LGA775 MoBo / RAM compatibility?

[jbrighton]

I was recently given 2x2GB modules of 1066MHz RAM as an early Christmas present to upgrade my computer from 2x1GB.

My current motherboard only supports 667/800MHz modules, so I would like to buy a new one. It doesn't need to be anything special as I will soon be investing in a Phenom system and I only want to use the current one as a secondary computer (for internet, email etc. but no 3D apps), and I am considering buying Gigabyte's GA-G31M-ES2L because of its low price. My processor is an Intel E5200.

The spec sheet for the motherboard states

Support for DDR2 1066(O.C.)/800/667 MHz memory modules

and I am unsure what '(O.C.)' means. Will I be able to use this motherboard in dual channel mode with two 2GB modules that are clocked at 1066MHz? Also, are there any alternatives which anyone can recommend, or is this a good board?

Thanks for any replies.

 

[jbrighton]

I was recently given 2x2GB modules of 1066MHz RAM as an early Christmas present to upgrade my computer from 2x1GB.

My current motherboard only supports 667/800MHz modules, so I would like to buy a new one. It doesn't need to be anything special as I will soon be investing in a Phenom system and I only want to use the current one as a secondary computer (for internet, email etc. but no 3D apps), and I am considering buying Gigabyte's GA-G31M-ES2L because of its low price. My processor is an Intel E5200.

The spec sheet for the motherboard states

Support for DDR2 1066(O.C.)/800/667 MHz memory modules

and I am unsure what '(O.C.)' means. Will I be able to use this motherboard in dual channel mode with two 2GB modules that are clocked at 1066MHz? Also, are there any alternatives which anyone can recommend, or is this a good board?

Thanks for any replies.

Nobody? I thought it was an easy question.

 

[sportsfanboy]

It will work fine, the mobo will default to 800mhz, you'll have to manually set it up and will have to overclock the fsb to get it to run at exactly 1066(266 FSB, yours is 200 default).

 

[jbrighton]

Cool, I guess I'll do some research on overclocking then – it's something I've never looked into before.

Would overclocking the FSB affect the CPU speed or can I keep that at a stable level? If I'd have to buy a more powerful fan to keep things cool enough (I've just got the crappy Intel fan at the moment) I'd rather choose a different solution.

Just got onboard graphics, so there aren't any PCI (or AGP) cards that would be affected.

 

[jbrighton]

Best answer selected by jbrighton.

 

[jbrighton]

Oops, I didn't realise that clicking on 'Best answer' would mark the thread as 'solved'. I hope someone can still answer my question!

 

[sportsfanboy]

You can lower the cpu multiplier if you don't want to overclock the cpu. And you probable will need to at 266FSB.I would recommend doing some reading on it, it really isn't hard, as a 266 FSB should be pretty easy to achieve. Just make sure you keep thermal and voltage within reason.

 

[jbrighton]

I'll definitely do some reading. I was thinking that if I overclock the FSB by 1/3 that I'd probably have to lower the CPU multiplier by the same amount (I guess somewhere in the BIOS, or maybe the board has a built-in configuration utility).

The good thing is that I've got an Antec P182 case which keeps things nice and cool – the CPU temperature is normally between 31°C and 33°C, and the system temperature is always below 30°C (which is 86°F), even if I've had it running for several days.

Thanks for the answer!

 

[sportsfanboy]

NP You can lower it to 10.5 and that will give you 2793Ghz at 266FSB. You probably wont need a voltage bump and if you do, it will be a small one, so your temps will only rise a little.

 

[jbrighton]

Nice one, looking forward to trying something new. I've ordered the board.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey