Repairing and Upgrading Your PC

Choosing Memory

When you buy memory to upgrade a system, consider the following issues:

Brand matters.

Brand name is important for memory. In our 20+ years of working on PCs, we recall only one high-quality name-brand module that failed other than from lightning damage or other abuse. Conversely, generic memory fails quite frequently. We recall one batch of 20 cheap DIMMs ordered by a client in which fully half of them were dead on arrival and the others failed within a few months. For general-purpose memory, we exclusively use and recommend memory modules from Crucial Technology (http://www.crucial.com) and Kingston Technologies (http://www.kingston.com).

CHEAP AT HALF THE PRICE

Some companies—including Corsair, KingMax, Mushkin, OCZ, Patriot, and Viking—sell high-performance memory for gamers, overclockers, and other enthusiasts. Crucial also competes in the high-performance segment with its Ballistix modules and Kingston with its HyperX modules. Unless you are trying to eke out the last percent or two of potential system performance, it's seldom worth paying the higher price for these premium modules.

Consider cost per megabyte.

It's generally less expensive to buy mid-capacity modules rather than the equivalent amount of memory in large- or small-capacity modules. For example, if you need 1 GB, two 512 MB DIMMs will probably cost less than four 256 MB DIMMs. Conversely, one 1 GB DIMM may cost 50% more than two 512 MB DIMMs, and a 2 GB DIMM may cost twice as much as four 512 MB DIMMs. ...