mix vid card ram and base ram

MonKENy

Platinum Member
Nov 1, 2007
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If my pc takes old ddr ram can I use a ddr2 based GPU? The MB is agp as is the card.
 

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
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Originally posted by: MonKENy
If my pc takes old ddr ram can I use a ddr2 based GPU? The MB is agp as is the card.

Sure
Video card memory and system memory are not linked together at all. I have DDR2 system memory and my video card has DDR3.
 

MonKENy

Platinum Member
Nov 1, 2007
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I thought DDR 3 was backwards compatible w/ddr2 anyway..

maybe i misread something somewhere

Anyway thats good, ill let my friend know and see if she wants to pick up a GPU for her system
 

AmberClad

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Jul 23, 2005
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The type of memory used in video cards is GDDR_, not the DDR_ on the RAM modules you stick onto your motherboard.
 

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
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Originally posted by: MonKENy
I thought DDR3 was backwards compatible w/ddr2 anyway..

That doesn't matter with video ram cus the ram is on the video card itself. Has nothing to do with system memory. And you can't use DDR3 in place of DDR2 system memory. Different voltage/notch location. So you have nothing to worry about videoram interfering with your system. They have nothing to do with each other.
 

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
36,041
472
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Originally posted by: AmberClad
The type of memory used in video cards is GDDR_, not the DDR_ on the RAM modules you stick onto your motherboard.

Sorry i forgot the G before since GDDR RAM is totally different than any type of DDR.
 

AmberClad

Diamond Member
Jul 23, 2005
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Yep, and going along with your previous example, my video card uses GDDR5, whereas my motherboard takes DDR2. DDR3 is here, DDR4 is still being worked on by JEDEC last time I checked and is not available to consumers, and DDR5 is non-existent afaik.