Topic: More RAM

[ober]

So my system has been running great for over a year... I had 1GB of PC3200 (2 x 512) DDR in my system and it has handled everything almost perfectly... but I've noticed when playing online in BF2 (special forces specifically), that he's loading and getting into games much faster than me.  

My bitch is that my processor is faster (same clock, but I have a newer chipset), my motherboard is newer, my video card is an entire generation ahead of his, and our HDs are the same.  The only other difference?  He had 2 gig of RAM.  Well, yesterday he brought me a pair of Crucial XMS (2 CAS latency) 512s from our stash at work and was like "just try them".  Well, I did add them in last nite and I noticed a pretty significant change.  

Are we really to the point where people are going to be required to have 2GB of RAM to run games?  That seems a little obsurd to me.... then again, 3 years ago, 512 was probably at the same point.  

Just thought I'd share.

And in response to Axon's RAM thread, I did put the new ones in the first pair of slots... my old ones are 2.5 CAS latency, so they do run a little slower.

[Steve]

I say no. If you run memtest and stuff on your existing ram (memory cycles and such) i think you'll notice a gain in performance also.

[ober]

Umm... memtest doesn't DO anything.  It just makes sure it's working correctly.  You can't do anything to RAM to increase it's performance, unless the RAM is able to be overclocked (not a good idea).

[Steve]

theres a ram program that does stress cycles, almost like what cpu burn in does for your processor. I thought it was an option in memtest i must be thinking of another program. I ran is on one of my comps that was blowing a fat one and it speed right back up