Need advise on memory in new computer

I'm not really that good with ram and all the details of it(I'm actually pretty clueless) but I need some new RAM for the computer I am building. It will be a A64 3200 on a Neo 2 Platinum motherboard. What would you guys suggest as a good Ram. I want a stick of 1 GB preferably. It would be ok to use just 1 stick right? Or is it better to get 2 sticks of 512 MB? The motherboard has only 4 RAM slots so I was thinking it's better to get the most in one slot that I can. Also I don't want to spend too much. I'm thinking 150 - 200$ range mostly. Maybe more if you guys think that those RAM sticks will be quite a better choice for my system.

In the case of the Neo2 platnium it would be better for 2x512 to utilize dual-channel capacity. DC doubles overall bandwith and is quite helpful with RAM intensive programs. As for the best RAM IC, it is currentally Samsung TCCD. A number of companies use tccd but the cheapest solution if by Patriot. Which is available here on newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-220-033&depa=0

What do you mean by doubles over bandwith? Also what is the advantage of TCCD?

I see so many different versions of pc3200 ram from even the same companies. What is it that makes them all so different from each other? What are the timings and how do they affect the RAM?

Well, the "double bandwidth" is because the A64 memory controller is able to communicate with two channels of RAM simultaneously. Hence, two sticks of ram can communicate with the cpu at the same time.

TCCD is reasonably priced chip that is renowned for it's ability to acheive very high clocks with low voltage.

Timings do not effect ram, they effect the overall bandwidth between the cpu and ram. Basically, the cpu needs a place to store instructions while operating programs, so it stores and fetches data from ram as needed. RAM stores data like microsoft excell; in a grid of rows and columns. Ram timmings define how long it takes (in clock cycles) for the ram to store or fetch data.

Does anyone have a link?

I read most of the stuff this and other forums have about RAM. It's still sorta hard to figure out. What I'm getting is the lower the timings the better? Like 2-2-2-5 is better than 3-3-3-8?

Yup! And running 1:1 with the CPU usually yields the best performance. Here's a couple good links:

http://www.corsairmemory.com/memory_basics/153707/

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-memory1.htm

Are these good RAM sticks?

Mushkin Ram

genjaguar said:

Are these good RAM sticks?

Mushkin Ram

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wow thats a nice price and good ram, but not good for 939 rigs, that was what i got first only hit 240mhz max, i suggest getting the PDP or g.skill tccd if you get tccd

I know that timings need to be raised to raise the mhz correct? Well the motherboard says it supports up to ddr400 RAM which means 200mhz so how can you overclock past that? Wouldn't it not do anything?

genjaguar said:

I know that timings need to be raised to raise the mhz correct? Well the motherboard says it supports up to ddr400 RAM which means 200mhz so how can you overclock past that? Wouldn't it not do anything?

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you don't have to worry about anything limiting your ram OC

there's alot of patriot ram they seems to be the same price as the gskill though :_

warlock110 said:

there's alot of patriot ram they seems to be the same price as the gskill though :_

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those are the slower g.skill sticks... so you are pretty much guaranteed to not have spectacular sticks

genjaguar said:

I know that timings need to be raised to raise the mhz correct? Well the motherboard says it supports up to ddr400 RAM which means 200mhz so how can you overclock past that? Wouldn't it not do anything?

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To answer your question, ram timings do not necessarily need to be raised to raise mhz. The idea is to keep the ram timings as low as they can go for mhz chosen. The lower the ram timings, the more bandwidth you have.

High mhz are not always best either.

Keep this in mind: If your memory ran (3-3-3-10) 270mhz with a 1t command rate, then you wouldn't want to run (3-4-4-10) 280mhz with a 2t command rate.

So basically what I am trying to say is that when oc'ing, it is best to run your ram up to it's sweet spot.

And you raise the mhz in order to overclock the cpu?

Oh yes indeed. Here is alot of good info:

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=306418

genjaguar said:

I know that timings need to be raised to raise the mhz correct? Well the motherboard says it supports up to ddr400 RAM which means 200mhz so how can you overclock past that? Wouldn't it not do anything?

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I know he just covered most of the bases, but he forgot to add that in some cases with a bump in voltage you will be able to hold the tighter timings at higher speeds

So the thing that says that the MSI Neo 2 Platinum supports up to pc3200 means what?

genjaguar said:

So the thing that says that the MSI Neo 2 Platinum supports up to pc3200 means what?

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i think its because stock systems run at a fsb of 200mhz (based on cpu stock specs and multipliers) now if you put memory in thats lower than 3200speeds it will stick you on a divider, but because of the way it works it won't lower your cpu multi and up your fsb to 250 (rated) so you could theoretically run either 250fsb* a multi of 8 to achieve a stock speed of 2.0ghz, but the default is to use that processors highest multi 10 in this case, with the memory speed of ddr400 (200mhz) which results in 200*10 for 2.0ghz, but in reality because of the memory being faster at 250*8 that setup should outperform the same setup running 200*10.

Its sort of hard to understand but you want the fastest fsb as possible with the best possible timings, all of these guys know their ****...i brushed off the idea of higher priced ram, then got all of my parts and was like DAMNIT....100$extra now will cost me 200$ more down the road because i would much rather have gotten some memory rated to do those faster speeds like TCCD..
So as long as you can afford it get it, if you cant and time isnt a huge factor wait, people around here will give tons of help as you see