Help upgrading ram and hard drive

Sell224 · 01-20-2008, 01:09 AM

Alright.. I am planning to do a major upgrade on my computer, and my ram and hard drive will be replaced. I'm not really sure what type of ram or hard drive I even have, because it came with what used to be an alienware.

I don't know what mobo I am going to get yet, but I am going to replace that too.

I want to pick up 4 gigs of ram, would you guys suggest 2x2 gigs or 1x4 gigs? And what brand is good? Is DDR3 worth it at all yet?

My current hard drive is 80 gigs, and I think it is completely dead because I reformatted my computer and now it freezes every time I turn it on (long story), and I would like to pick up a larger hard drive. 160 gigs would be fine. I have heard stuff about 7200 rpm, but I really don't know what is good or not. I am looking for a good hard drive, but not TOO expensive. Suggestions?

PC eye · 01-20-2008, 01:52 AM

First of all what's the rush for 4gb of memory? Are you planning to run CAD or engineering programs that depend pn having large amounts of ram available?

First you have to know the type of build you are planning. That starts with the board and cpu as well as memory in order to see what will work the best. With WD now seeing the 1tb GP models out the prices on their smaller drives as well as other brands like Seagate have consideration there.

If you are never going to worry about storing files and backing things up a 120, 160, 200gb sized drive works. WD Raptor drives see the 10k rpm speed over the usual 7,200 seen with both ide and sata drives alike at this time except for laptops still seeing 5,400.

DDR3 boards with Intel chipsets not nForce and others are curremtly seen for the typical high prices on any new line of boards. Deciding the cpu type will depend on whether the case is for gaming, multitasking, average, or a server type build since those are catagories. For the work horse(multitasking) and server type the quad cores are inviting while the Core 2 Duos and Extremes and AMD FX series models are the performers for each there seeing dual core models.

Sell224 · 01-20-2008, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PC eye

First of all what's the rush for 4gb of memory? Are you planning to run CAD or engineering programs that depend pn having large amounts of ram available?

First you have to know the type of build you are planning. That starts with the board and cpu as well as memory in order to see what will work the best. With WD now seeing the 1tb GP models out the prices on their smaller drives as well as other brands like Seagate have consideration there.

If you are never going to worry about storing files and backing things up a 120, 160, 200gb sized drive works. WD Raptor drives see the 10k rpm speed over the usual 7,200 seen with both ide and sata drives alike at this time except for laptops still seeing 5,400.

DDR3 boards with Intel chipsets not nForce and others are curremtly seen for the typical high prices on any new line of boards. Deciding the cpu type will depend on whether the case is for gaming, multitasking, average, or a server type build since those are catagories. For the work horse(multitasking) and server type the quad cores are inviting while the Core 2 Duos and Extremes and AMD FX series models are the performers for each there seeing dual core models.

Alright.. well to give a bit more information on what type of computer I am building.. I use it mainly for gaming, surfing the net, downloading stuff, you know.. the normal.

I am looking at an e8400.. seems great for its performance. I asked in the motherboard forums for suggestions on a motherboard to go with that CPU, and I came up with the GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R (http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16813128050). I will most likely get an 8800GT also.

So theres the base of the computer. I have an antec 900 case.

I've heard that 4 gb of memory is best for Vista, which I am thinking about getting.

So what would you suggest for a good price for performance, 160 to maybe 200 space, hard drive?

And again, what kind of ram. Or should I stick with my previous ram (which I have no idea what it is, or if it would be compatible with that motherboard)

reddevil6 · 01-20-2008, 03:03 AM

i would get 4G.
2 2gig chips so then u have room on your motherboard for more in the future.
DDR3 is not worth it at the moment verry high prices not that much preformence difference
i would just go with DDR2 800 or the 1066.
an your processor, now im a AMD fan cos all the intels i have owned gave me nothink but problems but intels preform better than amd the e8400 should be a great processor an it will keep u going for the next few years + good luck

reddevil6 · 01-20-2008, 03:08 AM

oh yea with your HDDs i would not buy a HDD larger than 500G on the bigger ones the data is written so close together that it can write over other data an then u just lost a shit load of info

PC eye · 01-20-2008, 03:47 AM

When looking at the new build here the price on a matched pair of Kingston Hyper X DDR2 800 memory was about $300! So I stuck with 2gb for both XP and Vista Home Premuim here and so far have not regretted it for a work horse type build seeing large capacity drives(pair of 500gb satas and one 250gb ide at the moment).

The new line of Green Power(GP) 1tb sized drives look like an option over going for a pair of 750gb models. With a single 1tb drive in Vista would be reinstalled on one of the 500gb for work with video and other things like beta testing. For the average gamer a good 160-250 even 320gb sized drive is good. The prices are far better now then they were several years back! Try $200 for a 13gb in 1999!

Being a WD fan all these years newegg is currently low on inventory while a fairly good price is seen on the 250gb sata model seen at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136113

One Seagate 160gb model is seen for $52.99 at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148230

Sell224 · 01-20-2008, 05:05 AM

alright so what type of ram would be good? And what exactly is the difference between all these types of ram? If you were in my position, buying this gigabyte mobo, which EXACT company would you buy from?

PC eye · 01-20-2008, 05:50 AM

There are a few good brands as well as Kingston like Corsair, oCZ, Crucial to consider. You will want performance memory with a low CAS Latency and lower timings. 4gb as well as ocing memory has a tendency to see those climb a little however from like 4-4-4-12 to 5-5-5-15 not exact there.

Gigabyte is one of the top makes for boards. So you won't be a loss there. The chipset being nForce and not Intel or SIS is favored especially for any SLI plans where the NVidia chipset would be a mandate. Crossfire would count on an ATI chipset there.

For gaming memory as far as DDR2 800 newegg shows Kingston, OCZ, A-Data, and Patriot at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...+Gaming+Memory

For the fastest memory supported mainly DDR2 1200 PC2-9600 newegg shows only having Kingston and two other brands in stock in 2gb kits as seen at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...+Gaming+Memory

Among those Kiinston is on the recommended brands list at Gigabyte for memory.

Sell224 · 01-20-2008, 08:35 AM

Ok so after looking around a bit.. is this: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16813128059

compatible with this:
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16820145184

Because that ram says it is 800, but the mobo says the standard is 1066 or whatever it is. I don't really know what those numbers mean, but they don't match up.

And would you guys suggest that ram? Got good reviews and seems pretty good for its price.

**Cromewell** · 01-20-2008, 06:49 PM

That P35 board will take DDR2-800. 1066 is the fastest speed it supports out of the box.

01-20-2008, 01:09 AM	#1 (permalink)
Sell224 Bronze Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 84	Help upgrading ram and hard drive Alright.. I am planning to do a major upgrade on my computer, and my ram and hard drive will be replaced. I'm not really sure what type of ram or hard drive I even have, because it came with what used to be an alienware. I don't know what mobo I am going to get yet, but I am going to replace that too. I want to pick up 4 gigs of ram, would you guys suggest 2x2 gigs or 1x4 gigs? And what brand is good? Is DDR3 worth it at all yet? My current hard drive is 80 gigs, and I think it is completely dead because I reformatted my computer and now it freezes every time I turn it on (long story), and I would like to pick up a larger hard drive. 160 gigs would be fine. I have heard stuff about 7200 rpm, but I really don't know what is good or not. I am looking for a good hard drive, but not TOO expensive. Suggestions? __________________ EVGA 8800GT 512MB e8400 3.0 GHz (cooled by ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro) GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L CORSAIR XMS2 4GB(2 x 2GB) Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB SB Audigy 2 ZS Antec 900 ATX Mid Tower Samsung Syncmaster 20'

01-20-2008, 01:52 AM	#2 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 19,333	First of all what's the rush for 4gb of memory? Are you planning to run CAD or engineering programs that depend pn having large amounts of ram available? First you have to know the type of build you are planning. That starts with the board and cpu as well as memory in order to see what will work the best. With WD now seeing the 1tb GP models out the prices on their smaller drives as well as other brands like Seagate have consideration there. If you are never going to worry about storing files and backing things up a 120, 160, 200gb sized drive works. WD Raptor drives see the 10k rpm speed over the usual 7,200 seen with both ide and sata drives alike at this time except for laptops still seeing 5,400. DDR3 boards with Intel chipsets not nForce and others are curremtly seen for the typical high prices on any new line of boards. Deciding the cpu type will depend on whether the case is for gaming, multitasking, average, or a server type build since those are catagories. For the work horse(multitasking) and server type the quad cores are inviting while the Core 2 Duos and Extremes and AMD FX series models are the performers for each there seeing dual core models. __________________ Turning the Tongue into a Device Controller http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Sma...ory?id=5647175 Is EBay going out of the Auction Business? http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5626840&page=1

01-20-2008, 03:03 AM	#4 (permalink)
reddevil6 Diamond Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Australia Age: 16 Posts: 1,133	i would get 4G. 2 2gig chips so then u have room on your motherboard for more in the future. DDR3 is not worth it at the moment verry high prices not that much preformence difference i would just go with DDR2 800 or the 1066. an your processor, now im a AMD fan cos all the intels i have owned gave me nothink but problems but intels preform better than amd the e8400 should be a great processor an it will keep u going for the next few years + good luck __________________ (1) GA-MA770-DS3 - AMD 6000+ @3.33GHz - WD SE16 2x500G - ASUS 9800GTX+ @820 - 2036 - 2350 - Apacer 2x2G DDR 800 @953MHz - Thermaltake Soprano RS100 full tower - Coolmaster extrema power duo 650W - 3DMARK06 12256 (2) GA-81945P-G-RH - Pentium D 945 (3.4GHz) had it @4.42 GHz - SATA 3.0G 1x250G 2x500G - ASUS 3850 - 3G DDR 533 - Topower 750W - 50''(127CM) 1080P 1920x1080 plasma - 3DMARK06 7250.

01-20-2008, 03:08 AM	#5 (permalink)
reddevil6 Diamond Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Australia Age: 16 Posts: 1,133	oh yea with your HDDs i would not buy a HDD larger than 500G on the bigger ones the data is written so close together that it can write over other data an then u just lost a shit load of info __________________ (1) GA-MA770-DS3 - AMD 6000+ @3.33GHz - WD SE16 2x500G - ASUS 9800GTX+ @820 - 2036 - 2350 - Apacer 2x2G DDR 800 @953MHz - Thermaltake Soprano RS100 full tower - Coolmaster extrema power duo 650W - 3DMARK06 12256 (2) GA-81945P-G-RH - Pentium D 945 (3.4GHz) had it @4.42 GHz - SATA 3.0G 1x250G 2x500G - ASUS 3850 - 3G DDR 533 - Topower 750W - 50''(127CM) 1080P 1920x1080 plasma - 3DMARK06 7250.

01-20-2008, 03:47 AM	#6 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 19,333	When looking at the new build here the price on a matched pair of Kingston Hyper X DDR2 800 memory was about $300! So I stuck with 2gb for both XP and Vista Home Premuim here and so far have not regretted it for a work horse type build seeing large capacity drives(pair of 500gb satas and one 250gb ide at the moment). The new line of Green Power(GP) 1tb sized drives look like an option over going for a pair of 750gb models. With a single 1tb drive in Vista would be reinstalled on one of the 500gb for work with video and other things like beta testing. For the average gamer a good 160-250 even 320gb sized drive is good. The prices are far better now then they were several years back! Try $200 for a 13gb in 1999! Being a WD fan all these years newegg is currently low on inventory while a fairly good price is seen on the 250gb sata model seen at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136113 One Seagate 160gb model is seen for $52.99 at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148230 __________________ Turning the Tongue into a Device Controller http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Sma...ory?id=5647175 Is EBay going out of the Auction Business? http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5626840&page=1

01-20-2008, 05:05 AM	#7 (permalink)
Sell224 Bronze Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 84	alright so what type of ram would be good? And what exactly is the difference between all these types of ram? If you were in my position, buying this gigabyte mobo, which EXACT company would you buy from? __________________ EVGA 8800GT 512MB e8400 3.0 GHz (cooled by ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro) GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L CORSAIR XMS2 4GB(2 x 2GB) Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB SB Audigy 2 ZS Antec 900 ATX Mid Tower Samsung Syncmaster 20'

01-20-2008, 05:50 AM	#8 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 19,333	There are a few good brands as well as Kingston like Corsair, oCZ, Crucial to consider. You will want performance memory with a low CAS Latency and lower timings. 4gb as well as ocing memory has a tendency to see those climb a little however from like 4-4-4-12 to 5-5-5-15 not exact there. Gigabyte is one of the top makes for boards. So you won't be a loss there. The chipset being nForce and not Intel or SIS is favored especially for any SLI plans where the NVidia chipset would be a mandate. Crossfire would count on an ATI chipset there. For gaming memory as far as DDR2 800 newegg shows Kingston, OCZ, A-Data, and Patriot at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...+Gaming+Memory For the fastest memory supported mainly DDR2 1200 PC2-9600 newegg shows only having Kingston and two other brands in stock in 2gb kits as seen at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...+Gaming+Memory Among those Kiinston is on the recommended brands list at Gigabyte for memory. __________________ Turning the Tongue into a Device Controller http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Sma...ory?id=5647175 Is EBay going out of the Auction Business? http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5626840&page=1

01-20-2008, 08:35 AM	#9 (permalink)
Sell224 Bronze Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 84	Ok so after looking around a bit.. is this: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16813128059 compatible with this: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16820145184 Because that ram says it is 800, but the mobo says the standard is 1066 or whatever it is. I don't really know what those numbers mean, but they don't match up. And would you guys suggest that ram? Got good reviews and seems pretty good for its price. __________________ EVGA 8800GT 512MB e8400 3.0 GHz (cooled by ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro) GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L CORSAIR XMS2 4GB(2 x 2GB) Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB SB Audigy 2 ZS Antec 900 ATX Mid Tower Samsung Syncmaster 20'

01-20-2008, 06:49 PM	#10 (permalink)
Cromewell Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Canada Age: 25 Posts: 10,117	That P35 board will take DDR2-800. 1066 is the fastest speed it supports out of the box. __________________ You know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I go get and beat you with 'til ya understand who's in ruttin' command here. I must plug a couple comics because they are good :D: www.ctrlaltdel-online.com www.userfriendly.org

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