Hi, i am currently trying to decide what brand of of 512 (2 x 256MB) DDR ram i can use to upgrade from 512 to 1GB.

I have a budget of around $60.

My current setup is: AMD Athlon 3500+ , 200GB hard drive , 512MB RAM , GeForce 6600 grfx card.

Those are the basics, this is a sooooped up compaq/hp computer, it runs great, but not when i'm playing games a lot, like World of Warcraft, i want to know how much of a difference 1GB of ram will make to cure lag problems and make minimization of the game to allow me to access other programs (ie. firefox, itunes, etc.) faster than i can with 512MB. I would gladly take any suggestions regarding my little dilema. Also, i was wondering if anyone can link me too their choice of best 512 (2 x 256MB) RAM on Newegg.com (where i will order it).

Also, what is the difference in performance between 512MB and 512 (2 x 256MB) of RAM.

I have two empty slots for ram

First of all, your processor supports Dual Channel, which is enabled only when DIMM slots are populated in matched size pairs. This means, for a total of 512MB, the optimum performance is gained from 2x256MB. Similarly, for a total of 1GB, the best configuration is 2x512MB. Dual Channel is a feature that increases the standard SDRAM interface width from 64-bit to 128-bit; effectively doubling memory bandwidth.

Second issue is; certain models of Athlon 64 do not function properly with 4 DIMMs. This means that if you currently have 2x256MB=512MB, and you wish to upgrade to 1GB=4x256MB, you may be forced to run memory at slower speeds. We can help you identify if your processor has this deficiency or not though. Download CPU-Z and post back the content of the Code Name box on the CPU tab.

The question of whether or not you will see a performance increase going from 512MB RAM to 1GB is difficult to determine. There are numerous situations where the type of usage you describe would result in a commit charge that exceeds 512MB, but Windows XP would probably intelligently page RAM and you'd likely not even notice. All I can say is you would probably see improved load times, and less hitching with 1GB, although you might not even notice.

content of the Code Name box on the CPU tab is Venice.

wondering if i should just buy a single 512MB stick opposed to 512 (2 x 256)

also how do you check to see what the max limit per slot on the motherboard is?

and should i just buy ram that is the same speed as mine right now (PC3200)

Venice core should be able to run 4 DIMMs okay.

If you're still wondering if you should by a single module, when you haven't bothered to read my reply properly.

The maximum limit to your motherboard is actually CPU limited...but to around 16TB (16,000 GB), so don't worry about that.

Yes, all installed modules must run at the slowest match. Installed modules faster than DDR400 would simply run at DDR400 anyway.

im not that knowledgable in the computer hardware region, and sort of didnt understand if you recommend that i buy 2 x 256MB = 512MB b/c u said my comp should support 4 DIMMS without a problem?

If my budget increases, will I be able to buy two 512MB sticks to fill up my two empty expansion bays, increasing my total RAM to 1.5GB, or would the 4 DIMM ( 4 x 256MB) be adequate enough to reduce lag in world of warcraft (only this game i have problems with b/c it is an mmorpg, thousands of players one a server - every other game runs extremely fast w/ no lag problems and low latency) and cut down on the time it would take to minimize out of the game and access other programs like firefox, itunes, vent, xfire, etc.