memory at different timings

[blackacidevil]

When building the wife's PC, i decided to save some coin by purchasing generic RAM.

I first installed 2x512mb PC-3200 DDR "generic" memory, then about a year later, I bought another 2x512mb set. Same price, however this set turned out to be made by Crucial.

The timings for each set are different.

Slot #1/#2 are the unknown brand

Slots #3/#4 are Crucial

Does this matter at all?

 

[BillParrish]

Probally not, but you didnt tell us anything about the wifes machine, its DDR not DDR2 so I assume its a little older chipset.

If you go in the bios and set the timings for 2.5- 4 -4 -8 which is the looser of the two kinds at 166MHz FSB (if I am correct below and you actually are running 166MHz FSB) you should have no trouble.

However if I am understanding the cpu-ID shots and the very first one is the system as it is running with all the ram in it, The FSB is at 166MHz and the board has figured out a compromise that apparently runs well with both. The unknown memory does not have a timing table for 166MHz but the timings the board is using is very close to the 200MHz timings the ram is expecting and the lower operating frequency IMO lets that unknown 200MHz ram rated at 2.5-4-4-8 run just fine at 166MHz 2.5-4-4-7. And the specs of the crucil at 166MHz are tighter/better than 2.5-4-4-7 so it should have no problems either.


If the computer is acting "funny" download a copy of memtest86+ and run that, it that mismatched memory is causing errors a few passes of memtest will tell you quick. Well not so quick but its the best memory tester out there.

http://www.memtest.org/

http://www.memtest.org/download/1.70/memtest86+-1.70.floppy.zip

There is an .iso so you can burn a CD available as well.