Upgrading Your Computer Memory
The performance of any PC depends on the memory size of the RAM and the processor clock frequency. With the advancement of computer technology, new software and applications demand a lot of memory to run effectively. This will be influenced by the speed, with which the processor performs. Different P4 motherboards available in the market currently are compatible with specific CPUs and RAM, and the type of motherboard used will dictate the maximum memory size to be installed.
Memory
Motherboard manufacturers use varying technology in designing their circuits, but maintain the FCC guidelines regarding compatibility. Pentium 4 processors are largely supported by modern motherboards such as Intel Corp. motherboards, Mercury motherboards and Dell motherboards amongst others. Jetway P4MFM VIA P4M266 Socket 478 mATX motherboard is powered by the VIA P4M266 + VT8233A chipsets having features that support Pentium 4 processors with 400 MHz bus speeds and up to 2GB of memory, 184-pin DDR200/266 RAM. This P4 motherboard has enough expansion slots for upgrading memory and other peripheral devices.
Intel D845GERG2 Socket 478 mATX motherboards are just but an example of the expansive Intel series motherboards supporting P4 processors with an Intel 845GE chipset that can accommodate up to 2GB DDR333/266 memory. Dell 0WG864 Pentium4 Socket 775 LGA ATX Dimension motherboard Core 2 can support processors such as Intel Pentium 4, Intel Pentium D and Intel Core 2 Duo, which have clock frequency of up to 1066MHz high enough to run operating systems such as Windows 7 and Vista.
Asus M4A89GTD Pro Desktop Motherboard Socket AM3 PGA-941---2600 using AMD Chipset ATX supports AMD AM3 multi-core Pentium 4 processors with unique L3 cache and delivers better over-clocking capabilities with less power consumption. This motherboard features dual-channel DDR3 memory with high clocking frequencies.
Processors
Having the right motherboard that can support large memory installation, it is then necessary to choose a processor that can allow a large memory module to be installed. Faith Wempen, an associate instructor at the Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis, says that 64-bit processor; Core 2 Duo, Pentium D, Xeon, Pentium 4 and the 32-bit processors; Core Duo, Pentium 4 and Xeon having a clock frequency ranging between 1.4 and 3.8 GHz can all support a memory capacity of up to 64 GB. The limiting factor would be the type of motherboard used.
Memory Choice
A match between your memory type, speed of the motherboard and processor is necessary. The bigger the memory size the better, as running software applications and games will requires less time for the RAM to read or write to the main hard drive. The standardized memory sizes are 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, 2GB and 4GB modules, and most motherboards have three or four memory slots that hold memory cards. However, there is a recommended minimum and maximum memory listing that can be installed in a computer depending on the operating system.
Tags: clock frequency, memory size, Pentium processors, processors with, Core Pentium, Core Pentium Xeon