[Andyloc]

I am very very confused.

I have a MSI 7046 motheboard, it is a 3.06GHz Pentiunm 4 with a 533MHz FSB. 512Mb RAM

I want to add another 512Mb RAM to my PC.

I have used PCwizard, Everest, and the Crucial scan tool, and looked in Bios and it says PC3200

Is the current RAM in my PC running at PC3200? or is it running at the slower PC2100 (or even PC2700).

The reason I ask is that I have a spare 512Mb stick of PC2100 in a old PC, I didnt want to put it in as thought it would slow down too much and not match the bus speeds or whatever.

Can someone please help, what speed is the factory built memory running at?

if you download CPUz (http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php) This is what it states on the memory page (sorry cant find how to insert an image)

Frequency: 133MHz
FSB:DRAM 1:1

on the CPU page it states
Core SPeed 3059MHz
Multiplier x23
FSB 133MHz
Bus Speed 532MHz

If the current 512Mb speed is only running at PC2100 (although the actual stick can run at PC3200) I may as well use the stick I have and not have to buy another one.

Basic question is: what speed is the current 512Mb stick inside running? PC2100,PC2700 or PC3200?

If its at it full speed of PC3200 then I need to buy anohter one, if its running at PC2100 beacuse of the speed of the FSB anyway, I will install my spre PC2100.

hope someone can put me out of my misery
thanks
Andy

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To run at 533Mhz is basically:

Your memory speed is 133. The type of memory means it can run at twice that speed. Therefore 133 x 2 = 266.

Because the Pentium processors are capable of basically running it twice as fast again, 266 x 2 = 533Mhz (near enough, half a megahertz doesn't change anything)

The PC3200 stuff means the stick is capable of running at PC3200 speeds but it isn't at the moment because of the 533 bus speed. If it could, you'd see a bus speed of 800Mhz being reported.

PC2100: 266
PC2700: 333
PC3200: 400

Therefore you should be able to put your secondary stick in and see a lot more memory running at the same speeds. The PC3200 stick is clearly not running at its maximum potential but has underclocked itself to the bus speed of the processor which looks to be 266.

If you should decide to change that board/processor in the future, you can take the PC3200 memory with it and most likely use it there. The 2100 stuff will slow it down in a future computer.

Edited by Neil Jones, 22 January 2006 - 04:14 PM.

[Neil Jones]

To run at 533Mhz is basically:

Your memory speed is 133. The type of memory means it can run at twice that speed. Therefore 133 x 2 = 266.

Because the Pentium processors are capable of basically running it twice as fast again, 266 x 2 = 533Mhz (near enough, half a megahertz doesn't change anything)

The PC3200 stuff means the stick is capable of running at PC3200 speeds but it isn't at the moment because of the 533 bus speed. If it could, you'd see a bus speed of 800Mhz being reported.

PC2100: 266
PC2700: 333
PC3200: 400

Therefore you should be able to put your secondary stick in and see a lot more memory running at the same speeds. The PC3200 stick is clearly not running at its maximum potential but has underclocked itself to the bus speed of the processor which looks to be 266.

If you should decide to change that board/processor in the future, you can take the PC3200 memory with it and most likely use it there. The 2100 stuff will slow it down in a future computer.

Edited by Neil Jones, 22 January 2006 - 04:14 PM.

[mcpscomp]

Your information is so confused. Anyway, I don't have any other programs on hand but EVEREST. If you use this program and the answer will be the actual ticks that you have in your machine.Hope this will help

[Andyloc]

excellent thanks so much for a clear answer. I have asked elsewhere and it was still confusing.

I may as well put it in for now, as you sy in the future I will remve the PC2100 and use the PC3200 to prevent slowdown.

Is it effectively running at 266MHz beacuse it is DDR RAM, ie runs at twice the speed as its done on the rining and falling edge? Just something I have read.


So ultimately, whatever your FSB speed is on your CPU then memory will fallin line with these guidlines?

ie 533MHz FSB = 133MHz memory (PC2100)
800MHz FSB = 200MHz memory (PC3200)

thanks so much.

Another question my motherboad supports dual chanel, although they are different manufactures etc should I try it in dual channel mode (what does this do) or just install it normally?

cheers
Andy

[Andyloc]

sorry if the info is confused, I cut and paste from the other posts I have done elsewhere.

what is it you need to know to help plese.

It is a Pentium 4 @3.06GHz, running on a 533MHz FSB.
My RAM inside it now is actually PC3200, is this the speed it is running at? ie 400MHz?

If not what speed is it running and why (eg limits of the FSB?)

hope this clears it up bit
thanks
Andy

[Andyloc]

this is where it gets totally confusing for me as Everest says this (in pic)

[Andyloc]

[mcpscomp]

Make long story short
-Your system will take from pc2700 to 3200.
-It will take up to 4G of ram.
In some case you can mismatch the sticks with diffrent speed it depend on actual mother board. and even it work it will run at the slower speed.
If I was you I wouldn't have the pc2100 in to that machine. What I would do is match the speed of the one that already in there. In everest, instead of go to mother board, you go down one line to memory and in there on the right hand panel, top section will tell you exact what you have running.

[Neil Jones]

Different programs report different things in different ways. Everest is relying on its own internal hardware database, whereas CPU-Z and others physically interrogate the hardware to find out what it's doing.

In the real world, the speed difference between PC2100 and PC3200 memory is significant hardware-wise but unless you're doing heavy things with the computer such as gaming, etc then you'll not notice the hit.

As for duel-channel - the performance increase you get is so slight its almost not worth it now you've seen how single channel memory is performing. But you won't get dual channel with the current stick and the 3200 stick as the requirements are that the two sticks have to be identical in every which way - same speed, timings, etc.

At the end of the day, if you just want the 1Gb of memory in your computer working and available to use with your Wndows programs, put it in and forget about it. You can always swap it out later.

[Andyloc]

I agree about the dual channel.

Also I disagree about putting the PC2100 stick in, as if the Memeory stick thats in already is running at PC2100 then it doesnt matter. It would be a different story if it was running at PC3200 speed, then I wouldnt put in my PC2100 as it would slow it down.

I agree with everest giving some strange answers, yes the actual memory chip inside is a PC3200 stick but its not running at that speed.

So I wont be giving a performance hit will I by putting in the PC2100 stick?
thanks for the replies

[Neil Jones]

Well the fact that you currently have an FSB of 533 means there's no way its running at 3200 speeds. As I say, if it was running at 3200, you'd have an FSB of 800. To get a 533Mhz FSB means to run at 266Mhz on the memory side which is running at PC2100 speeds.

What's probably happened is that the computer manufacturer has put in the faster memory and just allowed it to underclock itself according to the speed of the processor they eventually decided to put on that board for that machine. Either that or that processor is capable of ab 800FSB and just hasn't been told to do it at that speed, which is where the 3200 comes in.

[Andyloc]

its a Intel Pentium 519. 3.06GHz it shows as here

[gerryf]

I'm not even sure what you are asking anymore

Could you please run an everest report and attach it with any further questions

[Andyloc]

ok installed the extra 512 stick of PC2100 RAM to my motherboard which has an existing 512Mb stick of PC3200 RAM lthough running at 266MHz as determined in these posts ok?

I ran another CPUz and it has now chnged heres a pic, look above to what it was before, basically the frequnecy has dropped from 133MHz to 106MHz and the FSB:DRAM ration has changed from 1:1 to 5:4.

I am now totally and utterly confused again.

I thought we had determined that the existing PC3200 RAM was underclocked with respect to the FSB at 133MHz. I now put the PC2100 stick in and everything changes, even though this should be running at PC2100 (266MHz speed)

please please help and explain
thanks