Does the brand of RAM really matter?

[jaco94]

I already know that I want 512 MB of DDR PC2100 or PC2700 RAM.

I have searched the web for reviews of RAM but I can't find much. No one really says whether it matters what brand of RAM you buy. I figure that "Major Brand" is better than "Generic" but does it really matter?

I'll basically be using my computer for gaming and word processing. I won't be using it for graphic design, digital recording, and the like. Is there anything specific I should look for in RAM like the configuration, speed, etc. or does it really matter?

I appreciate any help! Thanks!

[Penguin]

Yes there is a differeence. Generic RAM has more of a tendency to have more defects.

Good brands include Crucial, Corsair, Mushkin, Kingston, and PNY. Stick to those and you're unlikely to get a bad stick. Often if you have bad stick of memory it's because it was from a generic brand.

Currently, there are three types of RAM: SDRAM, DDR, and RDRAM.

SDRAM

Was the standard for a while, but has now been replaced by DDR memory. Speeds for SDRAM are PC100 and PC133, though you can find overclocked modules at PC150 and such. Not worth buying anymore because DDR is much faster for only a bit more cost.

DDR

The current standard and most used. The speeds have two different numbers, PCXXXX is the memory's max bandwidth, while DDRXXX is the memory clock speed. Here's a list of current speeds.

PC2100 = DDR266 = 133MHz x 2
PC2700 = DDR333 = 166MHz x 2
PC3200 = DDR400 = 200MHz x 2

There are some in-between speeds like PC3000, but those aren't official, they're just overclocked PC2700 modules. Currently DDR333 is the fastest with the VIA KT333 chipset for AMD chips and the SiS 648 for Intel chips, but DDR400 is right around the corner with the VIA KT400 chipset.

RDRAM

Intel's proprietary memory standard that was used with the Pentium 4 processors. It had to be installed in pairs and was very expensive, and eventually (recently) Intel phased it out and went with DDR instead.

Stability

If you don't overclock, you should't have any stability problems. Stick to stock speeds from good brands.


Registered/ECC vs. Unbuffered/Non-parity

Registered/ECC memory is error checking memory that should only be used in servers and mission critical systems. It actually runs slower by 2% than non-parity (non-ECC) memory, so use normal non-ECC unbuffered memory.


Registered Memory
Registers delay memory information for one clock cycle to ensure all communication from the chipset is collected by the clock edge, providing a controlled delay on heavily loaded memories.

Buffered Memory
A buffer isolates the memory from the controller to minimize the load on the chip set. It is typically used when the system has a high density of memory and/or when a system has more than 3 memory module sockets.


Lastly, I am not sure of your system specs or how new your computer is, but make sure your motherboard can use DDR. If it is an older machine, then you won't be able to use DDR. You will have to find out what kind of RAM your board can support.

[Penguin]

Yes there is a differeence. Generic RAM has more of a tendency to have more defects.

Good brands include Crucial, Corsair, Mushkin, Kingston, and PNY. Stick to those and you're unlikely to get a bad stick. Often if you have bad stick of memory it's because it was from a generic brand.

Currently, there are three types of RAM: SDRAM, DDR, and RDRAM.

SDRAM

Was the standard for a while, but has now been replaced by DDR memory. Speeds for SDRAM are PC100 and PC133, though you can find overclocked modules at PC150 and such. Not worth buying anymore because DDR is much faster for only a bit more cost.

DDR

The current standard and most used. The speeds have two different numbers, PCXXXX is the memory's max bandwidth, while DDRXXX is the memory clock speed. Here's a list of current speeds.

PC2100 = DDR266 = 133MHz x 2
PC2700 = DDR333 = 166MHz x 2
PC3200 = DDR400 = 200MHz x 2

There are some in-between speeds like PC3000, but those aren't official, they're just overclocked PC2700 modules. Currently DDR333 is the fastest with the VIA KT333 chipset for AMD chips and the SiS 648 for Intel chips, but DDR400 is right around the corner with the VIA KT400 chipset.

RDRAM

Intel's proprietary memory standard that was used with the Pentium 4 processors. It had to be installed in pairs and was very expensive, and eventually (recently) Intel phased it out and went with DDR instead.

Stability

If you don't overclock, you should't have any stability problems. Stick to stock speeds from good brands.


Registered/ECC vs. Unbuffered/Non-parity

Registered/ECC memory is error checking memory that should only be used in servers and mission critical systems. It actually runs slower by 2% than non-parity (non-ECC) memory, so use normal non-ECC unbuffered memory.


Registered Memory
Registers delay memory information for one clock cycle to ensure all communication from the chipset is collected by the clock edge, providing a controlled delay on heavily loaded memories.

Buffered Memory
A buffer isolates the memory from the controller to minimize the load on the chip set. It is typically used when the system has a high density of memory and/or when a system has more than 3 memory module sockets.


Lastly, I am not sure of your system specs or how new your computer is, but make sure your motherboard can use DDR. If it is an older machine, then you won't be able to use DDR. You will have to find out what kind of RAM your board can support.

[jaco94]

Thanks Mr. Pinguin! I appreciate the input!