PC100 vs. PC133: The NEW standard. Is PNY PC100 PC133-capable?

[CZroe]

Best Buy is selling 256MB sticks of PNY "PC100/133" SDRAM for $49.99... Or so they say. The part number is the exact same as CompUSA's 256MB PNY PC100 (Same price after rebate). PNY's website shows that it is the only PC100 part they carry. The actual model number includes "PC100" in it. Because Best Buy calls it PC100/PC133 and because I have seen several other places sell memory marketed similarly (Capable of both speedsP

Here's the thing: Once upon a time, PC100 & PC133 referred only to the speed of the module. As densities increased, the faster more recent modules were no longer compatible with most older, slower 100MHz FSB boards. Some wouldn't boot & some only recognized half the capacity. Eventually, they began to reference compatability more than speed. 133FSB boards with PC133 should work fine with PC133 but boards with PC100 will probably require a module marked "PC100". Then the SDRAM market got screwed for us because the manufacturers destroyed inventory and jacked up prices. This also meant that nearly all new modules were of the high-density double-sided less-compatible PC133 variety and any modules made to older specifications for compatability charged a steep premium. But because they are still new modules made with new manufacturing processes, I expect them to be PC133-speed capable in every way. Am I right?

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: CZroe
Am I right?

Probably, but who really cares? Anyone still running SDR SDRAM would be better served by getting a new system entirely than upgrading their RAM.

 

[piroroadkill]

I still run SDRAM.

DDR SDRAM.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: piroroadkill
I still run SDRAM.

DDR SDRAM.

Editted my post. Happy? 😛

 

[CZroe]

What do you mean "who cares?" ANY techie encounters people who need SDRAM all the time and the sh!t is WAY too expensive to just carry around extra like people used to do. It's getting harder and harder to find compatible RAM that's cheap. When you spend extra for RAM that's compatible with older boards too, you expect it to be fast enough for the newer boards. This is "toolkit preparation". You get what you need for any situation. If it's not PC133-speed capable, then it's not adequate for a situation that calls for PC133. As far as I can tell, PC100 these days just means that it is "compatible with PC100 boards" and not "only capable of PC100 speeds". I half expect the SPD timing to specify 133MHz! Best Buy called the PC100 part PC100/133 so perhaps they are on to something.

 

[anarchyreigns]

Originally posted by: piroroadkill
I still run SDRAM.

DDR SDRAM.

There is no DDR SDRAM...makes no sense.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: anarchyreigns

Originally posted by: piroroadkill
I still run SDRAM.

DDR SDRAM.

There is no DDR SDRAM...makes no sense.

I believe DDR SDRAM is the proper name for the common DDR memory.

 

[rbV5]

Originally posted by: anarchyreigns

Originally posted by: piroroadkill
I still run SDRAM.

DDR SDRAM.

There is no DDR SDRAM...makes no sense.

Crap I've been running nonsensical ram for ages...Somebody better tell micron too Link

 

[shoRunner]

Originally posted by: CZroe
What do you mean "who cares?" ANY techie encounters people who need SDRAM all the time and the sh!t is WAY too expensive to just carry around extra like people used to do. It's getting harder and harder to find compatible RAM that's cheap. When you spend extra for RAM that's compatible with older boards too, you expect it to be fast enough for the newer boards. This is "toolkit preparation". You get what you need for any situation. If it's not PC133-speed capable, then it's not adequate for a situation that calls for PC133. As far as I can tell, PC100 these days just means that it is "compatible with PC100 boards" and not "only capable of PC100 speeds". I half expect the SPD timing to specify 133MHz! Best Buy called the PC100 part PC100/133 so perhaps they are on to something.

i've used that ram in machines that run both. it works most of the time, but there is almost no such thing as guaranteed 100% compatiblity, that's why companies have return policies, if it doesn't work, return it.

and its not best buy thats calling it pc100/133 its PNY. best buy doesn't make or package memory.

 

[anarchyreigns]

Okay Einstein, DDR stands for double data rate. SDR stands for Single Data Rate. One of you slick mofo's want to tell me how you can have Single (SDR) and Double (DDR) on the same sticks. I thought not.


SDRAM stands for Single Data Rate Random Access, hence the term DDR SDRAM makes no sense. :roll:

 

[Hacp]

Actually the S stands for synchronious, so SD-ram is Synchronious Dram. DDR is double data rate. DDR-SD ram is double data rate synchronious DRAM. Makes perfect sense.

 

[anarchyreigns]

Originally posted by: Hacp
Actually the S stands for synchronious, so SD-ram is Synchronious Dram. DDR is double data rate. DDR-SD ram is double data rate synchronious DRAM. Makes perfect sense.

Yup...you're right. 😱 My bad. <crawls back into his cave supremely embarrassed>

 

[CZroe]

Originally posted by: shoRunner

Originally posted by: CZroe
What do you mean "who cares?" ANY techie encounters people who need SDRAM all the time and the sh!t is WAY too expensive to just carry around extra like people used to do. It's getting harder and harder to find compatible RAM that's cheap. When you spend extra for RAM that's compatible with older boards too, you expect it to be fast enough for the newer boards. This is "toolkit preparation". You get what you need for any situation. If it's not PC133-speed capable, then it's not adequate for a situation that calls for PC133. As far as I can tell, PC100 these days just means that it is "compatible with PC100 boards" and not "only capable of PC100 speeds". I half expect the SPD timing to specify 133MHz! Best Buy called the PC100 part PC100/133 so perhaps they are on to something.

i've used that ram in machines that run both. it works most of the time, but there is almost no such thing as guaranteed 100% compatiblity, that's why companies have return policies, if it doesn't work, return it.

and its not best buy thats calling it pc100/133 its PNY. best buy doesn't make or package memory.

Actually, if you look on PNY's website, they state that they have two different 256MB modules: PC100 (256S100) and PC133 (256S133). No PC100/133. Even though Best Buy's ad and online reflected the PC100 part number, the packaging had "256S100/133" and really was PC100/133.

This seems to confirm that they call it PC100 for compatability reasons even though it's compatible with all PC133 boards and speeds. They do not allude to the "/133" part in case they make batches of PC100 parts that aren't capable of 133MHz.