What should I buy to add to what I already have

[hammerpa]

I currently have 2 sticks of Dual Channel 512 pc3200 (VS512MB400C3)

2.5-3-3-8 in my Msi Neo 4 platinum / Sli motherboard. What will it take to add 1 more gig of ram to the system, and be compatiable with what I already have.

[Wired]

There is no such thing as "Dual Channel" memory, as this is a property of the memory controller in how it handles memory. This is why you can place memory in different slot configurations on a motherboard and it will register as single or dual channel.

 

Get more VS512MB400C3.

[killians913]

There is no such thing as "Dual Channel" memory, as this is a property of the memory controller in how it handles memory. This is why you can place memory in different slot configurations on a motherboard and it will register as single or dual channel.

 

Get more VS512MB400C3.

 

I have a Gateway 550GR desktop computer which currently has 512mb of PC3200 memory. Is your Value Select memory, model #VS1GBKIT400, compatible/useable with my computer to up it to 1.5GB or max it out at 2GB?

 

Lockett

[killians913]

Also,

 

What is the difference in performance btwn the Value Select memory modules vs the Non-Value Select ones?

 

Lockett

[RAM GUY]

Can you tell me the part# of the modules in question?

[killians913]

I mis-spoke. I was wondering what the difference in performance is btwn the following two items:

 

Model #: VS1GBKIT400C3

Item #: N82E16820145480

 

and

 

Model #: VS1GBKIT400

Item #: N82E16820145440

 

for use in my Gateway 550GR to upgrade it to 1.5GB of ram or to max it out at 2GB.

 

Lockett

[RAM GUY]

I would suggest you look up your system on our memory configurator and use the module suggested with your system. You can use Value select but you will need to remove all of the memory you have installed. And the difference is about 1-3% between Cass 2.5 and Cass 3.0.

[killians913]

I did use that link and the following was recommended: CMSS512MB-400

 

So you are saying that the Value Select memory will work with my existing memory?? Granted, my Gateway currently has 2 pair of slots with each pair having a white and black tab and the white tabs currently have 2 - 256mb (totaling 512mb).

 

If I were to leave those chips there, but now purchase the Value Select memory and put these 512mb chips in the black tab giving me now a total of 1.5GB, this should work right?

 

Granted, if I wanted to max my system out at 2GB, I'd have to replace all the memory and now have 4 - 512mb chips. Am I correct in my understanding?

 

Lockett

[Wired]

So you are saying that the Value Select memory will work with my existing memory??

 

If I were to leave those chips there, but now purchase the Value Select memory and put these 512mb chips in the black tab giving me now a total of 1.5GB, this should work right?

You can use Value select but you will need to remove all of the memory you have installed.

In otherwords, don't mix the Corsair VS with the Gateway memory.

 

Granted, if I wanted to max my system out at 2GB, I'd have to replace all the memory and now have 4 - 512mb chips. Am I correct in my understanding?

Assuming the system supports it, yes.

[550gr]

I just brought 4 512 MB VS512MB400 for Gateway 550GR to replace the existing 2X256 Memory. After replacing the modules with the ones I brought, the System was not booting up.

 

ANy idea what is wrong here?

 

I put the original memories back in, things are booting back to normal.

 

I am lost here.

 

Could you please help?

 

Thanks

[RJLeong65]

I just brought 4 512 MB VS512MB400 for Gateway 550GR to replace the existing 2X256 Memory. After replacing the modules with the ones I brought, the System was not booting up.

 

ANy idea what is wrong here?

 

I put the original memories back in, things are booting back to normal.

 

I am lost here.

 

Could you please help?

 

Thanks

 

This is because Gateway, like other OEM system manufacturers, must adhere to the strict timing specs brought forth by JEDEC. In other words, the Gateway system knows only CAS 3 when DDR memory is run at DDR400 speed - and if a module's SPD is programmed for anything other than CAS 3 @ DDR400, that system may not POST. As it turned out, the VS512MB400 sticks all have SPDs programmed at CAS 2.5 at DDR400, which is outside of the JEDEC spec. For that system you'll have to buy the C3 version of the Value Select, not the plain ("C25" implied) version.

 

In addition, due to the Gateway motherboard's BIOS design, the memory speed will drop to DDR333 with four sticks of memory installed (with no provision at all whatsoever to override that setting) - and then, the official JEDEC timing spec at DDR333 is CAS 2.5. In your case, the VS512MB400 sticks did not have SPD programming at all for the DDR333 speed (or put it this way, their SPD will try to set your system's memory speed to a value that is unsupported for your memory configuration - four double-ranked sticks.)