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I recently
built my new system with 512MB of memory because my old memory sticks were not
compatible with the new motherboard (it required PC3200 sticks). So I went to
Circuit City and bought two Kingston 512MB PC3200 memory sticks at
$99.99 each. I mean, nowadays you cannot expect much from cheap memory, so I
thought I should just get memory sticks that can provide me with the performance
I need and crave. These sticks are CL3.0 (memory clock latency timing) but I
have that reduced to CL2.0. But with my Centon 512MB PC3200 CL2.5 stick and
these Kingston sticks combined I am averaging CL2.5. This is still good enough
for me as I am happy with my systems performance. With my new system (AMD
Athlon 64 4000+ processor on
Asus A8V Deluxe motherboard) overclocked to
2.64GHz (normal 2.40GHz), it beats the
AMD Athlon 64 FX 55 (2.60 GHz) in performance
by about 5 percent.
WHAT I LOOK FOR WHEN PURCHASING RAM?
When purchasing anything you have to know what questions you need to ask to be
able to get the best possible product for the best possible price. Here are some
things I ask or look for before making the purchase:
1. How many megabytes?
I usually prefer and look for memory sticks that are at least 512MB or more. I
have read somewhere if you combine multiple low capacity memory sticks, the
overall performance will be lower.
2. What is the Clock Latency?
To me this is the second most important thing to look for in any memory stick
because I like to overclock and you need good memory to be able to achieve
faster but stable processor speeds.
3. Will it be compatible with my system?
You have to know what kind of memory you ware looking for: DDR, DDR 2, DDR 3,
etc. You can find this out by reading your system motherboard specifications or
by looking at your existing memory sticks. If you install incorrect memory
sticks you may damage your system or you system may not work properly.
4. How easy is it to overclock?
How does it overclock; does it heat up or is it stable enough when you overclock
your system? You can read reviews and talk to someone who has experience with it
to get this information.
5. How much is it?
The price tag is the last thing I look at to make sure you are getting the best
quality for the money you will be spending. No one wants to spend a lot of money
on something that will not increase your overall system performance.
THE PACKAGE :
The box has a plastic package that holds the memory stick, short warranty
information, brief installation guide, and customer service information. I think
the box is big enough for much more detailed installation instructions; I think
it will help novice user install the memory accurately and quickly.
INSTALLATION & INSTRUCTIONS :
To begin the installation you must first prepare your system properly; turn off
the power and remove the power cord (just in case), remove all jewelry from you
hands, and touch a metal surface other than your computer to get rid of any
static electricity.
Open your computer case (may need a screw driver or refer to manufacturer manual
for details) and locate the memory stick slots (find the memory sticks that are
already installed). You will notice there are two clips on both ends of the
slots that hold the memory sticks in place; open these clips to allow new memory
sticks to be installed (if you wish to remove the older sticks, you may do so at
this point). Now pick up the new memory stick by the ends only and insert it
into one of the empty slots (it only fits one way, so if one way does not work,
try the other). One thing you should keep in mind is that you should not push
too hard in the beginning because it may damage the motherboard and the memory
stick if you insert the sticks in the wrong direction. So just see if the
grooves match properly and then push it in and secure the clips on both ends to
lock it in place. Make sure to push in both ends at the same time; you can even
push one end and the clip should lock automatically, then the other and this
clip should lock automatically also. If the clips do not lock automatically then
you may do it manually.
Now you are done installing the memory stick, so just close your computer case
back up and plug in all cords and cables that you disconnected. You may now wear
the jewelry that you took off from your hands.
Installation for me is a breeze as I have been doing this for a long time now
and it only takes me about a minute to open my computer case and install the
memory sticks.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE :
I have been using these Kingston 512MB PC3200 memory sticks for about four
months now and I have not had any problems with them yet. Like I said before, I
did over clock my processor and these memory sticks do help increase the
performance a lot. I performed some benchmarks with 3DMark 03 and 3DMark 05; I
got a score of 5885 and with 3DMark 05 and 12657 with 3DMark 03 (actual data).
I do play some games, but not too much. I have played Doom 3, Half-Life, Dear
Hunter, Flight Simulator, and Halo on my system so far and none of these games
froze ever. I installed a
PNY Verto GeForce 6800GT 256MB video card for my new system. I have
not had any incompatibilities with the video card, memory, processor, or the
motherboard. My system is running very fast and stable.
FINAL THOUGHTS :
I have purchased many memory sticks and I think these Kingston 512MB PC3200
sticks are one of the best values out today. The price is right and the quality
is exceptional. Knowing it is Kingston I can proudly say that it is reliable and
it will continue to serve me for years to come. If you want good quality memory
sticks with great performance, I would suggest getting these… |
