# RAM Heat Spreader



## GeoMoon5 (Sep 5, 2008)

Hello!

Am I taking a chance by not getting a heat spreader? Are heat spreaders just eye candy?

I would like to upgrade my RAM from 1G to 2Gs. I often am running grid computing software (BIONC, etc.) and a web browser, which uses up all my RAM continuously. I don't mind this as I'm usually doing stuff that requires little computing power.

The RAM I have right now is performance RAM with heat spreaders from my gaming days, so I have no idea if RAM without heat spreaders would survive well when being thoroughly used by the grid computing and web browsing applications.

I'm looking to get 2G of RAM (2 x 1G) @ 400mhz pc3200 cl 3-3-3-8, maybe Mushkin or Corsair. I could get a matched pair of RAM without heat spreaders for the same price as un-matched RAM that has heat spreaders. My motherboard doesn't support dual channel mode, but I thought maybe a matched pair would have better re-sale value.

Thank you for any help,
Cheers!


Here's the list of RAM I was looking at. Newegg.com - 2GB (2 x 1GB), DDR2 400 (PC2 3200), DDR 400 (PC 3200), Desktop Memory, Memory, Computer Hardware


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## Doby (Jan 17, 2006)

Unless your overclocking heat spreaders aren't really needed but on the other hand your running older technology with ddr ram so resale value won't be there anyway because everyone looks for ddr2 or 3 now a days so it don't matter witch way you go


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## GeoMoon5 (Sep 5, 2008)

Hmmm, so unless I over clock the RAM, (heat - longevity - reliability) isn't an issue, even when the RAM's being nearly 100% used, and continuously?


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

Your memory already has a pretty good heat sink -- it's called your motherboard. Air is a lousy conductor of heat. Conversely, the circuit traces in your motherboard, which are in contact with the metal pins in your RAM sticks, are excellent conductors of heat.

Unless you are raising the voltage considerably in a RAM overclock, heat spreaders are probably just eye candy. And even if you overclock they really don't afford much benefit. Corsair did a test and found that "It was clear from the tests that the use of a heat spreader on the module increases overclockability in all cases." However, that increase was something like 2%.


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## GeoMoon5 (Sep 5, 2008)

Well that's great to hear. Looks like I'll be holding off on the fancy heat spreaders until my next over clocking project.

Thanks for the help!


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