Upgrading RAM: 800 vs 1066MHz DDR2

So I'm running a

• Intel Core2Duo - 3.0 GHz, 6MB L2 cache
• nVidia GeForce 9600GT 512MB PCI-E
• 2GB of PC2-8500 1066MHz DDR2 RAM

All this is happening on a standard Gigabyte motherboard. I'll admit it's no gaming rig but it gets the job done for what I need; video/image editing (Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Sony Vegas) and some gaming on the side. I want my video rendering to go faster, and adding more RAM will definitely streamline the process.Now, in an idiotic oversight on my part, my motherboard only has 2 RAM slots, so to make the jump to 4GB of RAM I need to shell out for the full 4GB.THE REAL QUESTION:I can snag 4GB of Patriot PC2-6400 800MHz DDR2 RAM for only $40 (fantastic sale). If I shell out $30 more, I get the 1066MHz bundle. I've done some reading on the internet and they mostly mention overclocking, and since I'm not doing any of that, what do you guys think will be better? Thanks in advance GS community!Upgrading RAM: 800 vs 1066MHz DDR2
Which Core 2 Duo do you have? Odds are that the memory will run at 800mhz even if you get the 1066mhz, unless you overclock.Upgrading RAM: 800 vs 1066MHz DDR2
Get the 800mhz speed. The ''overclocking'' is just setting 1066mhz to run as advertised speed. See the ESD standard has ram run as a max default of 800mhz even if you have 1066mhz ram it will run at 800mhz. Though all you have to do is go to the bios and set the ram to run at 1066mhz and your good as long as your mobo supoorts 1066. Anyways go with the 800mhz ram it's not worth the extra $30
Unless you had a stop watch, you wouldn't notice a difference from 800 and 1066.
[QUOTE=''SinfulPotato'']Unless you had a stop watch, you wouldn't notice a difference from 800 and 1066.[/QUOTE]I doubt a stopwatch would do it, its like 0.5 seconds faster. Unless you are really impatient, then I don't thing half a second matters.
I have the Intel Core2Duo 8500, so I believe that it would be capable of running it, but I'm not going to be overclocking. The most I'll ever do is fire up Counter-Strike now and then and do some stuff on Adobe After Effects. hahaha stopwatches. Anyway, thanks for the great info guys. I will make my purchase Monday!
If you're not overclocking then there's no need to get anything quicker than PC5200 in all honesty. So in this case, stay with PC6400 since unless you overclock you won't be utilising the 8500.
The advantage (if running stock), is that depending on the BIOS, you could then run it as if it were trying to feed that CPU ''single channel''... which runs it at 1066FSB for the CPU, and 1066FSB for each channel of RAM, giving it tons of bandwidth.



And if your statement is correct, and you already have 1066 in the system now, there's no reason to not get 1066mhz RAM to fill in the remaining slot(s).