please help, RAM speeds

[Agent_J]

If i bought PC133 SDRAM for my mobo which based on the Intel 440LX which supports PC66 SDRAM, would the PC133 SDRAM still work on it, but at a lower speed (66)?

edit: oops, i read the FAQ and it looks like SDRAM is backwards compatible right?
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Agent_J on 12/26/03 03:37 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[bum_jcrules]

Yes. The JEDEC SDR-SDRAM standards are backwards compatible. You can stick a PC133 module in a 440LX board butit would only run at PC66 speeds.





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[Crashman]

SDRAM is backwards compatable, but the chances of you finding low density PC133 by accident are slim. LX/BX/TX support a memory limit of 16MB/chip, so that the max allowed is 256MB/module requiring 16-chips to make it.

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[Agent_J]

oh, what about this one crashman?

http://www.ultraproducts.com/categories/Memory/SDRAM/PC133.shtml

 

[Crashman]

Nope, that's an 8 chip product, would be read at 1/2 size. If you want PC133 for a BX/LX/ZX/EX/TX chipset, go to www.crucial.com and buy some for an Abit BE6-2.

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[Agent_J]

thanks crashman, i see 2 types of PC133 SDRAM for the same prices, but with 1 difference in specs, one has "CL=3" and the other one has "CL=2", what does that mean and which one is betteer?

edit: looks like CL=2 is better

 

[Agent_J]

SDRAM is backwards compatable, but the chances of you finding low density PC133 by accident are slim. LX/BX/TX support a memory limit of 16MB/chip, so that the max allowed is 256MB/module requiring 16-chips to make it.

and ultra memory:

Nope, that's an 8 chip product, would be read at 1/2 size. If you want PC133 for a BX/LX/ZX/EX/TX chipset, go to www.crucial.com and buy some for an Abit BE6-2.

what's the difference between an 8 chip and 16 chip RAM and how can one tell the difference?

 

[Crashman]

CL2 is better. But the old RAM might be CL3. You can mix these as long as you put the CL3 RAM in the first slot.

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[Crashman]

Wow, I know I posted a response, I wonder where it went?

I know that memory from seeing it in a store. That's why I know it's 8 chip.

Since BX/LX/etc can only see 16MB/chip, it would read an 8 chip 256MB module as a 128MB module.

Higher density RAM is cheaper to produce, hence the compatable stuff is harder to find. That's why I suggest Crucial.com

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[Agent_J]

ohh, but technically, would it still be compatible then except it only uses it at 1/2 of its full capacity?

 

[Crashman]

Usually. Most boards will use a module fine at 1/2 size, but some won't.

Again I recommend you simply buy memory for a BX chipset from Crucial, to be sure you're getting memory of low enough density that the entire module can be read.

You could try getting a 512MB module from Ultra and see if it's read as 256MB, but why risk that it isn't?

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