Doug asks, "I'm building a gaming computer and I need to know: does the memory brand (OC, Kingston, etc...) really matter? The memory I'm looking at has the same size, speed, and timings, but the OC memory is $50 more than the no-name brand."

Sometimes buying a "no-name" brand makes sense, like buying the store-branded cereal instead of the big-name cereal, but in the world of computers that's really not a very accurate analogy - building and testing memory is a very technically challenging task. Really, choosing between two brands of memory is like trying to choose between a Lexus and a no-name Chinese car. They both do the same thing - go from point A to point B - but the Lexus comes with a warranty and a track record of reliability.

The same holds true for system memory. While you can get away - and be perfectly happy - with a no=name brand, chances are that you're eventually going to run into problems that the smaller brand either didn't test for, or expected but doesn't care about. You'll probably also find that the warranty doesn't cover certain failures - like failure due to overheating - that the OC warranty will cover.

With that being said, I have a pair of no-name brand memory sticks in my laptop, and I've been perfectly happy with it for years now. What brand you use is a personal choice.

Do you have a question you need answered? E-mail me! lordkat@gmail.com

Click here to check out How to Build a Gaming Computer for Under $1000.

Be safe,

Jason