Computer memory question

Pilsburry · Post by **Pilsburry** » September 24, 2003, 3:23 pm

BACKGROUND
My oldest machine is a P3-600 with 512m ram (2x256 PC-133).
I have a AMD 1.4ghz chip laying around.
I have a 256m PC-2100 chip I just found in my parts pile (but my main machines slots are full)

I am considering getting a MB for $40-50 +shipping that can use the 1.4Ghz chip and the PC-133 ram (More PC-133 ram will be in my parts pile soon I think).

----------------------------
QUESTION
What are the chances I can mix PC-133 and the PC-2100 chip? Is that possible? I don't mind if the PC-2100 will actlike PC-133...I just want the other 256m ram if possible...in any form.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » September 24, 2003, 3:26 pm

You can't use sdram and ddr on the same board, the slots are physically different.

Ajran · Post by **Ajran** » September 24, 2003, 3:29 pm

The motherboard i have has 2 sdram slots and 2 DDR slots.. however i can only use one type of memory or the other.. not both at the same time

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » September 24, 2003, 3:41 pm

chickenfucker!

If you get any kind of decent MB it will most likely only take the PC2100 memory (they're up to PC4000 500Mhz now btw) Sounds like you just want a cheapo computer so you should buy a piece of shit MB and the cheapest PC2100 256MB ram you can find and enjoy your new MB with 512mb.

Pilsburry · Post by **Pilsburry** » September 24, 2003, 4:17 pm

I found this....
http://www.matrixsurplus.com/commerce/c ... 4429781164

$35 it has 2 DDR slots and 3 SDRAM slots...it supports up to AMD 2600+ XP Which means it will hold the AMD 1900+ chip that is next in line for retirement....and even some of the ram that is in that machine too! hehe.

I'm going to do it....

I dunno if I can use both sets of slots DDR and SDRAM at the same time though...but eh...$35...I'll find out when it gets here...

Ajran · Post by **Ajran** » September 24, 2003, 5:46 pm

Pilsburry wrote:
I dunno if I can use both sets of slots DDR and SDRAM at the same time though...but eh...$35...I'll find out when it gets here...

I highly doubt it.. i't not seen a board yet that had both slots that could be used at the same time.. it just can't handle the timing..

Ajran · Post by **Ajran** » September 24, 2003, 5:57 pm

looking up the manual for that board it states don't use both types of memory at the same time..

Page 8

http://www.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/socka/m ... 66-104.pdf

Pilsburry · Post by **Pilsburry** » September 24, 2003, 6:25 pm

Thanks, atleast I'll have options....even if I can't use both at the same time.

I'm sure some obsolete cpu's and memory will be floating around in not too long that this board can take advantage of...my primary concern was using the extra AMD 1.4Ghz chip over the P3-600...without having to buy more ram...the secondary concern was maybe making use of the 256m PC-2100 as well...but not a huge deal.

This machine won't be high preformance, it's a web surfer mainly...but when you can upgrade 800mhz for $40...might as well. It won't be long until this machine inherits some more parts...it's basically my scrap pile. And this MB will allow me to rummage parts better. That old MB was done.

Now I just have to wait for one of my brothers to have an older machine die muhahaha...I will scavange those machines like a mad man. (I can think of 5 machines under 1 Ghz I could pillage in the next year)

Vetiria · Post by **Vetiria** » September 24, 2003, 6:32 pm

Will AMD chips run with SDRAM? I thought I read somewhere that AMD chips will only accept DDR.

Pilsburry · Post by **Pilsburry** » September 24, 2003, 10:23 pm

My brother uses SDRAM with his AMD's.

Besides if it didn't work, they wouldn't offer me the option in a motherboard

Marbus · Post by **Marbus** » September 25, 2003, 2:18 am

Yes you can probably run either or but I doubt both at the same time. As someone mentioned above the chips just have different timings. Unless the MB built a separate bus for each set of RAM (which I have never heard of) I don't think it will work.

I have a P4 1.6 that has an SDRAM MB in it which is now in my wife's PC. Due to the design of the bus on the P4 it really isn't any faster on games (from 3D Mark scores) than my old P3 850 was... the rule for the P4s was that whatever clock speed you had subtract 300 to 400 MHz if you were running SDRAM instead of RDRAM. Right now I'm running an Athalon XP2400+ with DDR333 and it's blazingly fast compared to the P4... don't think the difference would be that great with a DDR board though which I plan on getting her soon.

Marb

Janx · Post by **Janx** » September 25, 2003, 2:25 am

Pils sounds just like my brother...

Pilsburry · Post by **Pilsburry** » September 25, 2003, 11:31 am

Yeah Arjan already posted the link to the manual that has a warning not to even use both types at once.

As for the DDR helping the machine go faster...my primary machine has DDR ram.

There is a slight chance I will buy a 512m chip of DDR PC-2100 ram in march. I'd put the 512m in my main machine, and then put both spare 256m chips in this machine. Depends on if I decide to devote a lot of time to EQ2 or not.

If I play EQ2 ultra casual, maybe I'll leave everything as is.

If I play it moderatly I'll buy the ram and a G4-ti4200 to replace my broken G4-ti4600 in my 2nd machine (yes I used the P3-600 with a G4-ti4600 to play EQ 2-boxing heh).

If I play it a lot, I'll build a whole new machine, and the machine I'm making from parts will go to one of my little brothers. My little brothers are the ones with the real bastardized machines.