4GB Gets Cheap: 9 Dual-Channel Kits Compared
Table of contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Corsair, Crucial, And G.Skill
- 3. Kingston, Mushkin, And Patriot
- 4. PNY, Super Talent, And Wintec
DDR2 SDRAM prices began dropping significantly last summer as the world prepared for DDR3-only Core i7 platforms, culminating in today’s ultra-low-priced, four-gigabyte dual-channel kits. For as little as $25, users of this older technology can step up to memory levels that had been reserved for only the upper echelon of last-year’s buyers.
Who needs 4.0 GB RAM? At these prices, does it really matter? Most systems eventually get clogged up with rarely used programs such as second or third instant messengers, redundant spyware blockers, and other once-useful tools that have become parasites while users, still mindful of the program’s former effectiveness, often don’t want to bother removing. The accumulation of junk can affect any operating system.
Windows Vista users will see an even greater benefit by adding RAM, since the OS dynamically increases the number of cached files as RAM is increased, in order to make programs launch faster. And users of memory-intense processes such as video encoding and high-resolution photo editing should already be familiar with the benefits of increasing the amount of work they can store in RAM…while decreasing the amount that must be cached to a slower temporary file on the hard drive.
But today’s review isn’t aimed at showing anyone why he or she necessarily needs more memory, as we’ve already covered all the basics and even a few specifics in several articles. Instead we’ll consider which budget kit is most appropriate for value-seekers, overclockers, and most importantly, value-seeking performance enthusiasts.
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I don't think I've ever seen a mail in rebate in UK, so this should surely have been removed for the UK site? Also, it's cheque if you're talking about money.
When will we start having articles and news modified for the UK market. There's currently little point in the Tom's UK website even existing!
Yeah, I'm sick and tired seeing $ it means sweet FA over here. Something that is $25 dollars might be £25 and something that's $40 dollars might be £20! It just not a matter of using the conversion rate.
So let me say this:
Stop...
Stop right now.
Corsair did poorly on this one...
WTF is this shit?
Heh, seriously though, here's another agreeing with above comments. Stop the copy-paste act from US site without using brains please!
+ WOW look at Crucial go =O
Lame - Tom's used to be THE site for getting info but this lack of uk info on the UK site is too much, I will now either go straight to the main US site or go elsewhere.
Come on lets get it sorted
agree.
toms has been failing with these type of articles for years now..its about time i deleted the bookmark as there really is no reason to visit thw anymore..which is sad as i have been frequenting the us and uk site for 5+ years i reckon.
shame.
Very helpful article, thankyou.
Was already thinking of getting some ballistix next week, this makes certain of it.
Yep - and how about a REPLY from THG in the forums for once....you know, something reassuring. THG used to be (5 years ago) a one-stop review site. Now it seems to be a corporate mess...time for some early new-years resolutions?
It seems that the UK site is purely to have targeted advertising.... geee thanks for selling out Tom's.
I'm a Geordie living in Australia, where there are often comments about "whingeing Poms." Sad to say, there seem to be many WPs responding to this article. As with the graphics-card-value series, which I've always found very helpful, you can always check prices on your local market comparator rather than expect THW to do it for you! For me, the main gain from this article (reading it on a 1 Gb DDR2-RAM PC while my 4 Gb PC-6400 is misbehaving) is to realise that I can upgrade this machine for next to nothing, choosing my brand with the THW assessment and local prices. Thanks, lads (and ladesses if applicable).
Faustino/Genghis Cunn (THW, I've re-registered as "Faustinono", I think you must have my Faustino reg'n with an old e-mail address, e.g ...@bigpond.com.au. My usual nom-de-net is Faustino, if there's a problem with that, Genghis Cunn.)