Tweaking my system.

Alright, my current set up is as follows:

DFI Lanparty 250gb
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (754)
Nvidia Geforce 6800 (non-ultra) With all pipes unlocked.
512mb Kingston Value Ram
Two 80gb Maxtor 7200/8mb Hdds
Two rear exhaust fans
Two front exhaust fans
Raidmax psu (13a on 12v)
And my 2005FPW should be here tomorrow.

The only game I really play is WoW right now, maybe some hl2 occasionally. I want it to look very good, and have no lag (Iron forge = LAG HELL for me)

I plan on ordering ram and a PSU tomorrow (hopefully, if my paycheck allows it)

A couple of questions
What are my RAM options? My board supports up to pc3200, 3 slots. I have 512 KVR right now. Should I buy a one gig stick of good ram? Two 512s of good ram? Should I stop using my current ram (would it hold back the new ram?) Or should I throw them all together?
I don't know anything about timings, latencies, etc... I just want some nice ram.


Most importantly:

Would spending a ton more on "good" ram be justified by performance? I'm talking about the "value" ram vs. Corsair XMS or whatever. It's a good chunk of change more, is it worth it?

What is the best "bang for your buck" ram that is out there, I absoloutly do NOT want to spend over $200 for my PSU + ram (probably getting fortron bluestorm for like 70) and I'd prefer to stay under 150.


As for tweaking my system, I might dive into Ocing when I get a new PSU, I don't want to chance it with my current one. Will it really help all that much? I've unlocked the pipes on my graphics card, and I oced my processor a little bit for a while, but I put it back to normal shortly afterwards. Are there any other tips that can improve my performance?

Long post, sorry. Any tips/suggestions?

pcgamer4life said:

Most importantly:

Would spending a ton more on "good" ram be justified by performance? I'm talking about the "value" ram vs. Corsair XMS or whatever. It's a good chunk of change more, is it worth it?

What is the best "bang for your buck" ram that is out there, I absoloutly do NOT want to spend over $200 for my PSU + ram (probably getting fortron bluestorm for like 70) and I'd prefer to stay under 150.


As for tweaking my system, I might dive into Ocing when I get a new PSU, I don't want to chance it with my current one. Will it really help all that much? I've unlocked the pipes on my graphics card, and I oced my processor a little bit for a while, but I put it back to normal shortly afterwards. Are there any other tips that can improve my performance?

Long post, sorry. Any tips/suggestions?

Click to expand...

More expensive RAM isn't an immediate improvement. It's a little more complicated. When and if you O/C the system, the RAM that you have will become important in deciding how much you can O/C. It's more about getting the right RAM for your system, than just something that costs more or has activity LED's (Corsair something or other).

PSU is another thing that you will need a better one to O/C effectively. A reliable one will save you the headache of components being taken down by a failing PSU. The Case/Power Supplies Section will have details on all of the PSU's that will provide a solid base for your system. Remember that the PSU is the heart of your system, and skimping on it will come back to haunt you.

There is no reason you can't get an affordable PSU that is solid and reliable, like the Blue Storm you mentioned. However, my experience when it comes to good performance RAM, you often get what you pay for. Although some UTT might be cheaper, the fact is that you are paying less because the results you get from the RAM are less guaranteed, and different than what you get with something else like TCCD. Unfortunately, you will have to shell out for good TCCD.

The decision in the end is yours. Good Luck.

the RAM that you have will become important in deciding how much you can O/C.

Click to expand...

Not really. You can just run a divider and it would not effect your max OC.