I am looking to build a new system based on an AMD CPU. The board I am
looking at supports DDR2 1066/800 memory. The question I have is can I
use 1066 memory with an AMD athlon X2. In other words, can I run 1066
at a slower speed of 800 until I upgrade to the AMD Phenom?
Yes and No. Underclocking RAM is not a problem. So you could run your 1066
RAM at 800 settings, no problem. Having said that, there is another
"gotcha" to watch out for. If you are going to use an AMD chipset mainboard
(which is a good idea), you need to know that AMD chipsets are very picky
about RAM. That's not a bad thing. You just need to be sure that the RAM
you choose is compatible with your mainboard, EVEN THOUGH the CPU is
actually controlling it. Otherwise, you might end up with RAM that is not
compatible with your mainboard, no matter what speed it is or what CPU is
installed. OOOOoooops!!!
You can check the mainboard maker's web site. However, if they have a list
of compatible RAM at all, it will show a very limited selection, and most
modules on the list won't be widely available in the usual retail channels.
A better way is to FIRST, pick your exact make and model number of
mainboard. THEN, go to one of the RAM makers' web sites like crucial.com or
kingston.com or whatever. Use the memory search or configurator or whatever
on the RAM maker's web site to search for your motherboard. You will get a
much better selection of RAM that is actually available (easy to find
retail) this way. -Dave
