Quick dual-channel memory question

[thepcphysician]

Hey everybody! Happy New Year!!!


So, I have and old computer with a Pentium D 2.8 and an ECS mobo that only takes ddr667. Right now, I have 1gb of 667 in it, dual channel (2 x 512) I am upgrading it to 7, so I bought a dual channel 2gb kit (2 x 1gb). When I went to swap out the ram, I saw that the mobo has two "sets" of memory banks - two orange slots and two purple slots. Right now, the two 512mb modules occupy the orange slots. I was just wondering whether I can actually use all 4 sticks of ram at once. I know I could have all 4x 1gb dimms, but will it work to have 2 x 512 and 2 x 1gb?

Incidentally, the new ram is ddr2 800, but I doubt that will make a difference - it should just throttle back to 667.

I appreciate any advice you might have!

 

[thepcphysician]

anyone?

 

[wa1]

If u install all of them then your speed is just downclock to 667 since your lowest ram is 667...
I would suggest u to just only stick with 2x1gb of ram(800) on just 1 color slots(orange maybe), i don't have the manual for your mobo, so i didn't know exactly it's spec...

 

[roonj]

just put them in already, if the system counts up to 3 gigs all is good. I don't know of a system that level that would have a problem. If no go pull the 512's put the 1gigs where the 512's were.

 

[megamanx00]

Should be fine. You may of course get lower RAM timings when mixing RAM like that. You may want to use CPU-Z to check what the timings are, and see if you can't adjust them in your BIOS if your RAM supports lower settings than what is currently set.