NationStates Jolt Archive

Hey. I've been looking into upgrading my very old computer, and I had a few questions about the processors, memory and video cards available.
I have a laptop as well, which I mostly use for school work and stuff like that. This is the computer I intend to use for games and the like (like Lineage 2 or Shadowbane.) I would ideally like something that can play these games without sacrificing either any quality or speed(framerate.)

So the first stop: the video card, and I have a few options available to me, but I know nothing about them, so I need some help deciding which one to buy.

There are three cards, all have 256MB of video memory, but that's bout all I know about them.

Sapphire ATI Radeon 9600XT 256MB DDR - $151.00
Sapphire Radeon 9550 Lite 256MB TV/DVI - $89.00
MSI FX5500-TD256 DDR TV/DVI - $122.00

So what I want to know is why is the 9600XT almost twice as expensive as the 9550? What advantages does it have, and is it worth the extra money? And what's the deal with this MSI card?

Next up is memory. Right now, I have 320MB - one 256 stick and one 64 stick. I was planning on replaing the 64 stick with either a 512 one or a 1GB one, but I don't really know how much I'll need, or what type. There's SDRAM, DDR or DDR2; there's PC-133, PC333, PC2700 and PC3200, there's 333MHz, 400MHz, or 533MHz; DIMMs and SODIMMs... Also, 184 pins, 200 pins or 240 pins - I assume only one of those two can fit into a particular motherboard.

I'll try to list all of my options and the prices:
512MB SDRAM PC133 (no other info given) - $115.00
512MB DDR 333MHz PC2700 SODIMM 200 pin - $165.00
512MB DDR 400MHz PC3200 DIMM 184 pin - $67.00 - why so cheap? what's wrong with it?
Kingston 512MB DDR2 533MHz DIMM 240 pin - $129.99
One seemingly identical to the last one but for $179.99
Kingston 512MB DDR 400MHz PC400 184-Pin - $129.99
Kingston 512MB DDR PC266 184-Pin - $139.97
Kingston 512MB DDR PC333 184-Pin - $129.99
Azenram 512MB DDR2 533MHz PC2-4200 DIMM 240 pin - $129.99
Azenram 512MB DDR PC333 184-Pin - $129.99
Azenram 512MB DDR 400MHz 184-Pin - $129.99
Azen 512MB SDRAM PC-133 168-pin - $199.99
Azen 512MB DDR PC266 184-Pin - $129.99

Azenram 1GB DDR 400MHz PC3200 DIMM 184 pin - $149.99
Azenram 1GB DDR2 533MHz PC2-4200 DIMM 240 pin - $229.99
Kingston 1GB DDR2 533MHz DIMM 240 pin - $249.99
Kingston 1GB DDR2 533MHz DIMM 240 pin (kit - ???) - $259.99
1GB DDR400MHz PC3200 DIMM 184 pin - $164.00

Thats a lot of them. I don't really want to spend much more than $150, so That means all of the $200+ ones are out of the question. I'll consider the $150-$200 ones if they are really that much better than the other ones, though. But right now, I don't even know where to start to pick one of these out.

Finally, there is a processor. These I know a little bit more about, but not a whole lot. I don't know what the main differences between a P4, a celeron, an athlon and a sempron are, for example, and I know the speed ratings aren't really comparable between them, so really I don't have a clue here either. I've heard good things about athlons, but they are expensive as hell and only go up to about 2.4GHz, while P4s go up to 3.4. Celerons and Semprons are much cheaper than their counterparts, but what exactly would I be giving up for that difference in cost? What kind of processing power do I need to play MMORPGs and such without sacrificing either quality or framerate? I should also mention that right now all I have is an AMD Duron-700MHz. Also, I don't know what the socket type is exactly, but I'm guessing it also has something to do with my motherboard?

Here, I have 20 options, so I may as well list them all.

Celeron D: All have 533 MHz bus, 256KB cache, socket 478 type
2.4 GHz - $97.00
2.6 GHz - $109.00
2.8 GHz - $125.00

Pentium IV: Unless otherwise noted, all have 800MHz bus, 1MB cache, socket 775 type
2.4 GHz, 533MHz bus, socket 478 - 169
3.0 GHz, socket 478 - $245
3.2 GHz, socket 478 - $288
2.8 GHz - $227
3.0 GHz - $233
3.2 GHz - $285
3.4 GHz - $367
3.6 GHz - $575

AMD Athlon: Unless otherwise noted, all have 512KB cache, socket 939 type
Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8GHz - $194
Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0GHz - $253
Athlon 64 3400+ 2.2GHz - $299
Athlon 64 3500+ 2.2GHz, socket 754 type - $350
Athlon 64 3800+ 2.4GHz - $479

AMD Sempron: All have 333MHz bus, 256KB cache, socket A type
Sempron 2400+ 1.67GHz - $87
Sempron 2500+ 1.75GHz - $93
Sempron 2600+ 1.83GHz - $114
Sempron 2800+ 2.0GHz - $126

Again, with the processor, I'd like to stay below $250, and I really only want to go that high if it's absolutely necessary to get the quality I need.
Finally, as this machine is ancient, I will likely need a new motherboard as well. Motherboards are something I know absolutely nothing about, however, so I won't even bother listing the ones available, and just ask what it is that I'm looking for in one.

Thanks a lot for the help.

For gaming you'll want an Athlon 64 with as large L2 as you can. I'm no good on cards but AMD Athlon is the way to go for processors.

For a new motherboard if you are going with an AMD socket 939 CPU the Asus A8N Deluxe is pretty good. It means if you get an SLi ready nVidia card you can get a second of the same type to send your graphics though the roof. Only recent cards can use it though and it costs a bit. Get a tech from the computer shop to talk you through it.

Hey. I've been looking into upgrading my very old computer, and I had a few questions about the processors, memory and video cards available.
I have a laptop as well, which I mostly use for school work and stuff like that. This is the computer I intend to use for games and the like (like Lineage 2 or Shadowbane.) I would ideally like something that can play these games without sacrificing either any quality or speed(framerate.)

Finally, there is a processor. These I know a little bit more about, but not a whole lot. I don't know what the main differences between a P4, a celeron, an athlon and a sempron are, for example, and I know the speed ratings aren't really comparable between them, so really I don't have a clue here either. I've heard good things about athlons, but they are expensive as hell and only go up to about 2.4GHz, while P4s go up to 3.4. Celerons and Semprons are much cheaper than their counterparts, but what exactly would I be giving up for that difference in cost? What kind of processing power do I need to play MMORPGs and such without sacrificing either quality or framerate? I should also mention that right now all I have is an Athlon-800MHz. Also, I don't know what the socket type is exactly, but I'm guessing it also has something to do with my motherboard?

Here, I have 20 options, so I may as well list them all.

Celeron D: All have 533 MHz bus, 256KB cache, socket 478 type
2.4 GHz - $97.00
2.6 GHz - $109.00
2.8 GHz - $125.00

Pentium IV: Unless otherwise noted, all have 800MHz bus, 1MB cache, socket 775 type
2.4 GHz, 533MHz bus, socket 478 - 169
3.0 GHz, socket 478 - $245
3.2 GHz, socket 478 - $288
2.8 GHz - $227
3.0 GHz - $233
3.2 GHz - $285
3.4 GHz - $367
3.6 GHz - $575

AMD Athlon: Unless otherwise noted, all have 512KB cache, socket 939 type
Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8GHz - $194
Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0GHz - $253
Athlon 64 3400+ 2.2GHz - $299
Athlon 64 3500+ 2.2GHz, socket 754 type - $350
Athlon 64 3800+ 2.4GHz - $479

AMD Sempron: All have 33MHz bus, 256KB cache
Sempron 2400+ 1.67GHz - $87
Sempron 2500+ 1.75GHz - $93
Sempron 2600+ 1.83GHz - $114
Sempron 2800+ 2.0GHz - $126

Again, with the processor, I'd like to stay below $250, and I really only want to go that high if it's absolutely necessary to get the quality I need.
Finally, as this machine is ancient, I will likely need a new motherboard as well. Motherboards are something I know absolutely nothing about, however, so I won't even bother listing the ones available, and just ask what it is that I'm looking for in one.

Thanks a lot for the help.

Video Card: the Sapphire 9600XT is a great card for gaming. I've got one, and love it, so it's got my recommendation.
As for the advantages, i couldn't say, because i've never used either of the other two cards.

RAM: The only recommendation I can give you is this- dual channelling is ALWAYS better than just getting a single stick. So rather than get a 512mb stick, get 2 256mb ones. Or instead of getting a 1gb stick, get 2 512mb ones. It just seems to run smoother.
Depending on how old your computer is, you'll need either SDRAM (which is old) or DDR (which is new.) Seeing as how you said you were going to replace your motherboard, you'll be needing DDR type.

Processor: I have the Pentium 4 3.6ghz, but that's kinda unnecessary, and i wouldn't have paid for it if it wasn't a free upgrade :p
For MMORPGs, the Athlon 64 3400+ 2.2GHz would do you fine, i think. You might even get away with the Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0GHz, but i wouldn't recommend you go any lower than that.

Motherboard: Be advised that Abit are the best (albeit, more expensive) motherboards. Personally, i have an ASUS A8N-SLI deluxe motherboard, which i reckon is great. I picked one up on ebay for about $140 US dollars

And lastly- make sure you have a good system fan (or 2...or 3) or else your upgrade will be for nothing :)

I've gone ahead and bolded the ones you should get.

Sapphire ATI Radeon 9600XT 256MB DDR - $151.00
Sapphire Radeon 9550 Lite 256MB TV/DVI - $89.00
MSI FX5500-TD256 DDR TV/DVI - $122.00

So what I want to know is why is the 9600XT almost twice as expensive as the 9550? What advantages does it have, and is it worth the extra money? And what's the deal with this MSI card?

Simple. The 9600 XT has more pipelines, bandwidth, and a faster memory/core speed. The difference in speed is quite noticeable. And, for the FX5500... Don't bother. The GeForce FX series was shit, and that's next to the bottom (FX5200) of the barrel.


512MB SDRAM PC133 (no other info given) - $115.00
512MB DDR 333MHz PC2700 SODIMM 200 pin - $165.00
512MB DDR 400MHz PC3200 DIMM 184 pin - $67.00 - why so cheap? what's wrong with it?
Kingston 512MB DDR2 533MHz DIMM 240 pin - $129.99
One seemingly identical to the last one but for $179.99
Kingston 512MB DDR 400MHz PC400 184-Pin - $129.99
Kingston 512MB DDR PC266 184-Pin - $139.97
Kingston 512MB DDR PC333 184-Pin - $129.99
Azenram 512MB DDR2 533MHz PC2-4200 DIMM 240 pin - $129.99
Azenram 512MB DDR PC333 184-Pin - $129.99
Azenram 512MB DDR 400MHz 184-Pin - $129.99
Azen 512MB SDRAM PC-133 168-pin - $199.99
Azen 512MB DDR PC266 184-Pin - $129.99

Azenram 1GB DDR 400MHz PC3200 DIMM 184 pin - $149.99
Azenram 1GB DDR2 533MHz PC2-4200 DIMM 240 pin - $229.99
Kingston 1GB DDR2 533MHz DIMM 240 pin - $249.99
Kingston 1GB DDR2 533MHz DIMM 240 pin (kit - ???) - $259.99
1GB DDR400MHz PC3200 DIMM 184 pin - $164.00

Thats a lot of them. I don't really want to spend much more than $150, so That means all of the $200+ ones are out of the question. I'll consider the $150-$200 ones if they are really that much better than the other ones, though. But right now, I don't even know where to start to pick one of these out.

You need to check your motherboard's manual to see what RAM you have. If you don't have a mobo manual, take your computer to a shop, and they'll tell you. If you can do it, get the RAM type I bolded... Still, wherever you got this list from is charging you out the ass for it.


Celeron D: All have 533 MHz bus, 256KB cache, socket 478 type
2.4 GHz - $97.00
2.6 GHz - $109.00
2.8 GHz - $125.00

Pentium IV: Unless otherwise noted, all have 800MHz bus, 1MB cache, socket 775 type
2.4 GHz, 533MHz bus, socket 478 - 169
3.0 GHz, socket 478 - $245
3.2 GHz, socket 478 - $288
2.8 GHz - $227
3.0 GHz - $233
3.2 GHz - $285
3.4 GHz - $367
3.6 GHz - $575

AMD Athlon: Unless otherwise noted, all have 512KB cache, socket 939 type
Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8GHz - $194
Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0GHz - $253
Athlon 64 3400+ 2.2GHz - $299
Athlon 64 3500+ 2.2GHz, socket 754 type - $350
Athlon 64 3800+ 2.4GHz - $479

AMD Sempron: All have 33MHz bus, 256KB cache
Sempron 2400+ 1.67GHz - $87
Sempron 2500+ 1.75GHz - $93
Sempron 2600+ 1.83GHz - $114
Sempron 2800+ 2.0GHz - $126

Again, with the processor, I'd like to stay below $250, and I really only want to go that high if it's absolutely necessary to get the quality I need.
Finally, as this machine is ancient, I will likely need a new motherboard as well. Motherboards are something I know absolutely nothing about, however, so I won't even bother listing the ones available, and just ask what it is that I'm looking for in one.

Again, you need to consult your mobo manual to see what processor you can put in. And again, if you don't have a manual, a shop will tell you what kind of CPU you've got. Or, you can go the easy way, and go to your Windows Control Panel, and double-click the System icon. Near the bottom of the window, it'll tell you what kind of CPU you have, and how fast it is. If you can go for it, get the one I bolded.

Oh, and the difference between those CPU's is quite simple. Celeron processors don't have all the nifty enhancements of Pentiums, and they have much more primitive architecture. For the same "speed", they're about 50% slower.

Semprons are *much* slower than your Athlon processors. Their bus speed is extremely poor (33mhz!!!). Their architecture is also primitive in comparison, thus the cheaper pricetag.

The difference between Athlons and Pentiums? Not much, really. They're about the same, but Athlons have more advanced architecture, which allows them to run at a lower speed and temperature, while getting the same (and sometimes better... sometimes worse) performance.

My recommendations

Video card - I would not buy any of those video cards. If you are into 3D gaming for real, get an ATI Radeon X700, ATI Radeon 9800 Pro, or nVidia 6600 for starters. The ones you have listed will not cope with the newer crop of games coming out. Get AGP 8X or PCI-Express.

Now, motherboard is linked with processor and memory.

If you buy an AMD Athlon 64 3200+ for example, then you need to buy a motherboard with supports socket 939 and you also need to use PC3200 400Mhz memory.

I'm a Kingston memory person, so I'd use the Kingston memory but that's me.

Semprons are *much* slower than your Athlon processors. Their bus speed is extremely poor (33mhz!!!). Their architecture is also primitive in comparison, thus the cheaper pricetag.

That was a typo, sorry. Should have been 333MHz

I've gone ahead and bolded the ones you should get.

<snip>
Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8GHz - $194
Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0GHz - $253
<snip>

Is the extra 200 MHz really worth $59 more? If so, why?

Get AGP 8X or PCI-Express.
Most AGPs have had 8x for a while. Also, if you are looking at cards that old, you do NOT have PCI-xpress. Hell, I bought a Pavilion made after PCI-xpress came out and it doesn't have a slot for it.

And where are you trying to buy this stuff? It is expensive as hell. If you are in the US or Canada, www.newegg.com

Is the extra 200 MHz really worth $59 more? If so, why?

The Athlon 64 3000+ uses the old Winchester core and socket 478, while the 3200+ uses a newer Venice core and socket 939.

I have an Athlon 64 3000+ (Venice, 939), a PCI Express Geforce G6600 GT graphics card, an Nforce 4 enabled motherboard, and 1gb of RAM. Nothing out on PC at the moment causes it to stutter for a second. It cost me a little under $1000.

The Athlon 64 3000+ uses the old Winchester core, while the 3200+ uses a newer Venice core.

Incorrect, you can get 3000+ models with the venice core, like mine. :)

Incorrect, you can get 3000+ models with the venice core, like mine. :)

True, most 3000+ are Winchesters unless it's a newer one. You can get 3200+ Winchester as well, but Venice all the way. :)

That was a typo, sorry. Should have been 333MHz

Ah. Well, their architecture is still less advanced, so your framerates won't quite match an Athlon's.

It's not just the 200mhz on the 9600XT. It's the extra pipes, bandwidth, and driver features. It's quite a lot faster than the other one.

Brockadia, don't forget power supply. Investing in a good quality high watt PSU helps as an overworked PSU (power supply) has a shorter life than an underworked one.

I got a 450 Watt one which is a little overkill but having a little extra power capacity is useful when added those extra things later.

Brockadia, don't forget power supply. Investing in a good quality high watt PSU helps as an overworked PSU (power supply) has a shorter life than an underworked one.

I got a 450 Watt one which is a little overkill but having a little extra power capacity is useful when added those extra things later.

I have 480. :p

I have 480. :p

I've got a 550 with two fans. :D

I've got a 550 with two fans. :D

Compensating for something?

Compensating for something?

Yep. I'm compensating for my relatively shitty CPU (Athlon XP 2000+)...

Thanks a lot for the help so far, just a couple more questions:

For video cards, what's the difference between AGP and PCI-E?

For a motherboard, the place I'm buying this stuff from has 3 available that support socket 939 type:
Asus A8V Deluxe Mainboard Audio/Lan - $151
MSI K8T Neo2-F Mainboard S939 - $132
MSI K8N Neo4-F Mainboard Audio/LAN/RAID - $122

What's the difference between the three of these? Is the Asus one worth the extra $29?

For the processors, I'm pretty sure the Athlon 3000+ they have is a Venice, since it is socket 939 type. I will ask them before I buy anything though. If it is, would it make that one the best deal?

For the memory, what's up with that one that was $67 up there? Would it be better to get two of those instead of the one 1GB one? Also, all three of those mobos I mentioned have 4 slots for memory. Regardless of what I buy now, would I be better off leaving the 256 and 64MB sticks I already have in there in the third and fourth slots, or would that do more harm than good?

Finally, for the video card, what makes the 9600XT so much better than the other two? And if I really should just get a different one altogether, where would be the best place to get it?

Thanks again a lot for the help, guys.

Ok, from a technical standpoint, everyone's advice appears really good (better than I could ever give), yet from a practical and money-wise standpoint, not so sure.

First of all, you just have a few games in mind. Buy what you need and not what you want. Processor speed affects very little of your gameplay. If you match what you need in that respect, you're just fine. It's the rest (video card, memory, motherboard, etc) that speed your system up the most. The CPU just processes data sent to it. The video card does a lot of the graphics calculations in itself, so it has to be a good board. In the old ages, I had a Voodoo3 2K in an old board with a 233Mhz processor, yet it would run circles around my dad's, which had a 600Mhz at the time. They have since been upgraded. If you get a faster CPU, you're just wasting cycles and juice for a processor that won't even be really working unless you're playing your games. If you have money coming out of all sorts of orifices, you don't have to worry about this advice so much.

However, another factor to consider is upgrading. How soon do you want to be upgrading again? If upgrading in a few years isn't a problem (when the technology really becomes outdated), then being selective in your choosing process isn't a terrible thing. The top notch isn't necessary. If you really wanted to speed up your system and go with the system a long while, you'd also consider which harddrive you buy (by revolution and access time), the type of bus the drives are on (SCUSI is the absolute fastest out there, but it is terribly more expensive; IDE types are slowly catching up), the access speeds of your optical drives (both of mine are 16X DVD drives with one a DVD burner; they are not slow at all), and the speed of the bus your peripherals run on. Remarkably, unless you want some special services in terms of sound, a regular Creative SB16 can do all you may ever want. If you're into online games (which it appears you are), you might want to consider the new Ethernet technology that allows access at Gigabit speeds. Just make sure all the hubs and the modem can handle those speeds as well.

As for powersupplies, I agree with overkill on that one. I've got a rather cheap case, but I have a 600W with at least three big fans in there. Only reason why is that powersupplies aren't the high ticket item of anything of that system.

EDIT: Yes, Asus is definitely worth the extra. They're top notch when it comes to making motherboards. Make sure what you have is new stuff that works with all you got. (I'm pretty sure you have; I'm just double checking.)

EDIT 2: ALSO, make sure your motherboard, processor, AND memory are designed for each other. Not being careful in this process can damage your harddrives data (happened to me). I had some new memory in my computer not 5 minutes and it shot both Windows and Linux to crap. Linux was the only one to recover on its own. Windows required a reinstall (POS...).

For video cards, what's the difference between AGP and PCI-E?

More bandwidth and faster bus speeds. Go for PCI-E. It's the future.

For a motherboard, the place I'm buying this stuff from has 3 available that support socket 939 type:
Asus A8V Deluxe Mainboard Audio/Lan - $151
MSI K8T Neo2-F Mainboard S939 - $132
MSI K8N Neo4-F Mainboard Audio/LAN/RAID - $122

What's the difference between the three of these? Is the Asus one worth the extra $29?

Go for the MSI K8N Neo4-F. It's an NForce 4 chipset, and is the best of the bunch.

For the processors, I'm pretty sure the Athlon 3000+ they have is a Venice, since it is socket 939 type. I will ask them before I buy anything though. If it is, would it make that one the best deal?

Go for it, but if they've got a 3200+ Venice, get that one.

For the memory, what's up with that one that was $67 up there? Would it be better to get two of those instead of the one 1GB one? Also, all three of those mobos I mentioned have 4 slots for memory. Regardless of what I buy now, would I be better off leaving the 256 and 64MB sticks I already have in there in the third and fourth slots, or would that do more harm than good?

Don't go for the uber-cheap RAM DIMM's. They're usually *very* slow (CAS Latency of 5-5-8-5), and break easily. And, don't leave the RAM you already have. Just take it out.

Finally, for the video card, what makes the 9600XT so much better than the other two? And if I really should just get a different one altogether, where would be the best place to get it?

Yes, it is that much better than the other two. The extra pipes, bandwidth, and RAM/core speed make all the difference.

For the memory, what's up with that one that was $67 up there? Would it be better to get two of those instead of the one 1GB one? Also, all three of those mobos I mentioned have 4 slots for memory. Regardless of what I buy now, would I be better off leaving the 256 and 64MB sticks I already have in there in the third and fourth slots, or would that do more harm than good?


Don't bother with the old RAM. You won't need more than 1024mb anyways - and it might not be compatible with the new RAM. If you can get two decent 512mb DDR sticks for cheaper than a 1024mb stick, go for it. It's what I did.


Finally, for the video card, what makes the 9600XT so much better than the other two? And if I really should just get a different one altogether, where would be the best place to get it?

If you're really on a tight budget, get a PCI Express Geforge G6600 GT. relatively cheap, but it will run anything out now very nicely.

Ok, from a technical standpoint, everyone's advice appears really good (better than I could ever give), yet from a practical and money-wise standpoint, not so sure.

Nah. What i'm suggesting is budget price, with really good performance. I was on a tight budget, and I managed to get a machine that can run everything out there perfectly (Half Life 2 and Doom 3 with all settings maxed, very smooth frame rate) so...


Go for the MSI K8N Neo4-F. It's an NForce 4 chipset, and is the best of the bunch.

Aye, it's what I have.

One more thing. If I'm going to buy the video card on Ebay, it would be really nice to have a good list of ones to get. So far I know the Sapphire Radeon 9600XT is good, but I don't know much else - even whether or not the ATI Radeon 9600 is good or not. Could someone tell me just a few reasonably priced cards that will do what I need them to, so I will know what to look out for? Thanks.

One quick question about RAM and compatibility with that motherboard (MSI K8N Neo4-F)
How can I tell if a certain type of RAM will be compatible with it? I've seen on eBay some people selling "Hi-Density" RAM which isn't compatible with everything, and others selling ram in a 128x4 configuration (as opposed to 64x4) and saying that 64x4 is compatible with most anything that can handle a 1GB stick, but 128x4 isn't. Can anyone tell me what kind of memory that motherboard can handle? Thanks

I think you started backwards. First you have to pick a motherboard and then all the rest of the components. I suggest going for a good motherboard now, with SLI support to run two video cards in tandem, and a 939 socket if you're going the AMD route. You should be able to upgrade this computer quite a bit into the future.

Don't worry about spending a bit more on the motherboard; since it's the single most important component in the computer you really don't want to save here.

And the good thing is that once you have chosen a motherboard choosing the other components will be easier. And on these you can save, i.e. choose a slower CPU, a not so top of the line videocard, you don't want the cheapest slowest memory because that'll affect system stability, but something middle of the road will do nicely, etc.

The good thing is that as you go along, and because you made a good motherboard choice, you can upgrade this components and spread you expense over a long period of time.

I had chosen the MSI K8N Neo4-F motherboard and was wondering what types of memory were compatible with it.

I had chosen the MSI K8N Neo4-F motherboard and was wondering what types of memory were compatible with it.
According to MSI's site (http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_detail.php?UID=687 ) :

Supports dual channel DDR 266/333/400, using four 184-pin DDR DIMMs

So, there. I recommend you get two of DDR-400 (also called PC-3200 to add to the confusion) either 256Mb for a total of 512Mb, or 512Mb for a total of 1Gb if you can spend a bit more.

Yes, I was on their website and read that, but that still doesn't tell me anything about the hi-density/lo-density RAM or the 128x4 vs 64x4 configuration RAM, and which of those are supported by that motherboard.

Yes, I was on their website and read that, but that still doesn't tell me anything about the hi-density/lo-density RAM or the 128x4 vs 64x4 configuration RAM, and which of those are supported by that motherboard.
That just determines the number of chips the memory stick has. As long as the number of pins is the same they're compatible.

For the memory, what's up with that one that was $67 up there? Would it be better to get two of those instead of the one 1GB one? Also, all three of those mobos I mentioned have 4 slots for memory. Regardless of what I buy now, would I be better off leaving the 256 and 64MB sticks I already have in there in the third and fourth slots, or would that do more harm than good?
It would be better to go to www.newegg.com
Where are you planning to buy this stuff, Best Buy?


I ran Lineage 2 perfectly fine with a 64MB GeForce MX 440 and 312 MB RAM.
It is not the most intensive game. If yo uare gonig to upgrade, just get a decent motherboard with PCI-express, stick in an GeForce 6600GT or ATI x600 and a GB or so of RAM. You should be able to run stuff for another few years withotu a hitch.