What more would I need?

Glenn Chan · February 18th, 2004, 09:46 PM

Barry,
crucial.com will help you find the right kind of RAM. I think any brand of RAM will work with your computer.

Optimal memory setup is where all sticks are the same model and in pairs. It will make a few percent difference in Vegas rendering speed, which isn't all that much. But if it only takes a little bit more effort to get that, you might as well.

You can buy 2X256MB of RAM, and then eBay off or give away your old sticks of RAM. You can later upgrade to 1GB. I doubt you'll need more than that... but I could be wrong. However, RAM prices should drop in the future so getting rid of 2X256MB may not cost that much (you didn't sink a lot of money into 2X256MB). I think this is the best option. You could leave the old sticks in there, which will dramatically improve performance if you run out of RAM but slow you down very slightly when you don't need the extra RAM.

Other options are:
1X512MB, and maybe keep your original sticks. That one stick isn't running dual channel, which slows you down slightly.
buy 2X512MB :) (eBay off your old sticks)

As far as upgrading goes, you should check the manual for your computer. Generally, there are 2 sets of RAM slots. On some motherboards the sets are color coded. If you want 2 identical sticks to run dual channel, you have to put them in the right RAM slots.

To install RAM, you just shove it in (without breaking anything, but firmly so it goes in). Watch out for static/ESD. Um, that's basically it. You can take out the old sticks if you want, since mixed RAM (not all sticks identical) will hurt performance very slightly- a few percent with Vegas.

Barry Rivadue · February 18th, 2004, 10:16 PM

Thank you all. :)

Barry Rivadue · February 19th, 2004, 10:36 PM

Okay, another question--I checked on what my computer (Dell Dimension 8200) actually has: "PC800 RDRAM RIMMS. Supports ECC." Alright, does this mean it >IS< ECC? I see that I have to choose between an ECC or a non-ECC set, and this "supports" term seems a bit ambiguous to me.

Thanks for any insight. :)

February 18th, 2004, 09:46 PM	#16
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	Barry, crucial.com will help you find the right kind of RAM. I think any brand of RAM will work with your computer. Optimal memory setup is where all sticks are the same model and in pairs. It will make a few percent difference in Vegas rendering speed, which isn't all that much. But if it only takes a little bit more effort to get that, you might as well. You can buy 2X256MB of RAM, and then eBay off or give away your old sticks of RAM. You can later upgrade to 1GB. I doubt you'll need more than that... but I could be wrong. However, RAM prices should drop in the future so getting rid of 2X256MB may not cost that much (you didn't sink a lot of money into 2X256MB). I think this is the best option. You could leave the old sticks in there, which will dramatically improve performance if you run out of RAM but slow you down very slightly when you don't need the extra RAM. Other options are: 1X512MB, and maybe keep your original sticks. That one stick isn't running dual channel, which slows you down slightly. buy 2X512MB :) (eBay off your old sticks) As far as upgrading goes, you should check the manual for your computer. Generally, there are 2 sets of RAM slots. On some motherboards the sets are color coded. If you want 2 identical sticks to run dual channel, you have to put them in the right RAM slots. To install RAM, you just shove it in (without breaking anything, but firmly so it goes in). Watch out for static/ESD. Um, that's basically it. You can take out the old sticks if you want, since mixed RAM (not all sticks identical) will hurt performance very slightly- a few percent with Vegas.

February 18th, 2004, 10:16 PM	#17
Barry Rivadue Major Player Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 508	Thank you all. :)

February 19th, 2004, 10:36 PM	#18
Barry Rivadue Major Player Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 508	Okay, another question--I checked on what my computer (Dell Dimension 8200) actually has: "PC800 RDRAM RIMMS. Supports ECC." Alright, does this mean it >IS< ECC? I see that I have to choose between an ECC or a non-ECC set, and this "supports" term seems a bit ambiguous to me. Thanks for any insight. :)