Patriot DDR400 1GB Memory - Review

A few days ago, I got a 1GB Stick of Patriot DDR400 Memory, it was not my first choice of memory, as I am an A-Data fan boy, but due to the fact that they were sold out, I had to go with Patriot (my second choice of memory). The extra memory gave Windows Vista breathing space, bringing life to my Sempron PC. However, it will not run at DDR400, either a motherboard problem, or memory problem. I will test it on a Socket 939 PC and report its speed after testing it on there tomorrow. After 24 hours of none stop memory testing, it came through with 0 errors, which is on the positive note. It also, comes without heat sinks. If you have an old DDR PC, it is recommended to get these memory sticks before they become obsolete.


After testing the memory, I have come to the conclusion that the memory needs exact same sticks or to run by itself to run at full PC3200 speed.

Here is the Pro's & Con's list

Pro's

• Cheap in DDR pricing
• 1GB
• Gives Vista room to breath
• Patriot Branding
• Stable
  

Con's

• Price vs DDR2
• No Heat sinks
• Requires to be matching pairs for it to run at PC3200 speed.

The RAM can be purchased from www.newegg.com at a price of $38.99 with $4.99 shipping.




Image in the shot is CPU-Z 1.44.1 which can be downloaded at http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

Windows Vista - How much RAM should I go with?

This is a common question, trying to decide the best amount of Physical RAM for your computer running Vista. Even though Microsoft recommend 1GB to run Vista smoothly, that is not really enough unless all you do is browse emails and internet. At the price RAM sells at now, there is really no excuse to say that RAM is too expensive / Vista uses too much. At under $20/gig, you can easily stock up on 2GB and not break the bank.

Windows Vista Basic
Minimum = 512MB (0.50GB)
Recommended = 1,024MB (1.00GB)
Gareth's Bloggie recommends = 1,536MB (1.50GB)

Windows Vista Home Premium
Mimimum = 1,024MB (1.00GB)
Recommended = 1,024MB (1.00GB)
Gareth's Bloggie recommends = 2,048MB (2.00GB)

Windows Vista Business
Mimimum = 1,024MB (1.00GB)
Recommended = 1,024MB (1.00GB)
Gareth's Bloggie recommends = 1,536MB (1.50GB)

Windows Vista Ultimate
Mimimum = 1,024MB (1.00GB)
Recommended = 1,024MB (1.00GB)
Gareth's Bloggie recommends = 3,072MB (3.00GB)

You may need more than the bloggies recommended, but going with less certainly impacts your computers overall performance.


Cheapest place to buy RAM
www.newegg.com - Newegg have great deals on RAM, starting at $16.99 per 1GB Stick.
www.ebuyer.co.uk - Ebuyer have good deals on RAM, starting at £13.00 per Gig