PC2-5300 and PC4200

[Saucey]

Firstly, hello to everyone and thankyou for trying to help!

Secondly! I have just purchased a intel 975X Chipboard mobo and 2x1GB 667 DDR2 PC2-5300 RAM, i also have tucked away in a cupboard somewhere 2x1GB DDR2 PC4200 RAM, I was wondering if i could run these two together, The PC4200 is Samsung, but i am unsure on which the new set is.

Thankyou!

 

[jeff_2087]

Yes you can, you should pair the matched pairs together of course.

 

[Saucey]

Okay, will the PC2-5300 be limited at the PC4200s speed?

 

[jeff_2087]

Well unless you overclock it would be anyway, because the stock FSB is 1066MHz and that means each stick of RAM will run at 533MHz in 1:1.

 

[Mondoman]

Also, unless you are running a 64-bit OS, your OS will likely only be able to address about +/-3GB of the RAM.

 

[Saucey]

I heard there were people having problems that Vista would only recognise 3.14GB of RAM or something, was that just because it was 32 and not 64?

 

[Mondoman]

Yes.

 

[elsporko]

Was gonna make a new thread for this, but it's pointless I guess (If this is against the ToS, I'll delete the post, I'm new here ._.)

What exactly is the difference between PC-XXXX and PC2-XXXX RAM? My PC has 2x 512mb PC2-5300 RAM running now, and I'm looking into buying another GB of RAM.

If I got a 1gb stick of PC5400 RAM, would it be compatible with my RAM I'm running now?

 

[Mondoman]

PC-xxxx is DDR RAM and PC2-xxxx is DDR2 RAM. They are physically incompatible (different numbers of pins, different voltage, etc).

 

[Saucey]

Im confused now, i just got told that PC-4200 and PC2-5300 would run, Now you say that they are incompatable?

 

[jeff_2087]

Oh dear! I didn't notice the lack of a 2 in the PC4200. I thought you meant PC2-4200. No, you can't run both DDR and DDR2 in most boards, it's one or the other.

On your board it'd be DDR2 only so no PC4200.

 

[Saucey]

Im sure that rams DDR2... i think. So they deff wont run together?

 

[jeff_2087]

It'd be easy to find out, take out a stick of your DDR2 RAM and check if the pins match up with the pins on the Samsung. If they do exactly, it's also DDR. If they look at all different it's not. Basically if you can stick it in your board, it'll work.

 

[Saucey]

Ahh okay, nothing will blow up in my face. Okay

 

[jeff_2087]

184 pin DDR won't fit correctly in a DDR2 slot, so don't try to muscle it in unless you're sure it's DDR2.

 

[elsporko]

If PC2-XXXX is DDR2 RAM, then why does it say DDR2 PC5400 on tigerdirect (which is where I'm hoping to order my RAM)
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2175880&CatId=1651

But on newegg it lists all of the DDR2 RAM as PC2, is this just an error on tigerdirect's part or are they physically different RAM?
My mobo is M2N-e if it helps, so I know my RAM is DDR2.

 

[jeff_2087]

Just a typo from tiger.

 

[Saucey]

They are both 240 pin

 

[elsporko]

Ok So as long as the RAM is 240pin and DDR2 it'll be compatible?

What speed would you guys recommend to go with my current PC2-5300 RAM, 5400?

Thank you so much guys I couldn't find answers for this anywhere, you guys definitely know your stuff