DDR2 Backwards Compatibility PC5300/PC4300

[Saint Nick]

I'm looking at this 2 x 1GB RAM upgrade and was wondering if I buy this, will my RAM downclock to PC4300 when I install it?

Thanks!

 

[stevty2889]

If you are asking if you CAN run it at a lower speed yes, if you are asking if it will do it by default..well thats kinda hard to know, since you didn't tell us what motherboard and CPU you are using.....

 

[Roguestar]

If that's faster than the default FSB speed then it'll downclock to match it.

 

[stevty2889]

Originally posted by: Roguestar
If that's faster than the default FSB speed then it'll downclock to match it.

Not neccesarily, if the memory runs at higher than the FSB, and the SPD settings are set up right, the motherboard could set it to run at it's stock speeds by default. For example, I have 667mhz DDR-2, fsb is 1066, but when I installed it, the motherboard set the ram to 667, rather than underclocking it to 533 to match the FSB..

 

[Saint Nick]

Its for some Hewlett-Packard proprietary motherboard manufactured by Quanta. Processor is a 3.4GHz Prescott.

This is a laptop, by the way.

 

[stevty2889]

Originally posted by: NightDarker
Its for some Hewlett-Packard proprietary motherboard manufactured by Quanta. Processor is a 3.4GHz Prescott.

This is a laptop, by the way.

Yikes a 3.4ghz prescott in a laptop?? More than likely it will run the ram at 400 or 533mhz rather than 667mhz, it's doubtful a laptop with a P4 is going to have a new enough motherboard to run the mem at 667.

 

[pradeep1]

Originally posted by: stevty2889

Originally posted by: Roguestar
If that's faster than the default FSB speed then it'll downclock to match it.

Not neccesarily, if the memory runs at higher than the FSB, and the SPD settings are set up right, the motherboard could set it to run at it's stock speeds by default. For example, I have 667mhz DDR-2, fsb is 1066, but when I installed it, the motherboard set the ram to 667, rather than underclocking it to 533 to match the FSB..

Please help me understand, is that a good thing or bad thing if it clocks to 667 when using the 1066 FSB? Will this cause the RAM to mess up?

 

[herbiehancock]

Depends on the motherboard. Had an HP laptop that was running at an FSB of 1066..........but the RAM ran at 667. Why? Because, explained buried deep inside their owner's manual, was the reason....the memory was clocked higher to accommodate the speed for optimal operation of the onboard video graphics. The manual also said the video would work quite well with the RAM at 533, but optimal RAM speed was 667, and that's what they put in and what it ran at.

So, a lot depends upon what the mb is looking for and why.

And, no, it won't mess anything up....unless your RAM is incapable of running at that speed.