Debating on purchasing Memory... :(

Hi guys,

I need to get some technical help.

I own a HP Pavillion dv9700t with following specs
Intel T9300 2.50Ghz Core 2 Duo
2GB DDR2 PC5300 RAM
512mb Nvidia 8600 Video Card
240GB (2X120GB) 7200rpm HDD
and other basics...

I am thinking of buying new RAM but need some technical backup before I buy new RAM.

I wanna know what should I buy?

4GB (2X2GB) PC6400 DDR2 800-mhz WITH CAS LATENCY OF 5
vs.
4GB (2X2GB) PC5300/5400 DDR2 667mhz WITH CAS LATENCY OF 4



Should I go with CAS LATENCY or WITH THE BUS SPEED?

I am mostly going to be using my laptop for Video Production, Graphic and Web Designing, and Gaming.

So which will more suite my needs? Please provide me with some technical backup to your answer so that it would help me understand a bit more.

Thank You.

 

Hi Facethefear,

First of all, are you running any version of Windows Vista (64-bit)?
If you are running a 32-bit version of Windows Vista the highest amount of RAM you can install are 3GB.

BUS speed is more important than latencies. Latencies are important if you are planning to overclock the laptop but the lower the better it is.

Be aware that overclocking your notebook can damage its components and will create a great amount of heat so buying a laptop cooler is a must if you are planning to do so.

Shoryu.

 

I'd say go for the 800mhz since it is 133mhz faster than the 667mhz ram. Latency won't really affect speed THAT much.

 

I don't think that HP can take advantage of the 800MHz anyway. Will down clock it to 667MHz.

 

Thank You guys for the replies... but I have heard from somebody who did have a success with 800mhz RAM... So, Good news for all you guys is that 800mhz does work on HP even though we know it is not supported...

Some more info....

I am running Windows Vista 32bit edition, but I am planning on Switching to Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit.

I am not going to overclock my Laptop. But these are the upgrade I have in mind. I already have my laptop configured top notch as per me...

Right now I have
Intel T9300 2.5ghz Core 2 Duo w/ 6mb L2 Cache
512mb Dedicated Nvidia 8600gs m
Intel 4965 agn and bluetooth
HP Webcam and Microphone

For Hard Drive
I have as of right now... 2 X 120GB 7200rpm SATA Drives
and
I am planning on getting 2 X 320GB 7200 rpm SATA Drives

For Memory
I have 2GB DDR2 as of right now and planning on going to 4GB... with either 800mhz CAS 5 or 667mhz CAS 4 (whatever u guys suggest)


I know that this will have my laptop heat up pretty fast... and I am planning on buying a cooler... but I am a Graphics and Webdesigner and a Beginner Programmer.

Right now I have Triple Boot setup with Vista Home Premium/Ubuntu/XP Media Center.

And with two 120 I dont have enough room to hold my music, graphics and for these three systems...

So taking all these into consideration what do you think I should do
4GB 667mhz with CAS 4
OR
4GB 800mhz with CAS 5

Thank You and sorry for making it this long.

 

Even if you install DDR2-800, it will only run at 667MHz because that is the maximum RAM speed the dv9700t supports. It is the same with all Intel 'Santa Rosa' platform machines. So, get the DDR2-667 stuff.

I'd recommend Corsair or OCZ memory based on personal experience.

The latency does not matter, you will not notice a difference between a CAS of 4 or 5.

Here is some info on CAS latency:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cas_latency

You're not missing out on anything with 667MHz vs. 800MHz . . . see this article for proof:
http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&articID=472
That article also proves CAS latency makes an imperceptible difference.

 

just buy the one with the better deal.

 

yeah, just go for the cheaper ram.

 

higher speeds and lower latencys may help w/ resale if you ever try to sell the laptop or the memory by it's-self... and the prices are usually only a few dollars difference...

i agree HUMANS can't notice the difference in lower latency ram speeds,, and even benchmarks show little if any difference.. but the human EGO and wanting the BETTER or BEST they can afford makes the $5 difference very tollerable IMO

 

Make sure the brand is reliable - it's worth it to spend a few extra dollars and get a brand that is going to have better warranty service. It is not uncommon for RAM to be bad . . . I have had bad RAM many times in the past.

Corsair, OCZ, Kingston, Crucial, are all great brands.

Make sure you thoroughly test your RAM with memtest86+ when you get it:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=142746

 

Actually, you can install 4GB (or more, if you want), but Vista 32-bit will only recognize and utilize ~3.25GB of it.