Can PC100 RAM be used with KT133a mobos?

[Scoober]

I'm planning on replacing my aged K62-400 with a fast Duron or mid-road T-bird (due to $$$).
I'm kinda confused about the new chipset... Will I NEED to get PC133 or greater RAM right away just to run the system? Or can I use my 2-128mb PC100 DIMMs for now and replace them later?
Thanks for the words of wisdom!

 

[ErikaeanLogic]

I've got a Duron650@943 on an EPoX 8KTA3. The RAM is Infineon PC100 and is rolling along nicely at CAS2@145MHz![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

[Scoober]

Cool. Thanks Busta.

 

[twisted]

The RAM is Infineon PC100 and is rolling along nicely at CAS2@145MHz!

Scoober, you can't rely on your value-priced RAM to run at 133Mhz. It will probably work but it certainly doesn't have to. So watch for instability if using memory bus of 133. But no, you don't have to buy new RAM because depending on the board and chipset, you can unlock your CPU, set the multiplier up and run the bus down to 100Mhz and so use your RAM at the spec speed.

 

[jamester]

Scoober:

Thanks for asking this question. I'm in the same boat - buying a new mobo today, processor hopefully soon on it's way, and didn't want to get rid of my 288MB of PC100 (granted, I'll only be able to take 256 to the new board, but still...)

Had the same question on my mind, did a search, and voila!

Thanks.

James

 

[Scoober]

Thanks for the info, Twisted. I'll keep that in mind if the system is unstable. With the price of RAM these days, I guess I wouldn't mind getting new RAM, but I definitely don't want to if I don't have to.

 

[Peter]

KT133A can run PC100 memory at "legal" speed as long as you are using a 100 MHz bus (DDR for "200" MHz throughput). You can also run the SDRAM bus at 133 MHz then - if your particular mainboard actually offers that chipset feature.

As soon as you switch to a CPU that runs its frontside bus at 133 MHz, you'll also need 133-MHz-capable SDRAM. The KT133A does not have an "SDRAM bus slower than CPU bus" option as do its siblings from the P-III corner.

Regards, Peter