About RAM

[nabeel]

Hi,

My mainboard is M925(http://www.pcchips.com.tw/PCCWeb/Products/ProductsDetail.aspx?MenuID=0&LanID=2&DetailID=271&DetailName=Manual) which supports DDR266/200 MHz. I have a DDR 200 256 MB at one slot.

I wanted to ask what will happen if I use DDR400 at second slot. Will it work
alright or there will be some problem. Will DDR400 be reduredd to 200 etc. Will it increase performance if I add one 512 Mb DDR400 with 256 MB DDR200, which i already have.

Thanks!

[ikeray]

you can mix and match RAM but it will be forced to perform at the slowest RAM's speed. thus, in your case, if you were to install ddr400 but keep the ddr200 in as well, you will have 512 MB but it will only perform at the ddr200 speed. now if you were to just install the ddr400 in place of the ddr200 you have in now, you will see increase speed of almost double (assuming the ddr400 is 256). if you were to install the ddr400 while keeping in the ddr200 (both 256 again) you will again see about double increase of speed. if you are installing 512 MB ddr400, remove the ddr200 RAM you have in there so that your ddr400 can perform at 200mhz instead of being restricted to 100mhz.

i am new to hardware, so i could be slightly off on the speed differences, but i know for a fact that the ddr400 will only perform as fast as the slowest you have in there, thus if you leave the ddr200, the ddr400 will perform at 100Mhz instead of 200Mhz.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR_SDRAM (read up on RAM here)

[jlreich]

ikeray is mostly correct with the exception of DDR400 performing at 400 speeds if it is the only stick in there. Since the mobo only supports up to DDR266, that is as fast as the ram will run. Without overclocking anyway. If the mobo supported DDR400, then that would be correct.

Everything else is right on.

You will see a performance increase if you need more ram. If you are running XP you will definitely see a performance increase.

As already said the ram will perform at the lowest speed of ram you have in the system, but more ram is always good for XP even if it is only running at DDR200 speeds.

If you are running win98 be aware that 98 only supports up to 512MB ram. After that you will start having problems. But any later version windows will benefit from more ram.

[nabeel]

Thanks for your reply.
My mainboard supports : 2 x 184-pin DIMM sockets support two 2.5V DDR SDRAMs (DDR266/200) (http://www.pcchips.com.tw/PCCWeb/Products/ProductsDetail.aspx?MenuID=0&LanID=2&DetailID=271&DetailName=Specification)

Now I have :
1. 256 MB
2. 512 MB (installed today) Its KVR400X64C3A/512 PC3200 CL3 184-Pin Dimm (http://www.ec.kingston.com/ecom/configurator/PartsInfo.asp?ktcpartno=KVR400X64C3A/512)


Now after installing new ram my system crashes if i put some load onto it. I dont know whats the problem but i assume its due to new istallation as before it there was no problem.

Need Help!

[nabeel]

I am running windows XP, With my system crashing now whenever i run many programs etc. With about 10 explorer windows opened it works smothly. :(

[George Hallam]

does the pc still run with the old ram in it

[jlreich]

Also does it run with just the new ram in it?

I would try clearing the CMOS by removing the CMOS battery for at least ten minutes with the system unplugged from the wall.

[nabeel]

It seems ok now.

1. I taken off the new Ram and system did't crashed but it was slower.

2. I taken off the old ram and put in the new one and again tried my best to crash it but i did't and programs also did't crashed.

So I put both Rams in the same slots as they were before and system did't crashed either. I close all of the programs but one Explorer window to write message here and Explorer crashed. :D

But I think its ok now. Thanks for help ;)

[nabeel]

It seems ok now.

1. I taken off the new Ram and system did't crashed but it was slower.

2. I taken off the old ram and put in the new one and again tried my best to crash it but it did't and programs also did't crashed.

So I put both Rams in the same slots as they were before and system did't crashed either. I close all of the programs but one Explorer window to write message here and Explorer crashed. :D

But I think its ok now. Thanks for help ;)

[ikeray]

was it faster with just the new one in, or with both in?

[nabeel]

I dont have exact measures, I mean exact procedure to measure the performance but I think there is not much difference with both and only 512 Mb.