PCTech Forums

I recently bought a 512 ram stick from a local computer store. The manager told me that this ram was pc3200 @400 mhz...just what i was looking for...

Well after looking at it on Everest i got this


It tells me 200mhz..I also asked him about getting dual channel memory he said that has nothing to do with your memory becuase your motherboard controls it... I am wandering..should i take it back? I specifically asked for 400mhz memory to run in synch with my fsb...I have an ECS motherboard 755-A2 the box of the board makes it very clear ddr 400 is a nice feature...please help

I think you are just reading it wrong. I have PC2700, which has a speed of 333MHz. I get a reading of 166MHz. Why? Because its Double Data Rate. So times it by two and you have your speed. So 200 equals 400.

I think you are fine.

And you cut off where it told us the Module Name. I would be interested in that.

the 400 mhz speed rating is strictly publicity. DDR memory can write to ram 2 times per clock cycle. Although the clock cycle is 200 mhz, your pc is writing to that ram 2 times for every mhz, making the system 400 mhz.

ram/bus speeds are very complex, and there is a lot of confusion over it. Some intel chipsets are rated at 800 mhz... they talk to 2 different sticks of ram at the same time. 2 sticks at 200 mhz 2 times per second.
2x200x2=800 mhz

some of the faster speeds of ram are simply not utilized in todays computers.

The guy at the shop did not sell you anything cheap/bad. No current ram will actually run at 400 mhz, and I'd say it'll be a bunch of more years before anything does. One thing I'm sure of, they'll come up with a confusing speed rating for it.

Wow...I really learn alot from you guys. Thanks for the replies and help