How to verify speed of RAM

[shivkumar]

I plan to buy a new PC and my config is also finalized.Thanks to help from all you guys. Now , when purchasing I need to verify that all the component I get is what I asked for. As it is possible to check seal and cover for almost everything except for the RAM, which usually the vendors give without any packing. Even though it has a sticker stating infos but I need your guidance on understanding it. How do I confirm the speed of RAM, I am planning to get 1 GB DDR2 800 MHz (Kingston) or 1GB DDR2 667 MHz (Corsair) based on availability.

Thanks in advance

[ashu888ashu888]

the RAM has ICs on it, so u can check the speed printed on the IC (i think tats the way to confirm it)...

or best, b4 u buy it, and if its not in a packed/sealed condition, tell the vendor to put on a working mobo, switch ON the PC, goto bios and see the speed..
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Cheers n e-peace....

[Psychosocial]

Bios

[ax3]

try mem tester .....

[Sumeet_naik]

RAM sticks from transcend do come in sealed covers and have a limited detail on da cover itself..

[Pathik]

BIOS, CPUZ. There are many other tools.

[shivkumar]

Friends,
I know of few s/w tools but that may not be feasible when buying ram. I can only test them by putting them in mobo. But if Transcend RAM coming in packing, I may buy the same.

BTW, whether its advisable to buy 1 2GB ram or 2 1GB ram?

[pimpom]

You can get slightly faster performance (a few per cent) by using two matched RAM modules in dual channel if your moitherboard supports dual-channel mode. But if your mobo has only two RAM slots, installing two sticks will prevent adding more RAM later. If you have 4 slots, I suggest you use 2x1GB instead of a single 2GB stick.

[The Conqueror]

Best if u check it from BIOS

[darklord]

If you plan to buy Kingston or Corsair or Transcend, then insist for a sealed pack.
Genuine stuff will have the specs printed on the case itself so shouldnt be much of a problem.

[aytus]

also tell the shopkeeper to sign ur rams .. and write warantty info on the sticker itself with his siggy..
desi but cool ... and tell him ur gonna replace the stuff if it dosent meets ur recommendation.. btw i suggest you buy 2*2gb ram.. especially if ur goin to use vista. may seem a bit aggregrate.. but it is the cheapest way to supercharge ur pc.. but nyhow a lot depends on other components... u seem to know ur tech so decide urself

[Psychosocial]

^+infinity.

[asingh]

Just keep the "part numbers" in mind when purchasing. I plan to get : Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX.

Google the part number. It will give you the speed+latencies. Match the part number to the packaging. It HAS to be on the packaging, even if functional details are not.

Best of luck..!

[darklord]

^^ Good luck finding that kit here you will find only 6400C5DHX here, C4 is hard to find.

[acewin]

part number, and the seal, gives you the idea even before you buy and the RAMs are open. Transcend, Kingston n all come seal packed.

Then comes our Benchmarking tools, all menitoned earlier by everyone.

[asingh]

Originally Posted by darklord

^^ Good luck finding that kit here you will find only 6400C5DHX here, C4 is hard to find.

[tkin]

Use CPU-Z.
Download from- http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
This can show your RAM speeds in real time windows environment.

[amrawtanshx]

^^
+1 for CPU-Z

[darklord]

Originally Posted by tkin

Use CPU-Z.
Download from- http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
This can show your RAM speeds in real time windows environment.

I guess he wants to know how to identify the RAM at the time of buying.

[tkin]

Originally Posted by darklord

I guess he wants to know how to identify the RAM at the time of buying.

Some manufacturers put a small sticker on the side which includes model no and sometimes speeds and latency as well. Look for that.