Memory and CPU compatibility

[new_user]

I just bought an intel board that supports Pentium 4(478) 400MHZ/533MHZ FSB, and DDR266/333. I take my old components from the my older board (pentium 4 478 400MHZ FSB, and DDR266), put them into the new board but nothing works. After weeks and weeks of testing and trying and trying and calling useless customer support I finally come up with a possible cause for why my system is not working. By not working I mean that it turns on but nothing comes up on the screen, and I also receive memory beep errors. So anyway, my idea is this: The pentium 4 that I have runs at 400MHz FSB, meaning 100MHz x4. DDR is just that 100MHz clock times 2. Now the board only supports DDR266/333 specifically, and in the specifications it says that it will not work with DDR200. Since the board is brand new, the bios on it right now (and since I flashed the CMOS so many times) are factory default, and factory default would force the DDR (no matter what speed it supports) to run at 2xFSB, or 2X100MHz which is DDR200. Of course you can change all these settings if you can get into the BIOS, but you can't get into the BIOS since the system won't boot at all with DDR200. So what I'm saying is that since the Pentium 4 400MHz FSB processor is designed to work by default (with no overclocking) at 100MHz x4 FSB, and the memory runs by default at 2xFSB, then is it possible for this system to ever boot since the motherboard does not allow DDR200. Also this motherboard does not have any kind of jumpers on it to allow for manual setting of anything. So is my reasoning correct. If it is then how exactly do the board manufacturers expect the system to boot with a 400MHz FSB CPU, even though they say it supports it. And finally, if my reasoning is true, does this mean that I'll have to get a 533FSB pentium (yes pentium, I'm not angry enough to switch to Athlon but I sure am getting there. Do you know Intel charges for motherboard support...suns o' bitches).

 

[slvr_phoenix]

I'm pretty sure (like 99.999% sure) that your reasoning isn't correct.

The reason that the motherboard doesn't support DDR200 is that the absolute slowest clocking that it will run the memory at is still 133MHz. DDR200 won't run stable at DDR266 speeds, and hence this is why it says no DDR200 support.

Chances are that your problem is stemming from something else. It's possible that when switching parts you accidentally gave a little static shock to a part and fried it. It's also possible that your power supply just isn't adequate to power your system sufficiently. It could be something simple and completely accidental like forgetting to plug in the extra 12v power cable into the motherboard. It could even be plugging the CPU's heat sink/fan into the wrong motherboard header.

There could be a million and one reasons why your system isn't working, but whichever one it is, I'm 99.999% certain that it isn't the reason that you just listed.

<font color=blue><pre>If you don't give me accurate and complete system specs
then I can't give you an accurate and complete answer.</pre><p></font color=blue>