RAM Upgrade issues

[NWNN]

Hi everyone,

I'm using a Dell Dimension 5150 and just upgraded my RAM from 1GB to 3GB (January sales :P)
The current config goes like so:
Pair 1 - 2x1GB
Pair 2 - 2x512MB

All the system RAM is registering, but I'm not really seeing an increase in performance whatsoever (which I consider strange seeing as I just tripled RAM). Could anyone please suggest why there's possibly not much of an improvement?

Many thanks
NWNN

[madoverclocker]

???

what is your method for checking performance? what os are you using?

[Serunson]

Are the 2 1Gb sticks new, and the 2 512Mb ones from before the upgrade? You may not notice a speed boost because the 2 1Gb RAM sticks are having to run at the old 512Mb clock speed. Can you tell us what the clock speed (MHz) of the 512Mb sticks of RAM, and the 2 1Gb sticks of RAM. Your 'Lack of performance' may lie there.

[NWNN]

ahh thanks - the motherboards a 'Dell Motherboard' by the way - I shall remove the 512 sticks and see what happens to the speed...

[Serunson]

You can find out the clock speed of the RAM by looking at the sticker on the RAM itself. Or by using Crucial Tech's website to scan your system to show you what you have.

[NWNN]

Yeh thanks for the help - The 512 sticks were DDR2 533 wheras the 1GB sticks were DDR2 666. Removed the 512 sticks... Time for some ebaying i think...

[Serunson]

Your lack of performance were cause by the 1Gb sticks running at a lower speed because of your of other RAM. There is a way of 'overclocking' RAM sticks, but it is quite complicated to do!

If we have solved your problem please mark the thread as solved :)

[NWNN]

Ok I will...
I would overclock my RAM, CPU, but Dell have disabled overclocking on their motherboards completely - I read somehwere this is as they are custom built for budget and can't supply the extra voltage etc. that overclocking requires.