THANKS!!!!! can you mix ram?? ............RDRAM THAT IS??

tkim

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 2000
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for rdram, can you mix ecc with nonecc?? i have ecc but to get a matching stick to make a pair will cost me over 150 as opposed to non ecc costing 80 bucks!!
 

MrCoyote

Golden Member
Oct 9, 1999
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I'm not sure about RDRAM, since you have to install them in pairs. But with regular SDRAM/DDR, if you mix ECC with non-ECC, you need to turn off ECC in the BIOS.
 

tkim

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 2000
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right now, i have one stick of 128...i have one of those "fake sticks" to make the pair. i really want to buy another to make 128 but i'm not sure if mixing and matching is good. please help!!
 

LuciferHaze

Banned
Mar 17, 2001
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You don't need ECC SDRAM unless your running a server of some kind. Stick with non-ECC SDRAM and save money.
 

formulav8

Diamond Member
Sep 18, 2000
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RDRAM I'm pretty sure has to be in pairs. If you want 256megs of ram you would need 2 128meg sticks. If you want 512megs you would need 2 256meg sticks. You may want to ask someone that has a P4 to be sure.


Jason
 

tkim

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 2000
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i have 128 in one stick....can i use any kind of ram for the second?>?
 

tigerbait

Diamond Member
Jan 8, 2001
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I am pretty sure you can. Just disable the ECC in the bios for the other sticl. I'd recommend getting the brand, at least. And since you have a pIII with 820 mobo, you do not need to install ram in pairs like everyone is telling you.
 

tkim

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 2000
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are you sure???? the mobo combo i bought can with the ram, proc, and mobo. it had a stick if ram and a terminator. are you saying that i dont need the terminator??
 

nyati

Member
Sep 21, 2000
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You need the terminator (CRIMM) if you only have one stick of RDRAM. If you fill the second RIMM slot with another RAM module, you will have no need for the terminator. You can use any size RDRAM RIMM you can buy, and it can be ECC, but you won't be able to use the ECC function if you keep the first 128M RIMM that is already installed. As it is a i820 motherboard you do not have to install matching pairs of RIMMs, but ALL RIMM slots must have either a RDRAM module, or a terminator installed to complete the electrical curcuit.
 

tkim

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 2000
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so i am wrong in assuming that RDRAM has to be MATCHING PAIRS??

so right now, i have 128...can i stick in a 64 to make a pair??
 

Noriaki

Lifer
Jun 3, 2000
13,640
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On dual channel Rambus boards you need to install RIMMs in pairs.
That's the i840 and i850 chipsets. You have an i820 single channel Rambus chipset. You do not need to worry about pairs.

It's my understanding that you can use ECC and non-ECC together, but you have to run it in non-ECC mode.

You certainly can't run non-ECC in ECC mode.
 

Cerebus451

Golden Member
Nov 30, 2000
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You should be able to mix and match within a pair.

People get confused on this. RDRAM always has to be in pairs. The confusion sets in on the 840 and 850 chipsets. These chipsets actually require 2 pairs of chips (i.e. all 4 slots full) since the chipsets have 2 RDRAM channels. For the 840 and 850, the 2 pairs must match (i.e. if one pair is a 128 and a 64, the other must also be a 128 and a 64).

When making pairs of RDRAM RIMMs you can substitute a CRIMM (continuity RIMM) in place of an actual RDRAM RIMM to complete the pair.

So, within a pair, you can mix and match and should be able to have 1 ECC 1 non-ECC so long as you have ECC disabled in the BIOS. I am not positive on this, though. Also, you can have a 128 and a 64 as the pair.
 

tkim

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 2000
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thanks all!!!! now i think i can get a buddy to hook me up with a 64 stick....hopefully all will go well when i stick it in with the 128!!