Member Avatar for cell

My mobo is MSI intel 484p, it says it Support Single channel DDR 400/333/266 non-ECC memory up to 2GB. There are only two slot. So, which one is better, 1G PC2100 or 512M PC3200, since they are pretty much the same price. I favor stablity than speed. Thanks for you advice. If I am asking stupid question, please teach me.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by nizzy1115

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Quick, practical guidance to supplement the answers above for and anyone else deciding between higher capacity or higher-clock DDR for an older Intel-based MSI board.

Before you buy

  • Check the motherboard manual (or the vendor QVL) for supported per‑slot module sizes and any notes about high‑density 1GB sticks — some vintage boards are picky about module density/rank even when a total capacity is listed as supported.
  • Confirm you’re buying non‑ECC, unbuffered DDR (matching the board). If sourcing used memory, inspect the SPD sticker for type and nominal voltage to avoid surprises.

Compatibility and stability tips

  • Buy modules from reputable makers and, when possible, buy a matched pair if you plan to expand later; identical part numbers reduce compatibility risks.
  • Avoid mixing modules of different speeds/timings if you can — mixed sticks will default to the lowest-common settings and can introduce instability.
  • Keep BIOS at SPD defaults on first boot; don’t force tight timings or voltages until the sticks run cleanly in default mode.

How to validate an install

  • Install one stick first, boot to BIOS, confirm SPD values, then run an extended memory test (Memtest86 or similar) for several passes. If errors appear, reseat the stick, try the other slot, reset CMOS, or revert to looser timings/stock voltage.
  • If memory errors persist, updating the motherboard BIOS and trying another brand/model of module often resolves compatibility quirks.

Decision framing

  • Balance real-world needs: heavier multitasking or large working sets benefit from more RAM; light desktop use sees most benefit from a stable module and correct capacity for your workload. Use the checklist above to pick the module that gives the best balance of capacity, compatibility, and long‑term reliability.

This expands on points raised by , and by focusing on compatibility checks and concrete stability verification steps that matter once the sticks are in hand.

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Member Avatar for nizzy1115

My mobo is MSI intel 484p, it says it Support Single channel DDR 400/333/266 non-ECC memory up to 2GB. There are only two slot. So, which one is better, 1G PC2100 or 512M PC3200, since they are pretty much the same price. I favor stablity than speed. Thanks for you advice. If I am asking stupid question, please teach me.

Well stability vs speed. Since your board supports both speeds, both will be stable, but you will see a pretty decent if not great performance difference between the two. The pc2100 runs at 266 mhz while the pc 3200 runs at 400 mhz. The real question here is do you have any ram already installed into your board allready. If your answer is yes you do have ram in your board, then what speed is it. If it is pc 2100 ram, then buy the 1 gb, but if you dont have any in it right now, id suggest the 512 pc3200. You can even buy a pc3200 ram "kit of 2" for dual channel computers but your board will just run it in single channel mode which is fine too.

Member Avatar for cell

Thank you very much, it is very informative. I will take your advice, buy 512 pc3200 since my mobo is still empty.

Well stability vs speed. Since your board supports both speeds, both will be stable, but you will see a pretty decent if not great performance difference between the two. The pc2100 runs at 266 mhz while the pc 3200 runs at 400 mhz. The real question here is do you have any ram already installed into your board allready. If your answer is yes you do have ram in your board, then what speed is it. If it is pc 2100 ram, then buy the 1 gb, but if you dont have any in it right now, id suggest the 512 pc3200. You can even buy a pc3200 ram "kit of 2" for dual channel computers but your board will just run it in single channel mode which is fine too.

Member Avatar for cell

Hi, Nizzy. In term to the performance, is there any big difference among CL2, 2.5, 3 ram of the same type. It looks there are about $10~$20 difference. Thanks

Well stability vs speed. Since your board supports both speeds, both will be stable, but you will see a pretty decent if not great performance difference between the two. The pc2100 runs at 266 mhz while the pc 3200 runs at 400 mhz. The real question here is do you have any ram already installed into your board allready. If your answer is yes you do have ram in your board, then what speed is it. If it is pc 2100 ram, then buy the 1 gb, but if you dont have any in it right now, id suggest the 512 pc3200. You can even buy a pc3200 ram "kit of 2" for dual channel computers but your board will just run it in single channel mode which is fine too.

Member Avatar for cell

I did a little search. It seems clock latency (CL) of RAM is more related to overclock ability, the actual speed and performance are more or less same for the same kind. Am I right?

Member Avatar for vitamindew

I think my old computer had pc2100 and I was told thats no good at all.

So id go with pc3200, which seems to have a wider availbility.

Member Avatar for suRoot

512 ram is fine for most things, so unless you're intending to use the computer as a database server or support loads of network connections stick to the faster ram

Member Avatar for nizzy1115

you will see a slight gain in performance (1-3% at most) from 2.5 vs 3 cl. Yes it helps with overclocking because in overclocking you can raise your speed higher and higher by just raising the latency to 3. For your purposes you will be perfectly fine with 3.0 latency as your motherboard probably wont even support lower latencys and will make it 3 no mater what the stick really is. So just go with the cheap stuff in my opinion ;)

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