p4S533 memory question

[pekstein]

Ok, I just recently bought a P4S533 from newegg along with some Samsung pc2700 memory (256mb). On the Asus website it says "Memory 3 x DDR DIMM Sockets Max. 3GB unbuffered PC2700 /PC2100 /PC1600 DDR DRAM (PC 2700 Max. to 4 banks only)" I dont understand the "(PC 2700 Max. to 4 banks only)" part. Now, im pretty sure that the memory i bought has "4 banks".
it says so right here:
http://samsungelectronics.com/semiconductors/DRAM/DDR_SDRAM_Module/Unbuffered_DIMM/M368L3223CTL/m368l3223ctl.htm

So, does that mean that i wont be able to buy any more pc2700 memory and put it in my board because ive reached the "4 bank" max? or does that just mean that i cant buy memory sticks with over 4 banks? i had planned on buying a 512mb stick of pc2700 a few years from now and putting it in my board along with the 256mb stick i already have. will i still be able to do this?

 

[pr497]

banks is equal to 2 dimms slots on your motherboard...
the reason they have the "Memory 3 x DDR DIMM Sockets Max. 3GB unbuffered PC2700 /PC2100 /PC1600 DDR DRAM (PC 2700 Max. to 4 banks" part is because sis boards have stability issue when running ram at pc2700 speeds with 3 dimm slots (6 banks)....so sis limited the use of pc2700 speed ram modules to only 4 banks (2 dimm slots)...

So, does that mean that i wont be able to buy any more pc2700 memory and put it in my board

no...you will have one more available dimm slot to use at pc2700 speeds...id say...if you want more ram...you best be getting the 512mb stick of pc2700 ram (samsung preferably) in addition with your current 256mb of ram...

<b>Who fixed <font color=red>ATI</font color=red>'s leaky faucet??</b>

 

[pr497]

oh...i forgot to mention...if you do use all 3 dimms (6 banks)...your ram will be limited to pc2100 speeds max.

<b>Who fixed <font color=red>ATI</font color=red>'s leaky faucet??</b>

 

[pekstein]

ahh, that helps a lot. thanks

<i> I once thought I had mono for an entire year, it turned out I was just really bored. </i>

 

[Black_Cat]

Hey pekstein, which processor are you using with that board? Are you going to overclock it? If so, let me know the results. I have the same board as you with a 1.6a overclocked to 2.4. I have 512MB of Corsair PC3200 RAM and it's stable but I can't do better than 1:1 cpu/memory frequency. I'm thinking it might be the Corsair RAM. So far I don't believe it has been approved for use in this board by Asus.

To start press any key. Where's the "any" key? --Homer Simpson.

 

[AMD_Man]

That's awful! You should be able to get 450MHz DDR out of that Corsair! Maybe it's the PSU?

<b><i>"A penny saved is a penny earned!"</i></b>

 

[Black_Cat]

I've got the Enermax 550W. Is it because it's the 1.6a?

To start press any key. Where's the "any" key? --Homer Simpson.

 

[pekstein]

black cat,

well, here's the thing. i dont even have the board yet! i ordered it a few days ago along with the rest of my system. and i ordered the 1.6A as well. and yes i plan to overclock to around 2.4. my friend is going to help me do this, as i am fairly new to computer building, but i will let you know the results. my powersupply is only 350W (antec), though.

also, how do you know if your memory is approved for the board? is it on the asus website? i guess it doesnt matter now anyway since i already bought the memory...

<i> Garth, marriage is punishment for shoplifting in some countries. </i>

 

[pr497]

i think its just the memory...ive read posts at <A HREF="http://www.asusboards.com" target="_new">asusboards.com</A> and corsair pc3200 memory isnt very reliable...

<b>Who fixed <font color=red>ATI</font color=red>'s leaky faucet??</b>

 

[Black_Cat]

According to the manual the qualified vendor list should be on the Asus site. I searched around but couldn't find it. I downloaded the manual but it appears to be the same manual I got with the board. The list of qualified RAM is a very short one. None of the RAM listed is even 512MB. I'm going to pick up some Micron RAM tomorrow and see how it works and I'll let you know the results.

To start press any key. Where's the "any" key? --Homer Simpson.

 

[Black_Cat]

I think you might be right about the RAM. Perhaps a future BIOS update will help. In the meantime, I'm going to try some Micron RAM.

To start press any key. Where's the "any" key? --Homer Simpson.

 

[pekstein]

Well, i couldnt find a qualified memory list on the asus website for the P4S533. BUT i did find one for the P4S333. you may have already read it. its very short, but here's the link:

http://usa.asus.com/mb/socket478/p4s333/faq.htm

<i> Garth, marriage is punishment for shoplifting in some countries. </i>

 

[pr497]

the best memory to use for the P4Sx33 would probably be samsung pc2700...it seems to work very well on those boards...not only that...it can be overclocked to up to 400 mhz (200mhz ddr).

<b>Who fixed <font color=red>ATI</font color=red>'s leaky faucet??</b>

 

[pekstein]

pr497,

do you have a p4s533? if so, what kind of memory do you use? im getting a 256mb stick of samsung pc2700. i hope its enough, maybe i should have gotten 512mb. oh well

<i> Garth, marriage is punishment for shoplifting in some countries. </i>

 

[pr497]

do you have a p4s533? if so, what kind of memory do you use?

no...i dont have one but i do have a P4S333...its the original sis645 chipset...but ive flashed the BIOS with the P4S533 BIOS...so i have all the feature of the P4S533 on my P4S333...and im using the crap-sir-lot ocz pc2700 ram...this ram is ok at stock speeds but it wont overclock well...right now...my ram is running at about 354mhz (177 ddr)...but my timings are at 2.5-4-4-7...which are terrible...if i even change it to 2.5-3-3-6...i get random program crashes....this ram cant even do 2-2-2 at 133...all i know is that i wont buy ocz anymore.
right now...im just waiting for samsung to come out with pc3200 memory at cas2...until then...ill be dealing with my sad memory...
anyways...256mb of ram is ok...thats the recommended minimum ram you should get (in my opinion)...but the next time you upgrade...you may want to buy 512mb of ram in addition to your existing 256mb.

hey...check it out...im a <i>nimble knuckle</i> now

<b>Who fixed <font color=red>ATI</font color=red>'s leaky faucet??</b>

 

[pekstein]

pr497
congratulations on the promotion.

and yes i had planned on upgrading with a 512mb stick of ram to give me a whopping total of 768mb of pc2700 ram in about a year or so.

and why did you buy ocz ram? i havent heard anything good about them. was it so cheap that you couldnt resist?

<i> Garth, marriage is punishment for shoplifting in some countries. </i>

 

[pr497]

and why did you buy ocz ram? i havent heard anything good about them. was it so cheap that you couldnt resist?

one reason...ocz pc2700 ram was the only ram i can find that was pc2700 at the time...kingmax had pc2700 but they were always out of stock....so i decided to give ocz a try...which was and still is a bad idea.

<b>Who fixed <font color=red>ATI</font color=red>'s leaky faucet??</b>

 

[pekstein]

aah, a victim of circumstance.

<i> Garth, marriage is punishment for shoplifting in some countries. </i>

 

[Black_Cat]

I called my local warehouse and they are out of stock completely of PC2700 RAM. I think I'm going to wait for CL2 PC3200 from Samsung as well. For now, my system is stable at 2.4GHz with the RAM timings at their max so I won't complain. Well, maybe a little. :lol:

To start press any key. Where's the "any" key? --Homer Simpson.

 

[LeftCoaster]

I'm planning on building a computer with the Asus P4S533, too. Probably will use a P4a 1.6 or maybe spring for a 2.0.

Plan to buy 512 of Samsung pc 2700 DDR. What are the pros and cons of getting it in one module of 512, or two modules of 256?

Price at NewEgg is almost the same.