RAM optimisation

[Xenofix]

Ok.

I bought my computer 2.5 years ago. (Well, actually I told my dad to buy one.) Back then, I didn't know much about computer hardware. If I did, I would have built my own computer. So now I'm stuck with the HP Pavilion a5040a. Anyway, it came with 512MB RAM @ 400MHz. It also came with Windows Vista. You could probably see where this is going.

So then, I went to buy some more RAM chips. Back then, I didn't know that RAM had different speeds. I just thought that it was DDR2 DIMM and that's it. The guy at the hardware store gave me 2 DDR2 512MB @ 667MHz. It worked well.

For some reason yesterday, I decided to buy more RAM. I got a Kingston 1GB 800MHz chip.

My question now is:
Would it be better if I took the 400Mhz chip out to give a total of 2GB or leave it in and have a total of 2.5GB but with a base speed of 400MHz?

Thanks

 

[b1gapl]

Regardless of how many different speed RAM sticks you put inside, they're all going to run at the speed of the slowest stick.

And most of the time when it comes to RAM, quantity over speed. So leave it in if you want, or you can take it out and save it as a backup.

 

[Imglidinhere]

It would increase your performance by a little but with such a little clock speed increase, you wouldn't see much. It will increase your performance nonetheless.

 

[Xenofix]

Ok thanks for your opinion. I think I'll keep it in until I get another Kingston 1GB 800MHz chip.

 

[Shylock]

both good answers, but I think I should mention, the max speed that will be used in either case is dependent on what your system is setup to use. you can put in all the 2 zillion Mhz memory sticks in you want, but if your system only uses them at 400 Mhz, then your not going to go any faster. Memory speed access is a direct relation to your processor and how the memory controller calculates the memory operating freq from your motherboard and cpu multiplier. IE: 200 MHz (motherboard clock speed) X a 14 (Multiplier) = 2800 MHz cpu speed / 7 (memory divider) = 400 MHz If you put in faster memory it won't matter at all because it'll still run at 400.(IE therefor if it is running slower, there is no need to remove the slower chip, since they're all running slow anyways.) however, you can of course overclock your memory often, as well as your cpu. This is changing the multiplier or the front side bus speed as far as the mother board is concerned, which of course 'fools' the memory controller into making things run quicker. In those cases, it's always better to have faster then you need memory, but you don't seem to be doing this. If you ever do want to know info about it however, type in overclocking cpu/memory in google, and do some reading. I might also add that system manufacturers of course do not usually put the fastest or best components in your system. They put in what they can get bulk deals on at the time, not to mention quality of solidstate items fluctuate as much as anything else. I've went through vats of memory sticks to find diamonds, and doing such I've more often found ones that underperformed or became unstable under even the slightest of overclocking. most ram of course is tested to a bulk stable point of its rating. of course I'm presumming your settings are in synchronous, btw.

 

[Xenofix]

Lol thanks.

Could you please look at the screen shots and tell me what should I do.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Shylock]

I'd say keep the memory. your system is stable, right? If you wish to experiment, and see exactly how things are effected, run a benchmark program. they are not as absolute as they'd like you to think, but they are useful to give you a idea. try the program with and without the memory stick and see what numbers it gives you. a difference of a few points isn;t a big deal btw, even if you run the same test multiple times without changing anything there will be a variance.

 

[Xenofix]

I don't really think that there will be much difference and I can't be bothered to keep opening it up and taking it out. Thanks for your suggestion anyway.

 

[Shylock]

meh. I understand. I myself don;t usually close my case, I'm always doing such things to one or more of machines at one time or another. I equate it to car building. you have people who just want to drive their normal car around that they bought 'as is'. and then you have some who constantly want to push that machines limits to its abilities and are always do various things to it to make it do more. nothing wrong with being a 'drive as is' kinda guy at all.

 

[Xenofix]

Lol I'm the kind of guy who uses my comp as is. I don't really care for minor improvements.

I took the RAM chip out anyway cos my PSU gracefully failed a few days ago and I replaced it and so I took it out cos I didn't exactly need 2.5GB of RAM anyway.