Just bought 2 512 sticks of DDRam 333MHz, need advice...

[DramaticFanatic]

Just bought 2 512 sticks of DDRam 333MHz. I have 3 memory slots and before I installed these 2 I had 1 DDR 256MB PC 266, and 2 128 MB DDR PC1200. Can I plop in the 256mb along with my new 2 512s?

[Spider]

Don't listen to me... but I think you can... but then again I'm mister "I'll bring it to the repair store cause I can't reformat!"

[Flammey]

Uh, yeah. You should have first checked to see if your motherboard can handle 333mhz chips first. And no, different PCmhz chips do not mix well.

EDIT - Also, one of your three slots is far a large RAM chip (ie: a 1 gightz chip,) the other two will support no more than 512, which isn't a problem for you, but it's so information for you and everyone else. But I still don't recommand mixing PCmhz types.

[ViperGTS]

What some real advice? Give them to me so you wont have to worry about them ever again. :D

[Pilgrim]

Check to make sure your mobo supports pc2700 before trying it..

Then take all the old RAM out, mixxing mhz even if not bad for the system is a bad idea, thee 256 will bottleneck your entire ram bus, if you can even get it to work. 1 gig at 333 should perform just fine.

[TeraHertz]

All the memory will default to the slowest RAM chip, so put in a 2100 module and a 2700 module, and they will both run at 2100.

Also, normaly only the two memory slots will run at the boards maximum specification. the third will probably be slower. Use the third slot and your all your memory will be constrained to the third slots capabilties I belive.

[EineBeBoP]

Tech Lounge, but I have no idea :)

[DoomWarrior]

as long as the ram are the same brands, as in SD, DDR and so on

[Rbstr]

Dont' put them both in, it will lead to instability and you can't use the 333mhz speed you have to use the slower sticks

[TheRagingGerbil]

Everyone is right.

Different speed ram will run at the slowest speed (The slower mem is a bottle neck).

You will want to place those two sticks in the Dual Channel configuration, you'll get better performance. Leave the third slot empty.

Check your docuamentation for your mobo and make sure the board will support 333MHz and also whether you have to move a jumper to make the change. You will also want to get into your bios and check the memory congfiguration.

*Hamma, move this to the tech forum.

[Rbstr]

gerbil is right, i was at school when i posted so i couldn't give an explation

[Ait'al]

DDR will have erros if you use different speeds? They dont have a thing to make the RAm use the same speed as the slower stick?

[Daleon]

Ha, man everyone has a different opinion.

Just put in the 2 512's first. If everything works, play some PS. Watch your fps. Then after sufficient play time shut down, put the 256'er in. Boot up, play some PS. If you don't get any errors and notice an improvement keep it. If you don't any difference, keep it or take it out.

Really it depends on your cpu. If your using an older XP chip with a 133/266 mhz fsb, 333 doesn't mean jack to begin with. You want to run your memory sync with cpu, in MOST cases. If you get a barton 166/333 or 200/400 cpu, then you will make use of the faster ram. If your intel its different story but similar story nonetheless.

Other than that, different speeds normally doesn't make that big a difference if its quality ram. It will just run at the slower speed, but like I said if your cpu fsb is slower it doesn't matter.

[Ait'al]

So speaking of this troubling predicament weve all gotten ourselves into! 8) When will they have TwinX pro DDR500 (2x1gig) 2 gigs out! 8)

[Rbstr]

the gb sticks aren't that far off. but i doubt we will see gb ddr 500 sticks anytime soon. ddr 400 would be coming sooner

[Ait'al]

:tear: guess im just getting the 2 gigs then 8(. Want to buy my 2 gigs of DDR500 when the 4 gigs are available 8)

[NoSurrender]

i think 2 gigs is way more than you could probaly use.

[Daleon]

DDR is pretty much reaching its peak. Its already next to impossible to find anything about PC3500 with timings of 2-2-2-6 1t. Gig single modules make it even harder to manufactuer. Its time for DDR2.

[Ait'al]

(3-4-4-8) is this worse or better than 2-2-2-6? what does each of those mean?


What do you want the last number to be as close to the sum of hte first three and be as hish as possible or something?

[Spee]

Wait, woah, what?


I can stick different PC's in my mobo other than 2100?

[Daleon]

Ok this is the best description for memory timings explantion I've found:

*The first would be the CAS (Column Address Strobe) Latency - Controls the latency between the read command and the time the data becomes available.
*Second is RAS (Row Address Strobe) to CAS delay - Controls the latency between the active command and the read/write command.
*Third is RAS Precharge Delay - Controls the idle clocks after issuing a precharge command.
*Fourth is the Active Precharge Delay - Controlled by the SPD (Serial Presence Detected). It controls the number of DDR clocks used for a DDR Parameter.

These settings basically control how "tight" or "loose" your memory runs. The better quality of ram, the faster speeds it can go at tight settings. Sometimes you have to loosen it up some to get the faster speeds out of it.

I have some of the almost "rare" now Corsair XMS pc3500 plat that was rated to do 2-2-2-5 at 433. I'm only pushing it at 2-2-2-6 at 400 currently as it really doesn't make hardly any difference and I can run this stable without raising the voltage to my memory.