PC upgrading questions
polycounter lvl 11
Hi,
At the moment my PC stands like this:
Intel Q6600
8600GT (generic and two years old)
2 GB generic RAM
580w Viper PSU
32-bit OS XP
What I'm looking to get:
GTX260
4GB Corsair Twin2X 2 x 2GB
Windows 7 32/64 bit
The questions are will the majority of the 32 bit software I use work in a 64 bit setup and does it matter using older RAM with different timings with new RAM?
I still have some Corsair XMS2 memory that I took out using XP 32 bit since it was conflicting with the other RAM and causing BSOD. I'm not sure whether it was because XP didn't like having 4GB or because they are faulty.
At the moment my PC stands like this:
Intel Q6600
8600GT (generic and two years old)
2 GB generic RAM
580w Viper PSU
32-bit OS XP
What I'm looking to get:
GTX260
4GB Corsair Twin2X 2 x 2GB
Windows 7 32/64 bit
The questions are will the majority of the 32 bit software I use work in a 64 bit setup and does it matter using older RAM with different timings with new RAM?
I still have some Corsair XMS2 memory that I took out using XP 32 bit since it was conflicting with the other RAM and causing BSOD. I'm not sure whether it was because XP didn't like having 4GB or because they are faulty.
Replies
RAM's always fidley as it is and with it being cheap at the moment i wouldn't bother trying to mix them.
Most important is the amount of RAM over speed and timings with the newer arcitectures like X48/X58.
If you do though, the lowest common dominator will alway preside, so any timings for example will run at the lowest rated RAM you have in your system.
You'll also loose "dual channel" memory option if your RAM isn't inserted in pairs.
XP x86 will only read about 3.6GB RAM, anything more is useless. You can squeeze abit more using a switch in your boot.ini files if needed, but can be risky, so x64 is your best bet to use you RAM to the fullest.
I also recommend Scan.co.uk for buying components, there service is top-notch and the prices are really good.