Improving my RAM and I am not sure what I need to take into account

[weker]

Hi there I plan to buy some new RAM for my PC, I currently have 6GB made from 2x2GB and 2x1GB (Built for me I didn't select it the first time) with more recent games my computer has been put under strain with occasional annoying hiccups so I am aiming to find a solution through upgrading my RAM.
I am still uneasy with computer components so is there anything I need to take into consideration when buying RAM? (some friends "think" that having different amounts of RAM may cause issues, but my computer has worked with the 2x2+1x2 setup I have atm)
Also is there any recommendations you can give me on what to get, I am aiming for 12 GB in advance to pay off later on.

 

[Jamash]

What are your PC's specs and what operating system are you using (32 or 64 bit), also what are the games that have been causing these problems?

6GB of RAM should really be enough for any game (that's 12 times more than what the PS3 or 360 has), so the likelihood is that the hiccups are being caused by something else and no amount of gratuitous RAM will fix the problem.

12GB of RAM won't make up for an underperformed CPU or GPU because as modern games have become more demanding, they've demanded more from the CPU and GPU, not RAM, of which I don't think any game requires more than 4GB.

I have 2x1GB and 2x2GB in my PC and haven't experienced any problems related to that configuration (in fact the only problems I did have were caused by a faulty PSU and dying graphics card), so unless your RAM is really slow or of different frequencies, I doubt it is the cause of your problems.

 

[Kironcho]

Basically what Jamash said. Hell, if you have 4GB of RAM, you can do pretty much everything.

Check your processor and video card. If you play games, you want a processor that has at least 2GHz, and your video card should have at least 1GB of VRAM (video random access memory) if you're serious about gaming.

Also, are you running windows 32 bit? If so, upgrade to 64 bit - if you have a 32 bit windows, then you cannot reach your PC's true potential as it cannot use all of your computer resources. And, seeing as you have 6GB of RAM, if you DO have windows 32 bit then your computer can only use a MAXIMUM of 4GB RAM.