The memory type specified by the motherboard manual is a must. Any other type of RAM will not work and may not even fit. Nowadays some gamers choose to overclock ram to get the last ounce of speed out of their computers.

The desired RAM speed should match the speed of the front side bus. Any slower speed of the memory will degrade the computers performance.

Size is your choice, the greater the size the more it will cost. Nowadays you should have at least one gigabyte of RAM. Keep in mind that a 32 bit CPU can address only up to four gigabytes of memory. If you are installing more than one memory stick, they should be ordered and installed as matched pairs.

In order to assure that memory is functioning correctly you should acquire the proper RAM test software. This can be purchased or downloaded from the Internet.

Any of the well known brands are acceptable, but you should get input about other brands from your online computer store. Read some of the reviews that are published for recommendations and any problems. The better you know your memory, the better your selection will be.

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