Memory brand

[play2lose]

Would there be much of a difference between

Standard 512Mb (2x 256Mb) PC3200 400MHz Dual Channel DDR Memory

and

Corsair XMS High Performance 512Mb (2x 256Mb) PC3200 400MHz Dual Channel DDR Memory w/Heatspreader

and

Geil High Performance 512Mb (2x 256Mb) PC3200 400MHz Dual Channel DDR Memory w/Heatspreader

 

[RyanOldw83]

Corsair is the best brand on your list, good RAM makes a big difference.

 

[play2lose]

actually corsair is knda to expensive for me

is geil still good or should I forget it and get standard

 

[nvalhalla]

The difference in the memory you are describing is the timings. Memory timings can have an effect on performance, especially with dual channel memory. Get the memory with the best timings that you can afford. CL2.5 is good, 2.0 is better, but 3.0 should be avoided. I am simplifying things a little, but you can generally tell the timing speeds by the CL (CAS Latency) Shoot for 2.5 unless you can get 2.0 in your price range. If both are too expensive, just go with 3.0, but be awair it will hurt your performance a little.

 

[kboy]

Good info nvalhalla!

 

[XT]

micro giel ram is still good but your list is also very good. Cas timings are also expensive the lower the better. generally giel produces cas2 and cas2.5 sticks some cas3 sticks same with corsair and kingston normally has cas2.5 and cas3 some cas2. Lower the better just remember.
The main reason for paying more is chip selection. Companys like crucial,giel,crucial take extra time in examing their chips and you pay for that. Munchkin is the best kind of memory but they take a hell long of a time to select chips(modules) for there ram to make it very overclockable. Ocz is also great brand for o/cing. The list of best to worste goes sorta like this but this is the highest series of each manufacteror not there value ram.
Munchkin
Ocz
Corsair
Giel/Crucial
kingston
the rest are just generic ram

 

[ekÆsine]

standard corsair XMS memory is still better than GEIL. if you dont have integrated video dual channel memorywill slow down your system. if you get the 2x 256MB tham make sure you use the 2 banks that disable dual mode.

 

[play2lose]

so if I have a grapic card I don't need dual channel......is that what ur saying

 

[nvalhalla]

I've never heard that using dual channel memory slows down systems with video cards. Hmm...

 

[Stupid]

Its not that dual channel memory slowsit down. The dual channel MODE slows it down.

and yeah you should go with corsair xms low latency memory
just make sure it works good with your mobo