Upgrading More Ram

I have a computer that is a Pentium 4, 1.6GHZ, Shuttle AV40/AV40R motherboard and has two sticks of 256 Ram (running XP Pro). I don't know alot about Ram but looking at the sticks I have they say on them DDR266 and PC2100 but see no manufacturer or at least I can't tell. I have one slot left for another stick but what do I actually need to order and from what manufacturer? Can I add just another 256 or can I add a 512 or just whatever I can afford? Or will this even make a difference in performance adding more ram to this particular motherboard?

I seem at times to run low on memory probably because I like doing several things at once like using compression programs (DVD Shrink),AnyDVD,CloneDVD, etc; while still surfing and downloading what not. I suppose it's probably not smart to do so many things at once but it's just something I do. I try to keep Startup programs at a minimum and I keep spyware at bay with Spy Sweeper, Ad-Aware and Spybot. Trend PC-cillian, Spy Sweeper, Mailwasher, etc. are always running in the background plus I use a wireless mouse and keyboard. I assume at least some of these things are a memory hog.

So back to my original question, will more Ram do any good?

 

Video, image , games and multimedia, need RAM, RAM and RAM.
You should buy more ram if you could

You should know what type of ram do you have: DDR, DIMM? You should take a look at your moderboard manual and find the ram you should buy and waht type of combinations should you use, like 2x256 or 1x256 + 1x512?

 

Great link PeterC

 

Well I know nothing about Motherboards and less about Ram but my manual says the former is a Shuttle AV40/AV40R and inside it says "three 184-pin DIMM slots to support up to 1.5GB of PC1600 or PC2100 compliant DDR SDRAM module ". When I go to Crucial Technologies I either have to pick AV40 or AV40R under Shuttle motherboards, there is no listing for AV40/Av40R and they do seem to be different, both do say 3 banks of 1 though. The auto system scan does not seem to work on my computer. The AV40 takes a PC2700 module and the AV40R takes a PC2100 module so I assume since what I have in my ram slots now are PC2100 that's what I need.

Do I understand right now that I can use either a 512 or 1GB stick of PC2100 (already have 512) and it doesn't matter what brand I use (don't know current brand)? Like is it better to buy from Crucial Technologies, or wherever I can get it cheaper, maybe Amazon or Newegg or do brands make a difference? Thanks!

 

Thanks PeteC!