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Are these compatable?

D

deadman_uk

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jun 30, 2003
Messages
2,036
Im going to buy a new cpu and motherboard and just want to double check to see if all this is compatable together and with my ram.

I have 2 sticks of 512mb DDR PC3200 ram, they are both different manufactures but both are pc3200.

I want to buy the Athlon 64bit 3500+ Winchester 939 and i want the MSI K8N Neo 2 Platinum (MB-027-MS).

Im almost certain the motherboard will support the processor but i just want to make sure before i buy it.

I also want to make sure my RAM will be happy with this motherboard and CPU.

So can anyone tell me please?

thanks
 
sometimes having RAM from two different companies causes problems with dual channel...but it should work in single channel at least
 
That's a real tossup, combining memory from different brands is always trial and error, nobody could say with complete certainty . . .

That said, I'd bet it'll work, but you'll probably have to run very loose timings, or even lower the memclock to 166 (in reality a 5:6 divider, at 240FSB you're back to 200 on the memory, just FYI)

My advice would be to try it, and if it refuses to work/is not fast enough, sell off the sticks separately and buy a decent brand 1GB kit, which is not terribly expensive right now.
 
the reason i said its 2 different brands is because i bought one stick of 512 then a few months later i bought another stick. CPUZ only recognizes one of the ram stick brands, it doesnt recognize the other.

Why is having 2 different brand sticks bad?
What is dual channel? and how does this compare to single channel?

maybe these screenshots that ive just taken could help... it has all the ram details on it...

cpuz1.JPG


cpuz2a.JPG


cpuz2b.JPG
 
Yea, hard to say with the dual chanel stuff. I have 2 sticks of no-name PC-2100 memory in my dad's Barton 2500+/MSI K7N2 Delta-L Nforce 2 Ultra 400 mobo running in dual chanel mode with no problems so I guess like the poster above said, trrial and error.
 
can you tell if ill be alright with dual channel by the 3 screenshots ive posted?
 
you'll have to try it...also what processor do you have? just out of curiosity..
 
deadman_uk said:
Why is having 2 different brand sticks bad?
Click to expand...
Because different brand sticks have different RAM chips and different PCB's with differing electrical and switching characteristics . . . err, you get the idea. Basically, since current DRAM is accessed in parallel with all sticks being fed the same clock, you want them to respond as closely as possible to maintain stability.


deadman_uk said:
What is dual channel? and how does this compare to single channel?
Click to expand...
Socket939 chips utilize a 128bit (or 64bit x2) memory controller, which accesses two 64-bit banks in parallel to double the theoretical bandwidth. The A64 having a very efficient memory controller, you usually get > ~75% bandwidth by operating in dual channel mode (as opposed to single channel). The effect this has on real-world performance varies, but why shortchange your processor? :D

One thing that should help - since your sticks have different programmed SPD timings, make sure and manually set the timings in the BIOS. Other than that it's pretty much a crapshoot, so good luck!
 
but why shortchange your processor?
Click to expand...
shortchange? what do you mean?

since your sticks have different programmed SPD timings, make sure and manually set the timings in the BIOS. Other than that it's pretty much a crapshoot, so good luck!
Click to expand...
What does SPD timings mean?

Where abouts in the bios would i change the timings? and what should i change the timings to? i dont even know what timings mean. Also what do you mean by crapshoot?
 
By shortchange, I mean there's no point in limiting the processor's memory bandwidth by using only one channel. In fact, if dual channel is not important to you I would consider a Socket754 A64, since it is more likely both your sticks will work.

SPD or "Serial Presence Detect" is the information encoded in the EEPROM chip on the memory stick - it tells the memory controller what timing parameters to set. You can override those timings in the BIOS by choosing "Manual" instead of "SPD" or turning off "Use SPD" or however your BIOS labels the setting - check the board's manual.

Timings explained: http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=873

By crapshoot I mean it's a gamble. Go to Vegas, go to a craps table, place a bet and roll the dice - that's a crapshoot.
 
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