ddr2 mobos backwards compatible with ddr

[realmike15]

A motherboards that support the new DDR2 memory, still backwards compatible with regular ddr? I ask because I bought two gigs of Corsair TwinX1024-3200C2PT, and I may want to upgrade my mobo soon to have a PCI-Express slot when I get my new video card. But I really would like to not have to replace my memory.

 

[Nubius]

Don't believe they are

 

[Apokalipse]

well, some motherboards have DDR and DDR2 slots, but you can't put say DDR sticks in DDR2 slots. they have a slightly different pin arrangement (which was made deliberately to be different)

 

[realmike15]

Ok it looks like there a plenty of available mobos with regular DDR support still. I paid around $400 for the 2 gigs, and although I hear the new DDR2 stuff is fast, it just doesn't seem worth it to not use the perfectly good memory I bought. Guess i'll stick with what I got.

 

[Nubius]

good DDR1 modules can be overclocked to go faster than DDR2, IMO, DDR2 is a little premature and DDR1 has some good life left to it

 

[realmike15]

Ya, I haven't really tried any over clocking yet, though I know it's what my memory is intended to do.

I've been told in the past overclocking too much can damage or shorten the life span of your components, so I was trying to find some good articles on how to properly overclock my hardware.

 

[emeraldice]

There's always the ever popular tech-forum's overclocking, PC buliding, etc. forum...it's pretty easy to find. Anyways, OCing ram is alot harder than OCing your CPU i've heard...i haven't done either so i wouldn't know. Yes, overclocking does damage your hardware, but as kangroo says in his post in the overclocking forum thread is that they're speced to take 100s of thousands of use and taking a little off that won't hurt.

 

[Apokalipse]

all you need to do to overclock your RAM is up the FSB

 

[Nubius]

OCing ram is alot harder than OCing your CPU i've heard

Yeah, I generally tell people it is. Stabelizing your CPU requires upping Vcore, and that's about it...of course keeping it cool also... but RAM requires upping dimm voltage, and playing around with the timings of the RAM which requires a lot of trial and error to find that perfect balance of good timings with a nice high MHz.

Also, keeping your components cool will keep any damage from happening or shortening the life span. High performance RAM is really meant for overclockers...if you don't plan on overclocking your RAM you might as well save some cash and get valueRAM. The high performance RAM uses Samsung TCCD IC's...meaning the actual black chips on the RAM, they are designed to run cool, and run high MHz with nice tight timings at low voltages....whereas valueRAM will have just generic IC's on them, that aren't suited for high clocks.

Also the circuit board the RAM is printed on has an impact on OC'ing. Brainpower PCB's (printed circuit boards) are among the best. Read about how to identify em here:

http://www.legitreviews.com/article.php?aid=53

 

[Apokalipse]

personally I don't really care that much for RAM timings; usually you can get really fast RAM speeds with loose timings, but the fster the RAM, the shorter the clock cycles and it actually takes less time for RAM to respond if it had the same timings as lower speed RAM