Corsair XMS PC-3500C2 Mem Not available?

[Martineau Gauda]

Hi,

Have Asus P4C800-E Deluxe

Have 1 module 512meg Corsair XMS PC-3500C2PT (Pt = Platinum Heat Spreader)
installed and would like to Dual Channel with a matching module for 1 gig.

It is my understanding that this module is no longer available. Checked many
sources.

Any memory sources that I am missing who may have remaining supplies?

Thanks

Martineau Gauda
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Paul]

Hi,

Have Asus P4C800-E Deluxe

Have 1 module 512meg Corsair XMS PC-3500C2PT (Pt = Platinum Heat Spreader)
installed and would like to Dual Channel with a matching module for 1 gig.

It is my understanding that this module is no longer available. Checked many
sources.

Any memory sources that I am missing who may have remaining supplies?

Thanks

Martineau Gauda
(e-mail address removed)

Try searching pricewatch.com for "3500C2PT" and you may get a few leads.
Be careful with vendors on pricewatch - check then at resellerratings.com
or do a search in Google before doing business. Be especially careful
of any "web sales only" companies, because if there is trouble with
your order, they don't want to hear from you. Also, use a credit card
that offers the ability to contest payment within a 90 day period
after the transaction. My amex card for example, allows you to contest for
90 days after the purchase date, even if you've paid off your balance.

HTH,
Paul

 

[Martineau Gauda]

Thanks Paul,

If I cannot find the module is there another solution with using additional
module (eg PC3700 mem) and still use dual channel? Will the mem have to
match exactly with the PC3500 mem I have now?


Martineau

 

[Paul]

Thanks Paul,

If I cannot find the module is there another solution with using additional
module (eg PC3700 mem) and still use dual channel? Will the mem have to
match exactly with the PC3500 mem I have now?


Martineau

Answering that question would require knowledge of how the BIOS was written.
For hardware, what is required is the same "topology" for the modules.
If one module uses 32Mx8 bit chips, so should the other one. Each
module would have the same quantity of bits inside it, the same NxM array
dimensions for the bits in the memory, the same 4 banks of memory inside
each chip etc. The timing parameters could differ, and it would be up
to the BIOS to decide how to set the timing parameters. A good BIOS code
would discover the slower of the two modules, and use that SPD info to
set up the memory.

(If you don't have it already, you should read a copy of the Intel
memory guide for its dual channel chipsets.)

ftp://download.intel.com/design/chipsets/applnots/25273001.pdf

I see a couple of ways you can answer this question about mixing a
pc3500 with a pc3700:

1) Rather than guess at it, post your question to the "RAM Guy" in the
Corsair forum. Maybe he knows which modules can be mixed.

"Corsair Forums" - maybe try the Compatibility Questions forum
http://www.houseofhelp.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=128

2) Go to the Corsairmicro web site. The following page lists product:
http://www.corsairmicro.com/corsair/xms.html#xms

If you click on a link under the part number column, a one page
PDF datasheet will pop up. Your current memory is this one:

http://www.corsairmicro.com/corsair/products/specs/cmx512-3500c2.pdf

This is a 512MB, dual bank module (a bank per side of the DIMM),
which uses (8) 32Mx8 chips per side. Access time is 5ns.
2-3-3-7-T1 at 434MHz.

Now, we try comparing it to a different module (CMS512-3700PT)

http://www.corsairmicro.com/corsair/products/specs/cmx512-3700.pdf

This is a 512MB, dual bank module (a bank per side of the DIMM),
which uses (8) 32Mx8 chips per side. Access time not listed.
3-4-4-8-T1 at 466MHz.

So, it looks like the two examples I picked have the same
topology. They are both dual bank and they both use 32Mx8 chips.
The timings are different, so the BIOS is going to have to pick
the slower of the two. (No, I'm not going to work that out for
you. I'd get it wrong.

Check with the "RAM Guy" anyway - it may save the cost of
shipping the module back, if there are some other gotchas
that the "RAM Guy" knows about. Who knows, he may know where
you can buy another 3500.

HTH,
Paul

 

[Martineau Gauda]

Paul,

Thanks a lot for your great help! I will post on the Ram Guy forum as
suggested.

Martineau Gauda