DDR PC2700 RAM

[nboy22]

Can a Motherboard that says it supports DDR PC2700 RAM support DDR PC2100 RAM??? The particular one I'm looking at EP-8K3A, with a KT333CE Chipset.

 

[Technonut]

Yes, you can use PC2100 in place of the PC2700. If you are planning to overclock, you may want to invest in some PC2700 or better.

 

[Heinrich]

So, Techno, when you say "if you are planning to overclock." Well the thought of going through the process to unlock my XP 1900+ for an extra 100 mhz to me doesn't seem worth the trouble. I figure I'll get an upgraded DDR400 AGP 8x mobo and Radeon 9700 or 10000 by the end of the year with DDR400 Ram. I may or may not upgrade processors (probably not.)

Do you really truly think that it would be worth it for me on my current 8K3A+ to replace my 2100 DDR with 2700DDR and go through the trouble of unlocking my Athlon? Would I really notice the difference in games and through real world use, and not just a few hundred points on some obscure benchmark?

 

[Technonut]

Do you really truly think that it would be worth it for me on my current 8K3A+ to replace my 2100 DDR with 2700DDR and go through the trouble of unlocking my Athlon? Would I really notice the difference in games and through real world use, and not just a few hundred points on some obscure benchmark?

Overclocking is a hobby as well as a performance booster. Let me ask you this... What is your FSB set at on the 8K3A+? If not 166 (or above), why have a KT333 mobo? The 8K3A+ has sweet voltage ceilings. With an unlocked processor, good cooling, and quality RAM, it would give a performance boost that you should notice. The same applies if you upgrade to the KT400. I run my AT7 (factory unlocked 1800+ MP) rig at a 212 FSB, which helps very much with memory bandwidth and performance.

Unlocking the XP is not that difficult, and IMHO, worth it to have the ability to lower the multiplier and increase the FSB to get the full benefits of the KT333. (Or KT400 when available) I have unlocked XP processors, but must admit that I usually purchase factory unlocked MPs instead. I do not have to worry about messing with pit filling, and could use them for a dually setup. I would venture to say that you would get more than a extra 100MHz out of your 1900+ if unlocked.

 

[Heinrich]

Thanks for the encouragement. I have overclocked my last two Celerons to make some amazing improvements - I was one of the original 300/450 guys. And my last one was a 600/850. But unlocking the XP would be different. The thing is that I'm really not very good with my hands in this sense. I have a terrible time with do-it-yourself furniture, for instance. I'm very smart but I was an English major. I just put together this silly little cubby hole thing with shelves for papers all wrong twice last weekend (a $25 do it youself in-box type of thing, not even a hutch.) You say that unlocking an Athlon is 'not difficult' but I think that's a relative statement to someone like me :-]

 

[flawedexistence]

Difficult certainly is a relative term. On the positive side, there are a lot of step by step guides out there on how to do the unlock on AMD procs. IMHO however it is a very exacting process. If you make a mistake, you have a useless chunk of silicon. It's not something for the faint-hearted to try. I include myself in that category.

 

[FatClemenza]

The principles and steps involved in unlocking the Athlon XP are fairly simple. Being able to see the L1 bridges is another matter. I thought that I had pretty good eyesight until I tried to unlock one myself, then I realized that I'm almost as blind as a bat!