First, would it work? Second, would there be a point?

[Adam8281]

I ordered parts for a new system yesterday. I'll be running Vista x64 with 4 gigs of RAM (2x2GB Corsair DDR2800 PC6400). The processor will be an E8400, which runs natively at a FSB of 333 Mhz (thus a native RAM speed of DDR2667 PC5300). I have a few 1 GB sticks of Super Talent DDR2667 PC5300 RAM sitting around, and I'm thinking of dropping two of them in the free slots of the MoBo, thus ending up with 6GB of RAM: 4GB PC6400, and 2GB PC5300. I'm wondering:

a) Assuming no overclocking, could the system run two sets of differently clocked RAM?

b) If the system could run this RAM, is there a way to set a multiplier JUST on the PC6400 RAM, so that it is running at full rated speed, while the PC5300 RAM is running at its rated speed?

c) Assuming the system can run this RAM, is there any point, whatsoever, to doing so?

Thanks for the help

 

[egale]

I believe that if it would run, it would all run at the speed of the slowest ram. With Vista 64, you will be able to use all the ram but with all the ram running slower, I am not sure what benefit the extram will be.

 

[BlueAcolyte]

The extra RAM will help... With Intel CPUs there is little to no gain from 667 to 800. If you think you need more RAM (why not?) then go ahead and put it in. The only thing is that if you decide to OC, then the DDR2-667 RAM will have to overclock itself to keep up with FSB.

 

[ss284]

Honestly, unless you are working on huge print designs in adobe, or editing high def video, 4gb of ram is more than enough for anything.

 

[Adam8281]

Thanks, good to know. I'm basically running games, and I like to keep plenty of Firefox tabs open in the background. I think I'll try the 4GB for a while, and if I feel like things could be better, I'll try it with the 6. I don't really know what to do with the 4GB of PC5300 RAM that I have other than hang it from my rearview mirror. I bought it when it fell to $60/gig, as that was the lowest price I had EVER seen on RAM at the time - a little over a year ago. I wasn't building a system, but thought I'd hold on to the RAM as prices were sure to go back up to "normal" in the future. Well, obviously that didn't happen, and now the RAM is worth so little that it probably isn't even worth selling. Oh well...