RAM discontinued, how can I upgrade?

hotchilidamo

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Hey all

So I have Corsair Dominator memory at the moment 2 x 2gb. I'd like to upgrade by adding another set of 2 x 2gb but have found that the memory I'm using has been discontinued.

The only place I've found them is on eBay but the guy is having a laugh at the price he's got them on for 2x2Gb Corsair Dominator CM2X2048-8500C5D 5-5-5-15 V1.1 (4Gb) on eBay!

So is there an equivalent in a different brand I could use? Or will that not work?

If so, would I need a completely new set of 4 new sticks? If so, can anyone recommend an equivalent?
 
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If you wan't to get matching ram just post a wanted thread on the computer classified section of the site.

It might take a little while but someone will have some to sell and you shouldn't have to pay ridiculous prices.
 
You can buy another 2x2GB sticks like this Komputerbay 4GB 2x 2GB DDR2 PC2 8500 1066Mhz 240 Pin DIMM 4 GB KIT - comes with Heat Spreader for extra Cooling ( 5-7-7-25 at 1.8V): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Unfortunately DDR2 isn't produced like it was, subsequently the cost rises as it's more expensive to manufacture.

That RAM will work but your Corsair Dominator RAM has faster timings, the timings will lower to match the Komputerbay RAM.

You can get better than Komputerbay, but like I said, because DDR2 isn't mainstream you pay the price.

Thanks for the info. So would I be better off replacing the motherboard and getting ddr3? I can tinker in a pc ok but never replaced a board before. Is it best to steer clear or go for it?
 
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Tinkering in PC is nothing to be feared. It's relatively easy to do with a small amount of research. The main area of difficulty will come with installing your CPU. It needs a thin bed of paste between it and the heat sink. If you buy a new CPU/heat sink, then they can come with it pre applied.
 
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Thanks for the info. So would I be better off replacing the motherboard and getting ddr3? I can tinker in a pc ok but never replaced a board before. Is it best to steer clear or go for it?

Depends on your current system specs and if you will benefit from it.

As per QBS, upgrading your system isn't as hard as what people think, replacing the board is the hardest part of the build.

 
Thanks for the info. So would I be better off replacing the motherboard and getting ddr3? I can tinker in a pc ok but never replaced a board before. Is it best to steer clear or go for it?

Almost certainly not, the speed difference is minimal and DDR2 is barely £10-20 more than DDR3.
 
But overall it could be a good boost, his system may be a dual core etc

If you were to replace the CPU as well as the motherboard and the ram yes.

DDR is supposed to be intercompatible, I'd avoid anything from ebay or amazon marketplace like that 'Komputerbay' unbranded stuff and get some Kingston, Corsair, Crucial etc. for a couple of pounds more. As long as it'll run at the same timings, speed and voltage you shouldn't have any trouble using it alongside your current ram, and as CrucialM4 implies motherboards are generally happy to run the ram at the appropriate speeds to match each other anyway.
 
If it helps, my processor is Intel® Core™2 Quad Q9450. Does a new motherboard make sense if I keep this processor and just upgrade the ram too? As a side note I have an SSD on order - a crucial m4 (subliminal? :))
 
I wouldn't imagine finding a socket 775 board with DDR 3 will be difficult, some did surface iirc. I would t recommend buying a socket 775 board as you won't see any performance gain with just ddr3.

If you upgraded to a new board with a i7 2600k then you would see a performance increase but the system you have is still very capable.

SSD is a good upgrade, you've chosen a solid drive ;)
 

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