Using DDR2

**loninappleton** · 07-30-2007, 01:41 PM

I have 2 stickls of 512 DDR2 memory.

Aside from the mobo manual is there some definitive place on installation of this stuff for ... what? ... high performance DDR2 or standard performances 1024?

All those colored slots have me confused.

I will be getting a new m/b shortly and am going to populate it with these 2 sticks I got on deal.

Is there an advantage to one install over another? Same color slot/ opposite color slot/ first band, second bank.

**Doby** · 07-30-2007, 08:41 PM

You are going to have to tell us what motherboard you are getting, most of the time you install the ram in the same color slot for dual channel but the ram should be a matched pair but there are some boards I think msi for one when this does not apply.

This is why we need to know the motherboard manufactuer and model number.
We also need to know the same for the ram, provide a link if possible

**loninappleton** · 07-31-2007, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doby

You are going to have to tell us what motherboard you are getting, most of the time you install the ram in the same color slot for dual channel but the ram should be a matched pair but there are some boards I think msi for one when this does not apply.

Well I'm looking at getting another Mach speed board with AMD.

This is why we need to know the motherboard manufactuer and model number.

One like this or similar:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...=MBM-MSNV-3800

We also need to know the same for the ram, provide a link if possible

RAM is

Kingston PC2-5300 667 Mhz DDR2

http://www.kingston.com/

I cannot believe there is anything special about matched sets at the
manufacture level. But if so, I can use these in the second slot (?).

**twajetmech** · 07-31-2007, 01:57 AM

What is special about matched sets is that they are "matched" at the factory to be identical in performance, voltage requirements, latancies etc. Even chips out of the same batch will vary in performance, thus most mfg's bin their chips to determine what speeds, latancies and voltages a particuar chip will run best at This ensures that when used in a dual channel set up there will be no incompatabilities that could arise. Adding the other two unmatched dimms to the matched pair could do two things, cause you default to the lowest speed and latencies of the slowest dimm or cause a failure to boot. Despite the fact that over time memory mfg will continue to use the same p/n for a memory module the actual memory chips will usually change as price and availability dictate, thus the module you bought a year ago with say micron chips may carry the same p/n a year from now and use inferion chips. Also the link you provided does not work.

**loninappleton** · 07-31-2007, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twajetmech

What is special about matched sets is that they are "matched" at the factory to be identical in performance, voltage requirements, latancies etc. Even chips out of the same batch will vary in performance, thus most mfg's bin their chips to determine what speeds, latancies and voltages a particuar chip will run best at This ensures that when used in a dual channel set up there will be no incompatabilities that could arise. Adding the other two unmatched dimms to the matched pair could do two things, cause you default to the lowest speed and latencies of the slowest dimm or cause a failure to boot. Despite the fact that over time memory mfg will continue to use the same p/n for a memory module the actual memory chips will usually change as price and availability dictate, thus the module you bought a year ago with say micron chips may carry the same p/n a year from now and use inferion chips. Also the link you provided does not work.

Hmmmm. Well the link was just o Kingston which a common brand.

Thanks for the news and explanation. One plan I had was to hold on to these sticks and then trade them back for some standard memory that
a 478 board can handle. I'll need to do that within 30 days, so hoping for a deal to show up at Best buy which was the purchase point.

If DDR2 is not matched will they work as 512 and 512 for 1028 plain vanilla and how are those installed in the colored slots? Kingston must have sold them for _something_.

?

07-30-2007, 01:41 PM	#1 (permalink)
loninappleton TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 727 OS: Win2k, XP	Using DDR2 I have 2 stickls of 512 DDR2 memory. Aside from the mobo manual is there some definitive place on installation of this stuff for ... what? ... high performance DDR2 or standard performances 1024? All those colored slots have me confused. I will be getting a new m/b shortly and am going to populate it with these 2 sticks I got on deal. Is there an advantage to one install over another? Same color slot/ opposite color slot/ first band, second bank.

07-30-2007, 08:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
Doby Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Central PA (USA) Posts: 8,077 OS: XP sp2/ Vista My System	Re: Using DDR2 You are going to have to tell us what motherboard you are getting, most of the time you install the ram in the same color slot for dual channel but the ram should be a matched pair but there are some boards I think msi for one when this does not apply. This is why we need to know the motherboard manufactuer and model number. We also need to know the same for the ram, provide a link if possible __________________ Would you like to help TSF fight cancer and other diseases??? JOIN TEAM TSF

07-31-2007, 01:57 AM	#4 (permalink)
twajetmech I helped the forums. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: LGA, NYC Posts: 2,388 OS: XP-Pro Sp2 & XP-Pro Sp2 Tablet Edition, Vista Ultimate My System	Re: Using DDR2 What is special about matched sets is that they are "matched" at the factory to be identical in performance, voltage requirements, latancies etc. Even chips out of the same batch will vary in performance, thus most mfg's bin their chips to determine what speeds, latancies and voltages a particuar chip will run best at This ensures that when used in a dual channel set up there will be no incompatabilities that could arise. Adding the other two unmatched dimms to the matched pair could do two things, cause you default to the lowest speed and latencies of the slowest dimm or cause a failure to boot. Despite the fact that over time memory mfg will continue to use the same p/n for a memory module the actual memory chips will usually change as price and availability dictate, thus the module you bought a year ago with say micron chips may carry the same p/n a year from now and use inferion chips. Also the link you provided does not work. __________________ PSU Selection/Info // Bench test // Thermal Paste // Memory Selection // Bios Beep Codes // CPU-Z// Posting System Specs