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Build Computers:
Choosing Computer Memory
Memory is critical when building your own computer. Memory is also know as RAM (Random access Memory). The more memory you add to a computer in theory the faster it will run. When you build your own computer you should use a minimum of 256 MB but I strongly recommend 512 MB. This is a guide to choosing the correct memory for you computer.
When building your own computer I recommend this site for ordering your memory. They have the best prices and largest selection I have seen.
Memory Types
Memory comes in several shapes and sizes. It is important that you get the correct memory for your motherboard when building your own computer. There are four main types of memory.
SIMM (Single In-LineMemory Module) are old technology that date back to the early days of the Pentium and before, few people use it today. People often still use it as a generic term for memory though.
DIMM (Dual In-Line Memory Modules) also know as SDRAM is still support by many motherboards. It has the advantage of being cheap and compatible with both Intel and AMD processors if you have the right motherboard.
DDR DIMM (Double Data Rate SDRAM). Faster than DIMM, but your motherboard must have the special sockets that support it. This is mainly used on AMD Athlon based motherboards, although it is supported for some Pentium motherboards.
RIMM (Rambus or RDRAM). This was the memory that Intel designed the Pentium 4 around. It is one of the fastest and consequently the most expensive memory.
Upgrading Memory
Upgrading your memory is probably the cheapest and most effective way of increasing the performance of your PC. Consider this before thinking about more complex things like upgrading you processor. When you build your own computer it is important to get the correct memory for your motherboard. You can use tools at Crucial to help you determine what type of memory you need.
Cheap Memory
Cheap memory is not necessarily good memory. It is critical to get memory from a brand name manufacturer as memory behavior at temperature and under stress is critical to how your system behaves. Get it from quality trusted manufacturers like Kingston memory, Crucial memory or Samsung memory. Remember cheap memory can be a bad investment.
Extra Memory Hints
A few chipsets (eg NVIDIAs nForce) have two memory controllers. This means that you double the rate at which memory can be accessed. However in order to make use of both memory controllers you have to have memory in at least two memory slots. So for instance two 128Mb modules would be a bit faster than one 256Mb module. Again tools like the Crucial one above should tell you this.
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