Is it really a PC2700 or not ????

[mastabog]

Hello guys,

Well this might sound a little bit stupid, but im gonna take that risk.
How can i tell if my memory is really a PC2700 and not a PC2100? How can i tell if it really runs at 333Mhz and not 266Mhz.

This is what i did: bought a Samsung 512Mb PC2700 ... BUT the pcb is not an original Samsung ... its another noname crap. The chips seems to be genuine Samsung. I have a Gigabyte GA-7VRXP (supports DDR333) and hooked up the "Samsung" and i was able to run it at CAS 2 without problems. Note that i did not overclock anything. I left all sets as normal (133Mhz bus, selected 333Mhz for memory in bios, etc etc).

I tried with Sisoft Sandra to see some detected features/speed/etc and saw that the memory was running at 266Mhz. Is this strange or is it normal because the bus is at 266? Sandra returned this for the memory:
Bank 0: 256MB DDR-SDRAM 7-1-1-1R 4-1-1-1W 2.0-3-3CL 1CMD
Bank 1: 256MB DDR-SDRAM 7-1-1-1R 4-1-1-1W 2.0-3-3CL 1CMD
Bank Interleave: 4-way
Speed: 2x133Mhz (266Mhz data rate)
Multiplier 1/1x

Can any1 tell me of a way to find out for sure if my DDR is a true PC2700? From the Sandra readings above, should i understand that it is NOT a true PC2700?

And another question ... If i was able to run it at CAS 2, should i worry about its quality/speed?

Thanks for any help,
BoG

 

[John]

Post the chip markings and I will tell you what you have.

 

[Boobers]

The best way is to buy from a reputable dealer. Sandra won't really tell you what speed the memory is capable of. At best, it'll tell you what speed it's currently running (what it's set to in the BIOS).

 

[pillage2001]

<< Post the chip markings and I will tell you what you have. >>



This is the only way to verify what it really is.

 

[mastabog]

Chip markings:

K4H560838C-TCB3

But i already checked them and they are indeed markings for a Samsung pc27000. The problem is the PCB is a no name PCB and can f*** up the speed.
Is there an utility that can recognize the KT333 and tell you if the DDR is running at 2x166Mhz ?? (does anyone know the HWinfo proggy? ... it detected 166MHz).

I went to the Sisoft's page and the current version of Sandra does not recognize the KT333 nor PC2700 DDR on KT333.

I just want to make sure this thing i have runs at 166Mhz because time is running out for RMAing soon.
Thanks

 

[mboy]

I was undewr the impression that they have not come up with a tru DDR333 standard yet and that all Pc2700 was overclocked 2100?

 

[NurseMSIC]

This is my first post in this forum, so forgive me if i either point out the obvoius or dont see something, but.....

Surely RAM is only PC 2700 is that it is POTENTIALLY CAPABLE of running at 333Mhz, and in fact doesnt actually RUN at that speed on its own. Certainly when i hold a stick of RAM in my hand, its not running at any Mhz at all!
So with that in mind, do you not have to set your motherboard, through the BIOS, to tell it to run at 333Mhz??
Have you done this, as i got the impression that you just stuck it in and expected it to run fast.
Hope this helps!

 

[NurseMSIC]

Damnit, i just re-read your original post, and you had set your BIOS.
Sorry, so sorry.....
I'll skulk off elsewhere....

 

[mastabog]

Lol .. you're funny. Im not a noob btw.

For the guys who answered till now:
Guys .. i checked the stick ... its a genuine TwinMOS (for some the brand might not tell much but after some research i found out they kick ass in speed and overclocking). I haven't YET unlocked my new 1800+ XP but i was able to kick it up to 150MHz without unlocking it and i obtained some nice results compared to other 150MHz overclocked boards.
I've done some research and saw the markings are Samsung genuine for PC2700 CL2.5 (but everywhere i've read the ram works in CL2 perfectly). Here is a pic that shows them: http://www.vr-zone.com/reviews/Memory/HighPerfDDR/Samsung/Samsung-PC2700.jpg
This is not my stick but the chips have exactly the same markings

Here is a link of TwinMOS PC2700 outperforming many other big brands: http://www.hardwareluxx.de/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=6&t=000013&p=

My fault was that i didnt took a close look at the stick when i bought it, but remembered it didnt had SAMSUNG written all over it and then saw a thread in a forum where peeps complained about fake samsung pc2700 sticks and i got somehow scared. The thread is talking about fake samsung memory selling at GOOGLEGEAR (maybe some of you wanna buy memory from there): http://www.asusboards.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15951&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

I still want a software tool which can identify the memory because sandra needs updating.Sandra doesnt recognize KT333 nor PC2700 DDR SDRAM ... heres an extract from their website:
)."Erratas: Here is the list of known issues with the current 2002 version (also see FAQ for more information):
VIA KT333 Chipset: Detected as KT266/A since it has the same ID. Also, 2x 166MHz memory speed detected incorrectly as 2x 133MHz, the 133/166 multiplier is not supported. (no fix)"

Smth off-topic: I came to the coclusion that reading forums before buying something (or right after you did it) might confuse the hell out of you. I saw guys asking opinions about a mobo before buying it and all the next posts where 50% about the mobo being crap and 50% about the mobo kicking ass. Poor guy .. i think he just kept his old parts
These forums, and the internet, if like seeking true information out of gaussian noise when it comes to finding user opinions about a product (which is kind of natural and expected).

Thanks for the posts
Cyas around