Can I use different ram in the same computer?

I am currently running a p4s800 and I have 512meg pc3200 ram made by
kingston. I want to buy another stick of pc3200 ram made by Samung... My
question is, is it ok to use 2 different companies ram together? Will it
work ok? And is Samsung ok ram or is it crap? Thanks

 

SIS keeps a qualified memory list, as well as whatever Asus lists:

http://www.sis.com/ddr/ddr400.htm

There is some Samsung on there.

If you mix ram, the BIOS should select memory parameters to work
with the slower of the two modules (like if one module is CAS2.5
and the other is CAS3, then CAS3 is used for both). I would try
your two PC3200 modules in slots 1 and 3. You may have to try
both combinations, as in:

DIMM slot 1 Kingston
DIMM slot 2
DIMM slot 3 Samsung

DIMM slot 1 Samsung
DIMM slot 2
DIMM slot 3 Kingston

HTH,
Paul

 

Samsung RAM should be ok; it is used on some high end video cards, to
mention a place you find it.

All things being equal it would perhaps be better to get a matched stick,
but the odds are that it will work with your pre-existing RAM, in dual
channel, assuming your board is capable of that.

ken

 

Just bought that board on Ebay. It does support Dual channel. However, while
the Kingston/Samsung mix may work, (you'll have to try and see), everything
I've read says you must have a matched pair DDR Dimms.

 

This issue comes up frequently on the Overclockers ng. Some say it is just
an advertising pitch, to try to get you to buy a "matched pair" in one box,
paying a premium of $20 or $30 or more dollars for the privilege. I don't
really know. What I do know is that I bought 2 separate packages of 512MB
sticks of DDR400 Corsair Value Select RAM, the cheapest they sell, from
Fry's in S. California a few weeks back on an el cheapo rebate deal. I was
told by some on the overclockers forum that it was crap and it wouldn't work
and I'd never get dual channel out of it and blah blah blah. I was also
told by one wise and sage person whose posts I always read on that ng, that
most probably it would work just fine.

In actuality that el cheapo RAM that cost me $130 incl. tax for a gigabyte,
runs extremely stably, dual channel, at a FSB of 220, e.g. DDR 440, e.g. 10%
overclock. I have run about 40 passes of Memtest86 with ZERO errors at that
level of overclock, not to mention had a stable W2K system other than for
some hiccups due to a recent bios flash, so I know that much of what you
read and hear about this topic (RAM) needs to be taken with boulders of
salt.

Put the stuff in your board and test it the way you will use it. I have
found CPU-Z and Memtest96 (both free downloads) to be invaluable in
evaluating RAM. If the performance is good, you got good RAM. If the
performance is bad, if you don't get dual channel, if the frequency is less
than it should be (e.g. the ratio of FSB CPU to RAM is less than 1:1 without
overclocking) then you should return the RAM for a refund without
hesitation. Don't buy RAM from some place that won't take it back if it
does not perform; a few extra dollars at the front end will be well worth it
if you need to get an RMA.

That is basically the long and the short of it.

ken

 

Are you sure ? I just looked in the downloadable manual for the P4S800
and the word "dual" only references the IDE interfaces.

Paul