Computer Reviews

A 1 GB stick of DDR RAM to give any system that little boost, especially for systems running Windows Vista.

Although newer systems have moved on to DDR2 there are still a wide range of computers that use plain old DDR. Many older systems stay around for much longer than expected. Although I always think that my older computers will get put in the trash, they still serve most purposes very well.

For surfing the Internet, writing email and documents on the computer, almost any old computer will do. A lot of the load of modern programs and operating systems comes down to how much memory they require. Often the wrong impression is give and people end up buying a whole new system with some newer, fancier computer. But after a really slow computer, anything new will seem fast, and the reason cannot be pinned down.

Upgrading memory is a viable option as it gives those new programs the stuff they need. For pure computing power, a new processor will always give a little more, but would be lower down on my list of things to get, even if you are only running a Pentium 4 at the moment.

This single 1 GB stick of Crucial DDR memory provides a gigabyte of RAM, which means it meets the minimum for Vista, which requires a great deal more than Windows XP.

A good investment to breathe some life into an old system, and a much better buy than a whole new system.

Corsair’s 2 GB memory improves performance in Windows and allows painless multi-tasking of applications while giving a healthy boost to a gaming computer that needs a little bit of extra punch.

The bottom line with memory is that more is better, of course this can be taken too far, but generally this holds true. Windows XP should have at least 512 MB and for Vista 1 GB or more is recommended.

This dual-channel pair of DDR2 DIMMs allow performance to be increased by being placed as a pair. As much as a 10% increase in performance can be realized by pairing memory modules together in this fashion. They do, however, need to be a matched pair, which these are of course.

Here are some of the major specs:

• Dual-channel DDR2
• 2 GB total (2 x 1 GB)
• 800MHz
• 5-5-5-18 timing
• 240 pins

The pair come with heat spreaders which don’t just give them that cool and fast look, but help to move heat away from the memory chips, that tend to heat up under heavy use. The standard speed of 800MHz will suit the majority of computers without needing any overclocking, there may be some room left for enthusiasts although most memory modules don’t leave much extra anymore.

Corsair are a reputable memory maker and the chance to grab this pair for under $75 is quite enticing. They would be recommended for any system that is running newer software, like Vista, or lots of games. For any system that is ready to be upgraded, or for new systems, this would be money well-spent, and should reap better results per dollar than an upgrade to a quad-core processor.

Bigbruin takes a look at this set of DDR2 sticks from Transcend. They are actually two seperate sticks, and do not come in a single package. That being the case, you just buy two sticks.

They are shockingly unexciting, without any heatspreaders or any little lights. Just plain old black chips on green board.

Although their looks are nothing to write home about their performance is not half bad. In overclocking efforts done by bigbruin they managed to get them to overclock by about 20% without adding heatspreaders or making drastic adjustments. Just upping the voltage to keep things stable.

For a set of very plain looking sticks, these are worth a look at, especially if you like the old school look of memory cards.

Check out the full review at bigbruin.