Should I buy more ram..? help please!

Hello, I've had 2gb of ram on an 86 bit system for a few years on a custom built pc this is my processor type or whatever. \
This is my current memory type.

I'm wondering if it's possible that upgrading would be better, I plan to switch to Windows 7 64bit (I've also been debating on upgrading to windows 8.1 64bit) I've heard 4gb of ram is more than enough for 64bit systems my system is supposed to be a dual core also what type of ram do I need? I've been planning to buy this one: G Skill Ripjaws x Series 4GB 240 Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 PC3 12800 Desktop Me | eBay BUT I need to know if I should buy more ram for my computer and IF I do would it be better? thanks.. I hope I've explained it well enough for you guys to understand.

Alright, I've filled out as much as I could hopefully that will give you a better understanding thanks for linking that!

whs said:

The Crucial Scanner is an easy tool to determine how much RAM is possible, what kind you need and what it costs (in the US).

systemscanner | United States (USD)

Thanks, it says my computer has two memory slots and I'm trying to buy ram at a cheaper price at the moment, these are all too expensive right now than the one I've linked.

Layback Bear said:

Just a little information. Which should also be found in the motherboard manual.

GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket AM3 - GA-M68MT-S2P (rev. 3.0)

2 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 8GB of system memory (Note 1)
Dual channel memory architecture
Support for DDR3 1333(OC)/1066/800 MHz memory modules

I see, could I buy the ram stick on the link I've posted? it has 4gb of ram + at a great price. I just want to know if it's the kind of ram stick I can use in my computer and can I do a clean install to 64bit without any problems?

yuji said:

I see, could I buy the ram stick on the link I've posted? it has 4gb of ram + at a great price. I just want to know if it's the kind of ram stick I can use in my computer and can I do a clean install to 64bit without any problems?

Do you mean the RAM you linked in your first post, from Ebay?

It is this:

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

That looks to be compatible with your motherboard.

But you have 2 GB now. Adding this would give you 6.

Do you want 4 total or 6 total?

Or do you intend to discard the 2 GB you now have?

You should use 2 sticks total, so if you want 4 GB total, I'd look to buy one more 2 GB stick, not that 4 GB stick.

If you intend to discard the 2 you have now, you should buy two 2 GB sticks to give you 4 GB of new RAM.


You might look on your motherboard manufacturer's web site to see if there is an officially approved list of compatible RAM. Maybe yes, maybe no. If this Ebay RAM isn't on that list, it doesn't mean it won't work fine.

ignatzatsonic said:

Do you mean the RAM you linked in your first post, from Ebay?

It is this:

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

That looks to be compatible with your motherboard.

But you have 2 GB now. Adding this would give you 6.

Do you want 4 total or 6 total?

Or do you intend to discard the 2 GB you now have?

You should use 2 sticks total, so if you want 4 GB total, I'd look to buy one more 2 GB stick, not that 4 GB stick.

If you intend to discard the 2 you have now, you should buy two 2 GB sticks to give you 4 GB of new RAM.


You might look on your motherboard manufacturer's web site to see if there is an officially approved list of compatible RAM. Maybe yes, maybe no. If this Ebay RAM isn't on that list, it doesn't mean it won't work fine.

Well if it's compatible I'm willing to risk it,so if I can keep the 2 GB I have now and add on a total of 6 would that be better for a 64bit os installation? the more ram the better I think,thanks for responding looking forward to your next response!

yuji said:

Well if it's compatible I'm willing to risk it,so if I can keep the 2 GB I have now and add on a total of 6 would that be better for a 64bit os installation? the more ram the better I think,thanks for responding looking forward to your next response!

If you have two identical 2 GB sticks, total of 4 GB, they should run in "dual channel" mode.

If you have a 2 GB stick and a 4 GB stick, total of 6 GB, I think they are going to run in single channel model.

Dual channel is slightly faster than single channel.

BUT if you actually will use the 5th and 6th GB, you are better off with 6 in single channel than 4 in dual channel.

If you never would actually use the 5th and 6th, you're probably better off with 4 in dual channel.

I have 4 in dual channel. I've never used more than about 3.2. I have 64-bit Win 7 Home Premium.

So, it's important to know how much you'll use. Check Task Manager and Resource Monitor.

You may never notice any difference between single and dual channel.

So, in the real world, it may not matter much at all whether you have 2 plus 2 for 4 total or 2 plus 4 for 6 total.