Memory upgrade question for Core 2 Duo

[RayLopez99]

On a MS Vista Ultimate OS Core 2 Duo machine, what memory upgrade can
I safely do?

What I have:

240-pin DIMM: DDR2 400/533/667/800 DDR-2 SDRAM (2 slots, each with 1GB
RAM now, and what CPU-Z reports is: DDR2, Dual Channel, 2GB, DRAM
frequency 249 MHz, FSBRAM = 4:3, Clocks (in order) - 4,4,4,12,16)
Processor: Core 2 Duo (E6550), 65nm Conroe, 2.33 MHz core, FSB = 1329
MHz, Bus speed = 332 MHz)

What I want: more memory (3 GB not 2GB), and faster, maybe DDR2 at
800MHz? (or greater?) but without overclocking, is this possible? Can
I run on my ConRoe 1333 - D667 motherboard the memory DDR3? (I suspect
not, since the mobo says it supports DDR2 667/533, but I wonder if I
can safely insert DDR2 800?)

Thank you,

RL

TECHNOLOGY TIMELINE

This section presents the most common memory technologies used for
main memory: This road map

offers an overview of the evolution of memory.
YEAR INTRODUCED TECHNOLOGY SPEED LIMIT
1987 FPM 50ns
1995 EDO 50ns
1997 PC66 SDRAM 66MHz
2004 DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz
2005 DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz
2006 DDR2 SDRAM 667 - 800MHz
2007 DDR3 SDRAM 1066 - 1333MHz

 

[Paul]

On a MS Vista Ultimate OS Core 2 Duo machine, what memory upgrade can
I safely do?

What I have:

240-pin DIMM: DDR2 400/533/667/800 DDR-2 SDRAM (2 slots, each with 1GB
RAM now, and what CPU-Z reports is: DDR2, Dual Channel, 2GB, DRAM
frequency 249 MHz, FSBRAM = 4:3, Clocks (in order) - 4,4,4,12,16)
Processor: Core 2 Duo (E6550), 65nm Conroe, 2.33 MHz core, FSB = 1329
MHz, Bus speed = 332 MHz)

What I want: more memory (3 GB not 2GB), and faster, maybe DDR2 at
800MHz? (or greater?) but without overclocking, is this possible? Can
I run on my ConRoe 1333 - D667 motherboard the memory DDR3? (I suspect
not, since the mobo says it supports DDR2 667/533, but I wonder if I
can safely insert DDR2 800?)

Thank you,

RL

I can't reach the asrock.com site right now, so I had to use an
archived copy of the motherboard manual.

http://web.archive.org/web/20071126212235/www.asrock.com/manual/ConRoe1333-D667+R2.0.pdf

It has two slots, taking DDR2 memory. You could use 2 x 2GB sticks.
The following is copied from the manual.

"CPU FSB Frequency Memory Support Frequency
1333 DDRII533*, DDRII667
1066 DDRII533, DDRII667
800 DDRII400, DDRII533, DDRII667
533 DDRII400, DDRII533

* When you use a FSB1333-CPU on this motherboard, it will run at
DDRII500 if you adopt a DDRII533 memory module. "

If you install DDR2-800 memory, it will run at the slower speed
choices offered by the motherboard. A faster memory can be run
at a slower speed.

To achieve a higher memory speed, would require overclocking.

HTH,
Paul

 

[RayLopez99]

The following is copied from the manual.

   "CPU FSB Frequency       Memory Support Frequency
    1333                    DDRII533*, DDRII667
    1066                    DDRII533, DDRII667
     800                    DDRII400, DDRII533,DDRII667
     533                    DDRII400, DDRII533

    * When you use a FSB1333-CPU on this motherboard, it will run at
      DDRII500 if you adopt a DDRII533 memory module.                 "

Thanks. I take it the DDRII667 is equivalent to DDRII533 (not much
difference in clock speeds)?

If you install DDR2-800 memory, it will run at the slower speed
choices offered by the motherboard. A faster memory can be run
at a slower speed.
OK.


To achieve a higher memory speed, would require overclocking.

Thanks that was helpful. A brief look at overclocking convinced me
this hobby is not for me on this machine, especially since I do my
real work on this machine.

RL

 

[RayLopez99]

Excuse me, I forgot to ask one more thing (the most important thing,
in light of your reply): how come CPU-Z utility shows the DDR2 memory
I have now is only running at "249 MHz"? If in fact the memory is
rated higher (based on the MoBo listing you provided and confirmed by
my manual)? So, if I upgrade to DDR2-667, will this speed up memory,
or will it only run at 249 Mhz?

RL

 

[Paul]

Excuse me, I forgot to ask one more thing (the most important thing,
in light of your reply): how come CPU-Z utility shows the DDR2 memory
I have now is only running at "249 MHz"? If in fact the memory is
rated higher (based on the MoBo listing you provided and confirmed by
my manual)? So, if I upgrade to DDR2-667, will this speed up memory,
or will it only run at 249 Mhz?

RL

Read this blurb again.

* When you use a FSB1333-CPU on this motherboard, it will run at
DDRII500 if you adopt a DDRII533 memory module. "

It is saying, for some reason, they use a DDR2-500 setting for the
DDR2-533 choice in the BIOS, when a FSB1333 processor is present.

CPUZ reads the clock value, which you multiply by 2 to get the DDR value.
So CPUZ value 249MHz = DDR2-498 operation, which is very close to
the suggested DDR2-500 value mentioned in the blurb.

If the DIMM is rated for more than DDR2-533, like DDR2-667 (PC2-5400),
then you should be able to set it higher in the BIOS, to the DDR2-667
value. So the first question would be, what kind of memory is there now,
and is it a DDR2-533 module. That might account for the particular choice
the BIOS made.

Paul

 

[RayLopez99]

If the DIMM is rated for more than DDR2-533, like DDR2-667 (PC2-5400),
then you should be able to set it higher in the BIOS, to the DDR2-667
value. So the first question would be, what kind of memory is there now,
and is it a DDR2-533 module. That might account for the particular choice
the BIOS made.

Roger that Paul, very helpful. You've answered all my questions now.

RL

 

[Conor]

On a MS Vista Ultimate OS Core 2 Duo machine, what memory upgrade can
I safely do?

www.crucial.com and use their memory selector tool.