Choosing RAM for your

Custom PC

Several important considerations:-

32-Bit Operating Systems - Windows XP work well with 2GB of RAM.  If you increase the RAM to 4GB the system will still only use 2GB to run applications, the rest will be allocated to system resources ie hardware.  If you are an XP Pro SP2 user,  there is the option to add a switch to the Boot.ini file which will allow 3GB of RAM to be used for running applications. Full details can be found by clicking on this link >> PAE Memory and Windows.  For VISTA see here

We still recommend only 2GB of RAM for an excellent working experience. For larger RAM requirements, consider the following.

64-Bit Operating Systems - can address a phenominal amount of RAM, but the limitation is no longer the software but the hardware... most motherboards support between 2GB and 8GB of RAM.  Realistically with todays software, 2 to 4GB will be more than adequate.

The RAM We Use

We only used Branded memory that has proved itself to be consistenly excellent and reliable. Depending on the model you purchase, the RAM will be from one of these manufacturers:-

• Corsair
• Crucial
• Geil
• ADATA
• OCZ

We still subject all RAM to our own testing regime, including a full burn in test which ensures all modules are in  top condition when they leave us.

DDR 3

Is it worth it ?  at this point in time, the cost is very high relative to the small performance increase evidenced.  We consider that whilst prices are high, your money would be better spent elsewhere on the system, perhaps graphics or processor alternatives.

More Information on Random Access Memory can be found here at Wikipedia

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