They discount This RAM and you can find it for about 40 beans...
Written: Aug 04 '03 (Updated Aug 05 '03)
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Pros: 512 Meg! Boosts overall computer power 'cause its a ton of RAM
Cons: Yet another crappy Rebate deal...maybe there will be a happy ending.
The Bottom Line: Solid product, excellent price AND lifetime warranty! Also, available locally for most folks and sometimes Dirt cheap. 512 Meg No-Brainer Upgrade!
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| elffy's Full Review: Centon Electronics 512 MB PC2100 DDR RAM (512MBDD... |
I really needed to get some more RAM. 256 meg was what I'd hoped was enough to run applications and the day to day operation of my computer. Nahh!
I spied some RAM on sale last week. It was 512 meg and I went on Saturday (last day of the sale) to see if there was any left. Nope. All the kids who worked at the store bought it up, one told me. I was not very excited since I had my heart set on running 768 meg of RAM.
So, I waited and checked the Sunday papers, as I like to do and some other local national retailer had the same style RAM, but different manufacturer. Also, a different rebate deal, but I'll get to that.
I might use two different brands, as long as they are compatible. As long as I can take it back and get the right one or a replacement im happy. RAM is tested thoroughly during manufacture and then assembly into ram sticks, so if it makes it thru all that it should be able to pop into your computer and run fine for a long time. RAM just sits there.
To add memory is about the easiest and fastest way to give your computer more raw power. In a few minutes you can remove the old ram and then replace it.
Just make sure you get EXACTLY what you require, there are many RAM types but generally two for current desktop computers, SDRAM and DDR RAM. DDR is the newest and has a 184 pin in two banks, versus the older SDRAM using 3 banks but 168 pins.
DDR? Thats double data rate, reflecting the use of the ram on the rising and falling of the system clock. Thats why SDRAM was so neat to me, anyway, it was the first RAM to operate at a 1:1 ratio with the CPU and thats one factor of why they could work so well. But, at the newer 2:1 ratio and well beyond, the performance is stunning since its sometimes hundreds of times as fast as old SDRAM.
Old ram can be found for dirt cheap at online auctions. Just gotta look, look, look....and know exactly what part you are looking for helps loads, too. The manufacturers part number and then the model number, or name..anything. Once I searched for only a few minutes at an auction and found the only memory chips for an old computer upgrade, perfect match! Its the easiest way to avoid any future problems, using the part numbers and getting the exact part.
Notebook RAM is slightly different. I dont know much about it. It's for sale with big discounts like desktop RAM is, I've noticed, and the regular price for some notebook RAM is expensive - more than desktop RAM. Thats another reason I like my big case. I can tote it around as long as there is a place to plug it in.
There are few feelings as bad as getting the wrong computer part! (the opposite of the happy dance from doing it right)
I got a 512 meg stick of Centron RAM and I installed it in about a minute and then powered right up and POW! 786 meg. I was very excited but had no idea how much smoother that much RAM would make the computer.
I have an AMD 1.33 Ghz cpu, aircooled with Coolermaster Aero 7+
Antec SLK2600amb case 300 watt PS
FIC AD-11 mobo.
anemic 32 meg AGP
Seagate ata/100 80 Gb
256 meg Kingston
512 meg Centron
The first thing I noticed is that the computer boots much faster. Also, web pages load faster. Then, I tried a media player, and web surfing. No lag or slowdowns. Then I tried everything I could think to turn on, burner, web pages, media player, a bittorent, a virus scan too, and then old game....the media player slowed down somewhat...but only then. I'd say my very non scientific test worked well. It was fun turning everything I could think of on!
Testing this ram in AIDA32 I got the same results as previous tests.
1700+ Mb/sec in read test
450+ Mb/sec in the write test
These are just about the exact same numbers every time no matter which RAM I have at normal Bios setings.
Overclocking this motherboard gets me better results, but its not worth it for the additional heat/ instability issue. Its only a slight gain:
1800 Mb/sec @ 1430 Mhz - read test
480 mb/sec @ 1430 Mhz - write test
So you can see the numbers are only a little better, and the heat on the cpu is higher of course by 2-3c.
I can really feel a difference with a lot of memory, its much smoother. Less time to open programs and run them and I can of course open more programs at once. The average operating system is a resource hog anyway, and this evens the score in that it has enough RAM for all processes.
Ok, the rebate deal....well, I was buying this RAM in the store and they gave me one of two rebate forms, one from the retailer and one from the manufacturer. Each for was for a specific amount of money, the manufacturer's one was 35 beans. You really have to look at the sale ad, since its small print and you might miss some detail. No one there could find the store's rebate form, so they were nice and gave me an instant rebate of 15 bucks. Woo-Hoo!!
The other 35 should come in the mail when the manufacturer gets my info and gets around to it. I know some rebates can take 12 weeks to get to me, so I can wait. Then I start to call and pester them.
Another item to note: This was listed in the stores ad in the paper for 89.99 with a 50 buck two part rebate, but now that I think about it, it was 79.99 on the shelf, and then the rebates.....I was lucky to find this. Its out there for folks who are looking. Remember the kids?
If you read the electronics ads on sunday, every week or two, you will begin to see the selling patterns of the larger retailers. They regularly switch off offering cheap NIC cards, Hard Disks, CD-R and RAM. I suppose I hate some or all rebate deals but I sure have gotten a lot of computer parts that I'd not been able to otherwise.
Also on sale were pc2700 ddr 512 meg....same price, 79.99 and the rebates...say, about 37 dollars if everything goes well. Sound good? Online they are much more than that.
512 meg for...36 bucks, with tax but only IF I get the 35 dollar rebate.
As it stands right now, I spent 71 bucks and thats just about the regular price for this RAM. I honestly dont think any RAM is worth 70 dollars for one stick, but I ran to buy this when it was 35. And I'm glad I did, since the computer acts like it has 150 more horsepower under the hood!! I would get another stick of this RAM at this price, gladly.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
elffy
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Location: elflandia
Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
yes, i have pointy elf ears...and NO you cant pet them!
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