1GB Stick DDR?

[Clingy]

Such a lack of options for a 1GB stick. When browsing the 1GB sections of many online stores virtually all options are dual channel 2x512MB . I have even seen pictures of 1 stick against items which from customer comments turn out to be two sticks.

I have A64 3000+ and Asus K8VSE Deluxe. I want to do some modest overclocking if possible so looking for probably PC3500 DDR. With only 3 slots I would rather get a 1GB stick now so that I may upgrade by another 1GB at a later stage. PC used for Gaming. Budget is fairly limited and I'd certainly like to get it under £150 inc vat and delivery with CL 2.5 or better.

Tall order I know, but Memory appears to be continuing to climb in price and must now be a greater %age cost of a quality PC than ever before?

Any one here have any recommendations?

[Bruno]

I'd just get 2x 512Mb just now, and then get a 1Gb at a later stage if you need it. Your not going to need >2Gb in the near future

[Kezzer]

One thing you have to remember is that the larger the modules then the looser the timings. At the moment, the thing to go for is 2 x 512MB although i have seen 1GB modules available. There's always somewhere doing a deal.

[Clingy]

Well I deffo need 1GB now. so it is difficult to conceive that 2GB will not be useful in the near future. So many times when I come to upgrade one component, all the others become redundant. So my 2 x 512MB of PC2700 is pretty much useless particularly as one stick will not even work in my new PC. I am back to 512mb and suffering badly .

I'll carry on waiting, but I have noticed the timings arent so neat. I have seen a nice price on some Kingston HyperX 1GB, but at CL3.

[Kezzer]

Heh, they would make them but they'd cost a lot and wouldn't sell i suspect.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Corsair_XMS.html

Look there, they do dual kits of 2 x 1GB for £310

[Clingy]

Nice but at £364 plus postage a tad outside my £150 . Sorry, not making myself clear am I. I have three slots in my mobo and I want to fill one of those slots with a 1GB stick as soon as possible. That leaves two slots empty one of which I may fill with a 1GB stick in the (probably) distant future.

[Kezzer]

Personally i prefer my 2 x 512MB Corsair XL Pro 2-2-2-5 lovelyness

[Rave]

I'm pretty sure that sticking more than 512MB on one DIMM involves some convoluted chip stacking and stuff, which necessarily increases the price and decreases the performance in terms of latency etc. I suspect that even if you could get some low latency 1GB sticks, motherboard limitations might stop you running two of them at tight timings or overclocked. Synchronising a lot of RAM chips at higher speeds gets more and more difficult; a lot of Socket A board won't run more than two sticks at 3200 speeds, and S939 systems need backing off from a 1T to a 2T command rate when you use more than two sticks, which again hurts performance.

I don't think there's an easy solution to your problem I'm afraid; I suggest buying 2x512 of something reasonable now, then buy another 512 when you come to need it and hope it works O.K.

Rich :¬)