Combining 1200mhz and 800mhz RAM (?)

[FiLTHY_SNiPER]

Currently I have 2x1024 OCZ Reaper DDR2 1200mhz in my dual channel slots.

I have another 2x1024 of OCZ Platinum2 800mhz lying around.

Can I combine the two pairs and get them both running at 800mhz and do you think it would make a difference?

I know my XP 32bit will only recognize 3.25 gigs, but if that helps GTA4 and overall windows performance, then I'll do what I have to do.

Here's a post by someone in the gtaforums.com after I asked him the same thing:

ME: "I have Win XP Home 32-bit

I have an ASUS P5Q mobo that supports up to 1200 mhz DDR2 with 2 sticks of OCZ Reaper 1200mhz currently in it.

My question is, if I put in 2 more sticks of my older OCZ Platinum DDR2 800mhz in, can I run all of them (well, 3.25 gb in 32 bit), together with minimal issues? Would it be worth it to have 3.25 gb of 800 mhz rather than 2 gigs of 1200mhz?

They are both dual channel, but if I put them in the proper DIMMs I should be ok, no?

Bottlenecking the speed of my 1200mhz to 800mhz wouldn't hard it would it? "

----------------------------------
HIM: "The bottleneck isn't exact, I'd be willing to bet it's somewhere closer to 900mhz, however it really doesn't matter. You're talking 0.5fps average and maybe 2 seconds shaved off of map loading times (if your HDD can keep up).

As for throwing in 2x 800mhz and 2x 1200mhz... um... I wont say that it WILL work, because sure as sh*t it would make me a liar. However, I see no problem if you set the ram speed and timings manually in the BIOS. 800mhz and 5-5-5-15-2 to be safe.


As for the bottleneck hurting the ram? No. It's just not running as fast as it *could* be: It's very very very minute differences though. Overclocking is what can harm components, underclocking (1200 -> 800) would be fine. And: as a plus side: you can get by with lower timings (faster response).

Say your ram at 1200 runs 6-6-6-16-2 timings; at 800 you could probably get by with 4-4-4-12-2. (This would kind of count as overclocking, but since you are underclocking the speed; the changes negate themselves. You'll just want to make sure you get DDR2 800 with really low timings (if they come at 4-4-4-12-2 set them to 5-5-5-15-2, etc)."

thoughts?

[sir_digalot]

i doubt you will see a difference with the ram running slower, the extra memory might help things along a bit though i would usually stick with more slower memory then less faster memory ( unless there is a huge difference in speed)

thats my opinion anyway and i an sticking to it

( i run 4gb of 666 in my system coz i had a bad 800 stick and used a 666 stick other then the [lack of] bluescreens my system is not noticably slower at all... i do use vista 64 bit though)

[Gruthar]

Pretty much what he said. You can try putting the modules in and seeing if the BIOS will set the speeds for you - it can't do any harm. If it doesn't work, you'll have to set them up manually in the BIOS. The only thing I have to add is to check that the voltage requirements on the two module types aren't too far apart, otherwise you might run into problems.

You might see a benefit for GTAIV since I hear it's a terrible resource hog at present, but not much else. Only the latest and greatest games use that much memory. Also, the amount of usable RAM you actually get might vary. Video RAM counts toward that 4GB total.

[Shadowryche]

Word has it that 32-bit XP and Vista will go to 4gb with Service Pack 3 or 1 respectively. I have seen a number of laptops registering and memory tests working with as much RAM and a 32-bit O.S.. Have not tried it with a desk top custom built system yet, but don't think there would really be a huge difference.

As I've said before I have seen some instability issues mixing an assortment of different RAM speeds. How ever it is not always the case, and you will surely recognise the problem relatively quickly. Unless your MOBO overclocks the slower RAM to compensate, which I highly doubt it would, you're really not going to harm your memory.

[FiLTHY_SNiPER]

Where do I check the the voltage requirements for each type? Also, where does it show a what speed the RAM is running at? Would I need CPU-Z or a similar program?
How would I go about changing voltage if that's needed?

Thanks for all the info so far, fellas.

I hope it shows up as 4gb now that I have SP3. I'll do some research to see if other people have had that happen

[JustMeBF2]

Where do I check the the voltage requirements for each type? Also, where does it show a what speed the RAM is running at? Would I need CPU-Z or a similar program?
How would I go about changing voltage if that's needed?

Thanks for all the info so far, fellas.

I hope it shows up as 4gb now that I have SP3. I'll do some research to see if other people have had that happen


omg lol

Check the voltage on the Manufacture site for each brand.

CPUz will usually show stock voltage.
Depends on your mb if it will auto adjust or not.
Change voltage in your bios.

Just plug them all in and see if it BLOWS :minigun:

Or you can trade me your 1200mhz for my 800 mhz

[FiLTHY_SNiPER]

I combined the sticks

Looks as though my 1200 (or is it 1066?) mhz RAM isn't operating at 800 mhz, so it's been downgraded to 666 mhz. The memory tab says they're all running at 1.8v
I'm wondering if I put the voltage to 2.1 for the 1200mhz in bios, will it give it enough juice to run at 800 mhz...

CPU-Z image attached.

PS. My 800 mhz OCZ RAM is apparently very overclockable. If I boost it to 1200 mhz would my system recognize both as 1200 and keep them that way?

[FiLTHY_SNiPER]

Well, this is kinda fucked up.

When I only have the 2 sticks of 1200mhz in, CPU-Z still says the DRAM Frequency is 333.3 mhz.

What the hell..

I went into BIOS and tried to force them to 1200 and 1066 and it said overclock failed.. I wasn't even overclocking, the damn PC says they're not running at 1200.
Is CPU-Z wrong, maybe?
It said my other 800 mhz sticks had DRAM Frequency of 400mhz which is right
I don't fucking know.

This is my exact RAM: http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=019167&cid=RAM.346.379
And my 800 mhz: http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=010870&cid=RAM.346.307

EDIT: I just noticed CPU-Z also says my PC2-9600 is PC2-5300 instead... wtf

[sir_digalot]

is it your ram or mother board that is limiting the ram speed.... either that or you have an old version of cpuz

[JustMeBF2]

Your cpuz ss is just saying that the stick in slot 2
will have those timmings if run at that speed and voltage.


CPUz tries to tell you what the ram's voltage is stock.
Going to the memory tab to see what speed it is running at.
Your 800 mhz ram will run at 1.9v - 2.1v and the 1200 mhz at 2.1v per the manufacturers.

By default most mb will try and run at the lower speed.
If your are going to try and change the clocks in the bios
try to set all at 800mhz.

More later or hit me up on xfire. I need your exact mb make and model to
help with the bios.

oh and the 4 gig limit on 32bit os is

4 gig minus anything already addressed
video ram sound card ram etc

So if you run 32 bit os with a 1 gig video card
os will show 3 gigs of the 4gig total.

[FiLTHY_SNiPER]

Well I've got just the 2 1200mhz stick in now and it still says both are running at 333.3 mhz in CPUz. In BIOS the frequency is set to 'auto'.
I tried switching it to 800mhz @ 1.80v, 1066mhz @ 2.1v and 1200mhz @ 2.1v and each time it reset my PC and the screen wouldn't turn on.
Then I reset again and it showed me a dos screen sayin "Overclock failed"
I also tried doing 1200mhz and setting the timings according to that chart in CPU-Z. The same thing happened.

My mobo is an ASUS P5Q (not deluxe or anything).

Sorry I don't have xfire..


oh and the 4 gig limit on 32bit os is

4 gig minus anything already addressed
video ram sound card ram etc

So if you run 32 bit os with a 1 gig video card
os will show 3 gigs of the 4gig total.

Ah, cool.. thanks for the info

[FiLTHY_SNiPER]

UPDATE: Me n JustMe figured it out. I forgot to set AI Tweaker to Manual in the BIOS

Now I can set the RAM to whatever frequency, whether it be 800 mhz or 1200 mhz.

But I decided to throw in all 4 sticks of RAM and have em run at 800 mhz. I've OCed them a bit to around 860mhz though, as well as OCed my CPU to around 3.3 ghz.
So far, temps are fine all around.

I'll do a stress test to make sure using IntelBurnTest tonight or tomorrow

[Shadowryche]

Do I sense a new resident overclocker crack head in the works?

[JustMeBF2]

http://photoshopcontest.com/images/fullsize/jxp3maiwi9u3sc881w5t86lv46zt5ybufst9.gif

[FiLTHY_SNiPER]

@Shadow: lol, yeah... I know I'm going to be addicted to this :P

@JustMe: thanks for the help, man ;)

Rock on Starfish

[sir_digalot]

you always get addicted till you fry something(s) expensive....

then you either continue and say "some you win and some you lose"

or you stop, and just stick with what you got...

(there is the third option of getting overly paranoid and underclocking everything... but that rarely happens)

[FiLTHY_SNiPER]

I've been monitoring my temperatures and such, and they all seem normal so far.

My memory is meant to be overclocked, it's actually the only way I can get my 1200 mhz running at 'stock' speed, actually.

My CPU, as I said is at normal temps so far, and I've only bumped it up to 3.4 ghz anyways, which isn't that much (from 3.16ghz)

I'm trying to take it slow and not go overboard :P


@JustMe: btw, the option to OC my RAM/CPU was to just change the FSB Frequency from 333mhz. I left DRAM at auto then put it to whatever multiplier of the FSB that was around 900mhz

[sir_digalot]

i stopped trying after i realised that all my efforts were ending up as my pc bieng a friggen video player *L*

i must have a really expensive dvd player now... it has 2 video cards and everyhting *LOL*

unfortunatly i have an older mobo, so while i could overclock a 1066 cpu it has difficulty with a 1333 cpu which i have in it ( i.e. i have to over clock to get to stock, and it does not like overclocking much more then that..)

i wish i could overclock my hard drives or somthing *L*