Most people now run DDR SDRAM, it is cheaper than RAMBUS memory and represents good value for money. These 512MB 266MHz DDR SDRAM CL2.5 DIMMs from Kingston are compatible with many motherboards, but you need to check Kingston's website to make sure they work with your motherboard first! Don't say I didn't warn you, it is very irritating to buy memory and find that it is not compatible. The memory comes from Kingston's ValueRAM range, and at the moment each DIMM costs around 100 pounds, which is quite reasonable.

Installation is relatively simple, like with all memory. I had to try installing it twice though, before I got the computer to boot up. I suspect this was because the memory was not secured in the memory slot correctly first time around.

I ran a few filters to see the effect of running 1024MB against running 512MB. I did not try one 512MB DIMM on its own, since most people buying this DIMM would probably be running at least 1GB. The figures don't show that much difference. Doubling from 256MB to 512MB would have shown a far bigger difference. Essentially, doubling memory from 1024MB to 2048MB, would show an even smaller difference. The effect of doubling memory on speed diminished with memory size. However, having more memory ensures that you can run more programs more smoothly. Also I noticed the machine seemed to be far "zippier" than before. With 1024MB RAM it did not need to use the hard disk's "virtual memory" as much.

MARGIN OF ERROR IN FIGURES IS +/- 0.5 Seconds

These 512MB Kingston DDR SDRAMs represent reasonable value for money. Although more expensive than 256 MB memory dimms, having this much memory on one dimm means it is easier to expand in the future with a limited number of memory slots. Whether you buy this Kingston DIMM or one of its competitors will largely be down to price. Given that the memory market is notoriously unstable, it will take a while to find the right price.