Member Avatar for crab

hi,

ive recently upgraded my system........amd athlon64 3500+ am2 socket (i know, its not much, but i couldnt afford c2d or 4200x2 at this time), BFG 7600GT, corsair value select 1 x 512mb pc2 5300(667mhz), 80 gb sata, 380 watts coolermaster psu.............and a cheap asus m2v tvm mobo(supports dual channel).

question is: should i buy another 512 stick of the same corsair value select.........or upgrade to 2 x 512 xms2 pc2 5400(675mhz) matched pair (dual channel kit).....keeping in view the cheap mobo; would i get noticable performance gains in games and graphic utilities with 2x512 xms2 as compared to corsair value select 2 x 512?

please note: changing mobo at this point in time is not an option.

help appreciated,
kind regards
omw

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Short answer tied to the thread: getting dual‑channel memory will give a more noticeable real‑world boost than a tiny frequency bump, and buying a matched pair removes a lot of the compatibility guesswork. As pointed out, adding a second stick to enable dual‑channel is the most cost‑effective route; decided to go with a matched kit, which is the cleanest solution if the budget allows.

Practical checklist before buying or fitting RAM:

  1. Check the motherboard manual for which slots must be populated to enable dual‑channel and fit modules accordingly.
  2. If buying a new matched pair, remove the old stick and use the kit as the pair; mixing one old module with a new kit often forces the whole set to the slowest common timings.
  3. After installation, enter BIOS to confirm SPD/timings and voltage. If the board picks incorrect settings, set timings/voltage to the modules’ rated values rather than leaving it on auto.
  4. Run a memory stability test (MemTest or the OS memory diagnostic) and a simple FPS or loading benchmark of the games you play to measure any change.

Troubleshooting notes and cautions:

  • Cheap motherboards sometimes have finicky memory compatibility; if the system won’t POST, try each module alone and swap slots to isolate the problem.
  • Mixing modules from different batches/brands can work, but identical part numbers or a factory-matched kit reduces headaches.
  • Don’t expect huge frame‑rate jumps unless the system is currently starved for memory bandwidth; most games will show small but noticeable improvements in stutter, loading and CPU‑bound scenes.

Overall recommendation: if money is tight, add a matching stick to enable dual‑channel; if you can afford the kit, use the matched pair for the least trouble and most predictable behavior.

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Member Avatar for dcc

Adding another 512 of matching RAM will make a big difference in your performance, especially if you're a gamer. The xms2 is great RAM, for the price it should be. I personally don't see the point in buying a kit for dual channel RAM when you can accomplish the same thing by purchasing two of the same modules.

If you're limited on resources as you have indicated I would go with the second 512 module. If money isn't an issue...go for the xms2 by all means.

btw, there's nothing shabby about that motherboard.

Member Avatar for crab

hi'

thanks for the post! i think ill go for the xms2 then. i thought that the mobo is shabby coz not many good reviews about it and generally all in one sort of mobos arent that effctive in channelizing the right amount of power to the right components.........IMO

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