Ram voltage?

Question

All right, I've currently got 2gb ram (A-DATA 2x 1GB DIMMS 240-pin DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel timing: 5-5-5-18).

I upgraded to Windows Vista and I saw my computer's performance drop considerably. According to taskmanager, Vista is using 30% of my physical memory ALL the time. So... I assume that adding another 1gb of ram will boost my performance to at LEAST back to where it was BEFORE Vista.

However, I only want one 1gb and I want to go with the same brand, but the stick I want says its optimal voltage is 2.0-2.1v. My current ram 's optimal voltage is 1.8v +/- 0.1v (my mobo's lowest voltage for ram is 1.925v).

So... will I have stability issues if my new stick runs at 1.925v when the box says to run it at 2.0v?

(FYI: A-DATA ram does NOT like working outside its factory defaults, so increasing the voltage beyond 1.925v creates MAJOR system instabilities and therefore not a viable option.)

Ok, so would I see a performance boost if I bought the same package of 2gb ram?

Also, would it be safe to mix and match ram brands or stuff with different timings?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

With your 2x1Gb set up you are running dual channel and optimum size of RAM. Adding 1 Gb more will switch you to single channel mode and not really provide performance gain.

The stick you want to add is most likely an expensive high performance, low latency RAM. Running it at less than its designed voltage will just be a waste of money since it will just run at value RAM timings.

Better just spend your money on something else like a graphics upgrade.