Upgrading my Ram

[JeffK91]

Hey guys, I'm looking to upgrade my ram to 4gb here is what I have now: Newegg.com - CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

As you can see, it is an old DDR400 and my motherboard isn't exactly new either (socket 939). I was wondering, do I absolutely have to buy the exact same memory to get the full potential of 4gb? Because my mobo is so old, these dated memory sticks are really pricey.

And this is probably a retarded question since I've been away from the computer tech scene for so long, but what exactly in layman's terms is RAM good for during gaming? Will it give me an FPS boost? Will games load up faster? I play mostly RPGs with big open worlds, as well as fast-paced FPS games like Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead.

 

[Trotter]

Your motherboard can handle 4GB, but you will need a 64-bit OS to utilize it.I would recommend Vista Home Premium 64-bit, or grab the 64-bit version of the Win7 Release Candidate on the 5th of May (free for a year).

The additional RAM may help you out on the RPGs, but it probably won't make that much of a difference with TF2 and L4D.

 

[baron5]

Like trotter said, the RAM mainly is responsible for faster loading screens and yes boot times. As for framerate, as long as you have an acceptable amount for the game, having more ram will just increase boot times. But since you are running only 2gb ddr400 you might see a better increase than i think.

As for which ram to get, the same ram would be ideal, but it really doesn't matter, just focus on ram thats the same timings and same speeds and you will be fine, having the same set really only benefiets you for overclocking.