Problems with adding RAM

[TyKoN]

I just got some new ram recently, I think it's working because it shows up when I click on My Computer and Properties but for some reason I seem to be freezing up in games that played smoothly before.

The new RAM I got is PC3200 but I think my computer is supposed to have PC2700, would that be a problem?

 

[TyKoN]

Bump. Help please, for some reason I keep crashing when I play Warcraft III.

 

[Pwnbroker]

Try downloading and running memtest. It'll tell you if there's a problem with your RAM.

 

[Lemon law]

To TyKoN,

While Pwnbroker is 100% correct on memtest86, there is a lot more to ram than just the PC3200 specification and its presumed 184 pins. To start out there is ECC or non ECC, low density and high density, single or dual channel, and then there is the matter of ram timing and your computer bios. Then on top of that, some ram is just not going to like your motherboard and some perfectly good ram just is going to not like running with some other perfectly good ram. And when ram does not like other ram, its will either down clock the lot or cause all kinds of unpredictable results. And Memtest86
may not be in itself the right tool---all it will tell you is that you have or do not have memory errors at the speed you are running--so I would also recommend downloading cpu-z and everest 2.2 which are both free and will output data on ram timings.

And if you are going to solve your ram problems---you will have to gasp self educate your self on ram issues or go into a lot more detail on what you have. But some bios setting changes may be needed or you may come to the sad realization that you bought a ram stick or two that you should not have. Or you may find you just bought a defective ram stick.

But to directly answer your question----PC3200 ram SHOULD down clock to PC2700. But the devil is always in the details.