DDr memory can it be mixed?

[newbuilder]

Can you mix DDR 266 PC2100 and DDR 333 PC2700 in the same motherboard.

I have 2 x DDR266 256MB and was looking in the near future when the price drops a little to purchase DDR256 or 512MB PC2700 333.

The MBoard supports both kinds but can they be mixed?

 

[Reefsmoka]

You can, but it will be running at the slowest thing in the machine.

Say you have 3 sticks altogether, 2 X PC 2100 and 1 X PC 2700, the ram would be working at the slower 2100 (266mhz) instead of the 2700 (333mhz).

 

[newbuilder]

Excuse the stupidity but will it make that much difference?

And will putting another 256 or 512MB memory into the machine speed it up?

 

[muckshifter]

Nope.

 

[newbuilder]

So upgrading the processor and getting a better RPM HDD and cache memory will do then?

 

[Reefsmoka]

You will only be noticing your memory upgrade in memory hungry games like Doom 3, Far Cry and Chrome really. 512mb is more than enough for anyone.

If you got a faster hard drive you would notice quite abit of difference, things install uninstall faster, applications load quick, and your whole computer just feels faster.

If your gonna upgrade your processor, i wouldnt go any less than a 600Mhz upgrade (if you got a P4 2.2 get a P4 2.8) else you really wont notice hardly any difference. I upgraded my brothers Duron 900 for a Duron 1600 (without telling him) and i he didnt even notice a damn thing! (i was pissed off by the way).

Ya just gotta think to yourself "why are you upgrading?" is it because you cant play a certain game? if so thats a good reason. But ya gotta know when to stop with this upgrading malarky, my friends comp can easily handle anything you throw at it, but will he stop shoving more ram, bigger hds and processors in there? HELL NO!

 

[floppybootstomp]

In fact, a Gig of RAM, all the same and the best the motherboard can handle, will speed things up.

But not in any benchmark, I'll agree, but in everyday 'real life' usage, it will.

As you are at the moment, newbuilder, Go for faster CPU and a better HDD first, these will yield better improvements than tending to memory.

Hopefully, memory prices will fall again eventually. address the issue then. The speed difference is quite minimal, in my experience, between PC2100; PC2700; PC3200, etc.

But you will notice a new, faster, CPU

 

[Reefsmoka]

In fact, a Gig of RAM, all the same and the best the motherboard can handle, will speed things up.

But not in any benchmark, I'll agree, but in everyday 'real life' usage, it will.

Not in any benchmark ?!?!?!?

Sisoft Sandra score would instantly double, your memory score on PC Mark 2004 would double and your garanteed an extra 200 point minimum increase on your 3DMark03 score!

You the other guy that stole form my stash???????

 

[ChristopherP]

well PC2100 is 266MHz, PC2700 is 333MHz and PC3200 is 400MHz

a AMD Barton 2800 has a FSB of i think 333MHz so the best memory to use is PC2700 as it runs at the same speed as the FSB.

You would not get any benifits out of using PC3200 as it would only run at 333MHz anyway as memory is related to the FSB of the cpu. Overclock the CPU and the memory runs faster.

 

[Kenny]

well if you (example) have a 2500+ (FSB166) and overclock it from the FSB, PC3200 will cope a lot better than PC2700. I`ve got a 1GB stick of PC2700 that wont work with my mobo, but when i added it to the 512 in my old system, my photo imaging was much smoother, and my CustomPC benchmark (useful or not, I use it) rose. Not by much, but it did

A fat processor speed increase will make the most difference (I think) or a new graphics card if the one you have is old. (I went from an Nvidia TNT2 with 32mB memory to an FX5700 with 128 memory and.... oh wow!)

 

[ChristopherP]

a 2500+ has a 166MHz FSB? thought it was 333...or double pumped?

 

[floppybootstomp]

Not in any benchmark ?!?!?!?

Sisoft Sandra score would instantly double, your memory score on PC Mark 2004 would double and your garanteed an extra 200 point minimum increase on your 3DMark03 score!

You the other guy that stole from my stash???????

You're right. I must have been having one of those Welsh moments

Now I feel a trifle stoopid Oh well, we all have off days....

And I didn't steal from your stash, I took the whole damn thing and left a cunningly disguised substitute.

For the last week you've been smoking an Oxo cube

 

[floppybootstomp]

a 2500+ has a 166MHz FSB? thought it was 333...or double pumped?

It's the same thing. DDR = Double Data rate.

Where the pulse is read both on the leading and trailing edge. Or something like that...

 

[ChristopherP]

ah...

do you know if then a 2500 333fsb would work in an Asus A7N266-VM?

see the post about my nans system...dont want to hijack this one...

 

[muckshifter]

ah...

do you know if then a 2500 333fsb would work in an Asus A7N266-VM?

see the post about my nans system...dont want to hijack this one...

Nope!

Your board is 200/266 ... you'll need a 200/266/333

Confusing isn't it.

 

[ChristopherP]

that is exactly what i thought but for a brief moment it could have been double pumped FSB or something...

Its in my sisters PC which is shop brought so i didnt know the exact component models...

Oh yeah, never get a PC from Lidl! The PSU went within a year and now the hard drive has packed up. Admittedly it is a WD hdd though...

cheers man.