Dual Channel Memory ?

[UncleCC]

Couple of questions about memory.

If your motherboard supports 400 dual channel memory and you have 333 memory is it SAFE to install the memory in the Dual memory configuration?

And if in BIOS your memory CAS settings (the ones that list like 2.5, 2, 3, 5, 8 ) are wrong for your memory what would happen?

Thanks.

[Paco103]

333 should be fine, as long as your CPU and MB BUS are running at that speed. I run 266 in a 400 board, it's all backward compatible. I've even run 266 in a system running 333 CPU for testing it. Just have to set the BUS speed down in the bios before you boot it up so you don't risk the memory sticks. As far as the CAS timings go, I'm sure someone else will be able to clarify it more, but I think if you're set too low (higher numbers), it just won't perform at peak performance, and if you're set too high it might be unstable and BSOD or some other system crash due to timing errors, but I don't think anything would be at risk physically. I'm not too familiar with CAS though, so you might want to wait for a second opinion.

[deadkenny]

Not sure what you mean by 'safe' to install in dual mode. If the board supports it, then yes of course. It should also work fine dual channel at the slower speed, if that's the question.

Regarding the CAS settings, if they are faster than the memory supports, then it could fail the memory test at boot, or be 'unreliable'. If the settings are slower, then it shouldn't cause a problem, other than running slower than it's capable of.

[UncleCC]

Thanks..Safe, I mean like BSOD safe...

I am asking this because just in the past day, the BDOD has showed itself to me and this was only after insatlling a SATA drive.

Which I had problems, (posted in sysopt) but seemed to get it fixed. I am not sure if when I was trying many different options in the bios if I hit a wrong key or something.

My motherboard supports Dual channel, my CPU is an p4 2.6,800HT, but my memory is only PC2700 at 333. Just grabbing for thoughts..

Thanks

[Sandeep113]

Yea...you should not have any problems...the mobo and memory are smart enough to work together so you won't have any problems. My mobo took my (2x256 PC3500, 2x512 PC4000)'s and made the work together in dual-channel mode...at the current moment I still have the BIOS setting set to AUTO so the board is taking down the PC4000 so it matches the PC3500. Plus the P4 2.4 is OC'd to about 2.96 so the memory isn't working overtime anyway.