks, only 1066 with some luck.

(Won't be replacing the PC any time soon.)

you don't need them to match.. 

Yeah, I was thinking about Dual/Quad Channel and optimal collaboration between the sticks, not in terms of necessity.

[tp4tissue]

I currently have 4 GB RAM on my computer, 2x2GB DDR2 800, A-DATA VITESTA matched for dual channel.

I'd like to make an upgrade, but I can't find matching sticks. I can only get the 1066 version of these sticks.

Alternatively, I could buy just about anything 2x2GB at DDR2 800 (twice cheaper without a heatsink than otherwise).

What would be the better way?

I could fork out a lot of cash for 4 GB sticks, but those are pretty expensive here. Also, no 1200 MHz sticks, only 1066 with some luck.

(Won't be replacing the PC any time soon.)

you don't need them to match.. 

Yeah, I was thinking about Dual/Quad Channel and optimal collaboration between the sticks, not in terms of necessity.

quad channel on ddr2 ?

which cpu and motherboard do you have. xeon ?

[IvanIvanovich]

As much as DDR2 costs, even in the used market you can sometimes pick up a nice more recent cpu/mobo/ram combo that uses DDR3 for less.

[NeedAFix]

As much as DDR2 costs, even in the used market you can sometimes pick up a nice more recent cpu/mobo/ram combo that uses DDR3 for less.

This.

That ram was so expensive, it is ridiculous. You can easily build an entirely new computer for the cost of 8gb of Pre DDR3 ram, it is insane.

[NewbieOneKenobi]

Yeah, I know the cost is awful. But I have an OEM Windows licence, not a box one, so I'd need to add a new one to the cost of a mobo/CPU/RAM replacement. :/

The mobo is Asus P5Q-E. The rest is an nVidia 460GTX (the Gigabyte version with a larger heatsink and two fans ex factory), an SB X-fi soundcard (which I'd bought to take some processing load off of the main CPU), and an old Samsung F1 HDD.

I'll buy a new PC when things get better at work and I can spare more cash, but so far I can usually achieve the 30 fps with nice settings in games, so I'm in no desperate hurry. I don't have much gaming time these days, anyway. So I'm basically only after a RAM upgrade at this time, but the cost is quite ridiculous. As in I can buy a generic 2x2GB set without a heatsink for about 50% of the cost of designer sticks (Geil, Patriot, OCZ etc.), but it kinda makes no sense to me to buy RAM without heatsinks at this point and lower the solid thermal properties I have right now (they can take some serious heat).

[tp4tissue]

ah.. p5q-e.. haha   those were good times... when overclocking was simple, and anyone could do it on any processor..

that doesn't support quad channel.. it will support dual channel with 4 sticks of ram..

But quad channel didn't come to consumer boards until sandybridge-E-CPU with X79 platform..


in the Era of p5q,  it was a bit harder to overclock with 4 sticks of ram,   so you might consider getting 2x 4gb if you need the space rather than 4x2...

I don't recommend putting money into a platform as old as the p5q though.. other than with what you can reuse,  like a new gfx card, or new SSD

an SSD will greatly improve that computer's responsiveness..

[The Mad Professor]

Yeah, I know the cost is awful. But I have an OEM Windows licence, not a box one, so I'd need to add a new one to the cost of a mobo/CPU/RAM replacement. :/

No, you really don't. If you put in the new motherboard, RAM, and CPU and it gives you any grief, there's an option to contact Microsoft and tell them what you are doing. At that point, they should give the go-ahead and authorize Windows for use. The only time they really take notice is if you are using one license on multiple computers.

[tp4tissue]

Yeah, I know the cost is awful. But I have an OEM Windows licence, not a box one, so I'd need to add a new one to the cost of a mobo/CPU/RAM replacement. :/

No, you really don't. If you put in the new motherboard, RAM, and CPU and it gives you any grief, there's an option to contact Microsoft and tell them what you are doing. At that point, they should give the go-ahead and authorize Windows for use. The only time they really take notice is if you are using one license on multiple computers.

Or... Arrrgh... Matey..

[The Mad Professor]

Yeah, I know the cost is awful. But I have an OEM Windows licence, not a box one, so I'd need to add a new one to the cost of a mobo/CPU/RAM replacement. :/

No, you really don't. If you put in the new motherboard, RAM, and CPU and it gives you any grief, there's an option to contact Microsoft and tell them what you are doing. At that point, they should give the go-ahead and authorize Windows for use. The only time they really take notice is if you are using one license on multiple computers.

Or... Arrrgh... Matey..

Show Image

Generally not a wise idea, unless you plan for that computer to NEVER be connected to the internet...

[tp4tissue]

Yeah, I know the cost is awful. But I have an OEM Windows licence, not a box one, so I'd need to add a new one to the cost of a mobo/CPU/RAM replacement. :/

No, you really don't. If you put in the new motherboard, RAM, and CPU and it gives you any grief, there's an option to contact Microsoft and tell them what you are doing. At that point, they should give the go-ahead and authorize Windows for use. The only time they really take notice is if you are using one license on multiple computers.

Or... Arrrgh... Matey..

Show Image

Generally not a wise idea, unless you plan for that computer to NEVER be connected to the internet...

whys it not a good idea. ?

[dorkvader]

Yeah, I know the cost is awful. But I have an OEM Windows licence, not a box one, so I'd need to add a new one to the cost of a mobo/CPU/RAM replacement. :/

No, you really don't. If you put in the new motherboard, RAM, and CPU and it gives you any grief, there's an option to contact Microsoft and tell them what you are doing. At that point, they should give the go-ahead and authorize Windows for use. The only time they really take notice is if you are using one license on multiple computers.

Madprof is right.

first of all, as long as you're not reinstalling or touching the HDD it'll probably be fine. I had W7 on a HDD in an AMD MB, threw it into a mac pro (intel xeon processors) and it was fine, just needed to update drivers and reboot. I then threw it into my current box (intel core) and again, I just update drivers and restart. Chances are it'll "just work" for you.

Secondly, even if you have to reinstall, you can just call microsoft and activate over the phone. Kind-of a pain dealing with their robot and typing in all the numbers, but they're pretty good about it.

Now what is really tough is excercising downgrade rights from W8 (pro or enterprise) to W7. There's no guide on it, no procedure, nothing from M$.

So you'll be fine.

[NewbieOneKenobi]

It seems I can somewhat easily find GEIL sticks with very similar properties, i.e. 4-4-4-12 and 2.0v, while my A-Data sticks are rated 4-4-4-12 and 1.9-2.1v. I'd be sticking with the GEILs then.

The problem is, as I just recall, though, that filling out all four banks reduces the bandwidth, so instead of 800 MHz I'd have 667 MHz and be left to play with CL's only.

So, I realize that a memory upgrade to 8 GB will not normally increase application speed but only eliminate choke points that occur when the 4 GB runs out. BUT, I do worry that I could actually suffer an fps drop in games due to downgrading to 667 in terms of speed. Is this really the case?

[NeedAFix]

Yep, slower memory = slower performance.

[tbc]

OP, i'm not sure why you brought up thermals for memory sticks.

if they came without heatsinks, they'll work as long as nothing else is overheating.


the point of including heatsink is for bling and for the manufacturer to hide their supplier.

[tp4tissue]

OP, i'm not sure why you brought up thermals for memory sticks.

if they came without heatsinks, they'll work as long as nothing else is overheating.


the point of including heatsink is for bling and for the manufacturer to hide their supplier.

well..... this is true for ddr2 and on.

The highend DDR 1 needed heatsinks..

[dorkvader]

OP, i'm not sure why you brought up thermals for memory sticks.

if they came without heatsinks, they'll work as long as nothing else is overheating.


the point of including heatsink is for bling and for the manufacturer to hide their supplier.

well..... this is true for ddr2 and on.

The highend DDR 1 needed heatsinks..

Show Image

I guess...

RDRAM needed heatsinks for sure, so did the fully buffered ECC DDR2 RAM the original MAC PRO ran on. (not just that it took all the hot air from the CPU units, those chips were themselves quite hot, and have large heatsinks)

(even third party RAM (like the OWC above) had them.)