Memory modules buyers guide

Buying memory

So which memory modules should you buy? When you do not plan on overclocking your system it is best to buy standard modules of a renowned brand. Check the memory controller on your processor or motherboard to see if it supports DDR2-800 as the best overall system results will be obtained by purchasing DDR2-800. DDR2-667 may be a lot cheaper than DDR2-800, but if you use DDR2 667 your performance will not be optimal. Currently DDR2-667 is standard and we do not recommend buying DDR2-533 at this time. When you but an "A-brand" memory module, not only will you be certain that the warranty is solid, but you will also have the guarantee that the chips on the modules are of good quality.

When you plan on overclocking your system, you will need to buy memory that will give you the best possible speed and lowest possible timings. In the product database you will find test results of a lot of modules which we all tested on an Intel Pentium XE 955 and an AMD FX-62 system. The Intel system used the ASUS P5WD2-E Premium motherboard, 1066MHz FSB and memory settings at 1:1. During overclocking this system the multiplier was reduced to 12x, to ensure that the processor speed would not form a bottleneck when overclocking. The FX-62 system used a ASUS M3N32-SLI DeLuxe motherboard with nForce 590 chipset. On this motherboard the multiplier was reduced as well, to 9x. The comparison tables not only show the maximum speed we obtained, but also the voltage needed to reach these speeds.

One last important tip for buying memory: always buy a set of 2 modules. Modern motherboards all support dual channel memory, and when using identical modules you can be sure that using dual channel will not cause any problems.