Can I mix 266 and 400 DDR Memory?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MarkW
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MarkW

I have two 512 meg DDR Memory Modules. They are both 512 meg as
mentioned and PC3200. The thing is the new one I just bought was a
400 (What does this number mean, is it speed)? and the other seems to
be a 266 going by the label on the module. I want to put these both in
a new system I'm building but I'm concerned if they will work
properly. Will it slow my system down or cause any reliability
problems? If so maybe I'm better off with just the 512meg 400 or
either upgrading the other to a 400.
 
I have two 512 meg DDR Memory Modules. They are both 512 meg as
mentioned and PC3200. The thing is the new one I just bought was a
400 (What does this number mean, is it speed)? and the other seems to
be a 266 going by the label on the module. I want to put these both in
a new system I'm building but I'm concerned if they will work
properly. Will it slow my system down or cause any reliability
problems? If so maybe I'm better off with just the 512meg 400 or
either upgrading the other to a 400.
Click to expand...
I wanted to add this, if it is true that the 400 is faster but they
both work together would it help if I maybe put the 400 in the first
memory slot so that the system uses that first and not the 2nd module
as much?
 
MarkW said:
I have two 512 meg DDR Memory Modules. They are both 512 meg as
mentioned and PC3200. The thing is the new one I just bought was a
400 (What does this number mean, is it speed)? and the other seems to
be a 266 going by the label on the module. I want to put these both in
a new system I'm building but I'm concerned if they will work
properly. Will it slow my system down or cause any reliability
problems? If so maybe I'm better off with just the 512meg 400 or
either upgrading the other to a 400.
Click to expand...

IF it works, it will all run at 266, BUT... PC3200 memory IS DDR400 from
what I see online.

PC2100 = DDR266
PC2700 = DDR333
PC3200 = DDR400
PC3500 = DDR433
PC3700 = DDR466
PC4000 = DDR500
PC4200 = DDR533
 
You can only set the BIOS to run your RAM at the speed of the slowest module
in your system. Hence 266MHz. I'd ditch it, IF your system will run
stabley at 400MHz with the other one.
 
Mixing the two would only increase your address space not the speed of
the ram as the entire ram bus has to be run at the same speed, so it
has to take the slower speed as not to cook the slower chip
 
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