Anyone know the truth about RAM

[Zebo]

Are they really different chips? Does Crucial set up and make X amount of PC2700 then Y amount of PC3200 then Z amount of PC3500? Some guy at work indicated they are all spun off the same line and only the labels are different. This can't be true or everyone would be buying PC2700 then OC'ing to PC3200 or even PC3500 speeds. RIGHT?

He also says this is the same for processors. A 2500+ barton is the same as 2800+ barton but for the label and perhaps the multiplier if the company chooses to select it.

What do you think? All made the same on the same line or not.

 

[NTB]

I would think the chips are speed-binned, the way processors are. There may be minor differences in construction, but they can't be much. Anybody else have any better ideas?

Nate

 

[smittybg]

hes kind of right. They have a batch of cilicone and then they see how high they can make the clock speed and then with the chips that arenot perfect they underclock and sell. Kind of like the ATI 9800Se i, if you have payed any atention to those threads. That is how it works for cpu's - i think its the same for memory too. You cant always OC this stuff beacuse it might not be stable even though it came out of the same batch

 

[egale]

Thats what I figure too. The chips that test better are labeled faster and the ones that don't test as well are labeled slower. Unless yields are so good that all the chips test the same, then maybe the chips are randomly labeled lower just to meet the demand in the market for the slower, cheaper chips.

 

[lordtyranus2]

Most likely. I was able to take some generic PC2700 RAM and run it and PC3200 speeds at default voltage. I don't know how common this is, but it seems to hint towards joint assembly.