RAM compatibility

[Crindle]

Currently I have:
3ghz pentium HT 4 processor
Evga 7600GT KO graphics card
Sata1 130gb hd
IDE 80gb or sata1 cant remeber hd
RAM DDR2 PC3200 533mhz 256X2MB chips.

Question:
My computer has 4 ram slots and it is better to put in pair.
#1: how much performance would i lose for using a 1gb stick in one slot and leave the 512mb in the other pair?

#2: Can i leave my PC3200 DDR2 533mhz ram 256X2mb in and install a PC4200 DDR2 533mhz 512X2mb in the other pair of slots, or no? My specs and crucial.com says I can take 4200pc, but will the different pc types work together?

Thanks,
Crindle

 

[cdogg]

I think you might be a bit confused on the terminology, so I would look over this article first:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR2

DDR2 SDRAM is usually listed using PC2 in the name. So you would have PC2-3200, PC2-4200, etc. Secondly, PC2-3200 if that's what you have now runs at 400MHz not 533MHz. Also it's installed in pairs due to dual-channel which requires two, three, or four modules of the same size. So PC2-3200 running in dual-channel is the equivalent of 800MHz which matches most of the early P4 models that used an 800MHz frontside bus (FSB).


1) Putting a 1GB stick in without pairing it up would likely kill the dual-channel setup you have going now.
Figure out your motherboard's manufacturer and go out to their website. You will find a manual you can download which will show you what memory configurations are compatible for getting dual-channel to work.

Note: The DIMM slots with matching colors (usually one set is blue and the other is black) are how you know which slots need to have the same size RAM. It also helps to use the exact same type & model of RAM to make sure they work at optimum speed.


2) Now putting two 512MB DIMMS in the open slots will probably work just fine (though I would still see the manual to be sure). However, it wouldn't do you any good mixing PC2-4200 with PC2-3200 since the motherboard would be forced to make all 4 of them run at the same speed. So it would take the highest common denominator, which in this case would be 400MHz.

The real key here is to find out what your CPU requires. Some of the early P4 3.0GHz processors ran on the 800MHz FSB. The newer models run at 1066MHz. If you have an earlier model, then PC2-3200 is what you want. If you have the faster 1066MHz FSB, then PC2-4200 is the only type you should have in your system.


Hopefully that didn't confuse you...there's a ton of info all over the net that can explain it better than me.


~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[jlockley]

let me add a question. I am probably putting together a desktop which would later serve for VIsta. The Board I have chosen now has two ddr2 slots. I would rather not put in 512 now and then chuck it for 1000 later, but am I wrong in thinking it would be unwise to get just 1 1g simm?

 

[jlockley]

Sorry..you already answered that.

 

[Crindle]

thanks i understand, but i could have sore it was 533mhz.

and my bus is 800mhz.

 

[cdogg]

Crindle,
No problem. The model number "3200" refers to 3200MB/s or about 3.2GB/s in terms of bandwith. Regular DDR doubles the bus frequency (also called double-pumped). So PC3200 DDR ran at 400MHz on a 200MHz bus speed.

Now DDR2 takes it even further and quadruples the bus frequency, or quad-pump. So the early PC2-3200 DDR2 ran at 400MHz on a 100MHz FSB. This is why the model number 3200 is used again in the first release of DDR2, since that number refers to bandwidth.

If you are seeing any indication that your memory is running at 533MHz, then you don't have the "3200" model.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884