Alienware weird RAM description

[Flanker]

"1GB Dual Channel DDRPC-3200 SDRAM 400MHz"

Whats up with the 400Mhz? I doubt they overclocked it to DDR800...

 

[Dark_Sniper*]

there lieing then.

 

[PP Mguire]

No, 3200 ram runs at 400mhz. The FSB at 200 makes it so that the ram runs at 400mhz. Its just indicating that it is pc3200.

 

[Flanker]

No, 3200 ram runs at 400mhz. The FSB at 200 makes it so that the ram runs at 400mhz. Its just indicating that it is pc3200.

Say what?

Common knowledge is that PC3200, also called DDR 400, runs at 200Mhz...no RAM even goes to 400Mhz.

I didn't understand the description you gave of it.

 

[Sprooty]

well since its DDR is runns at 200 but its DDR so that means 2x200Mhz...

Dah

 

[Flanker]

No, it doesn't run at 2x200MHz...

the 400 is to show that it runs at 200Mhz...

You multiply 200 by 2 (200x2) to find out what DDR rating it is.

The "400" in DDR400 doesn't mean 400Mhz.

As far as I can tell, Alienware is lieing.

"Dah."

The only way I'm going to believe otherwise is if P.P. Mcguire tries to explain it again. I had a feeling that he was making a valid point, but I couldn't understand his post.

 

[PP Mguire]

The only way I'm going to believe otherwise is if P.P. Mcguire tries to explain it again. I had a feeling that he was making a valid point, but I couldn't understand his post.

First of all its PP "Mguire", so get it right ot dont say it k? Now off to describe DDR to noobs. DDR=Double Data Rate get it? If your FSB is running at 200 then your ram (if using "DDR") will run at 400mhz because it is doubling the frequency at which it transfers data. Example, your video cards memory (6800GT good enough?) is at 500mhz right? Well double that and you get its actualy frequency of 1000mhz which it is rated at. See what im saying? So my old 5600ultra is tweaked w/ Rivatuner at 440mhz memory clock so its actualy frequency is 880mhz. DDR came from actualy doubling our standard PC100/133 ram speeds. Hence (did i get it right that time?) PC1600 and PC2100 which is 200/266. Just like if your FSB is at 166 your ram frequency is at 333mhz which is PC2700DDR. If you buy a 3200+ AthlonXP w/ an FSB of 400mhz, then you can bump your FSB (on the mobo) to 200 and it will give the ram the desired speed of 400mhz. So your argument of Alienware being wrong, is actualy wrong itself. I tried being as text book as possible and if you dont believe me then look at your own FSB or google it.

 

[Nubius]

jeez, can't believe theres such a big deal about this.

Truly in terms of RAM it's not '400MHz' regardless of the Double Date Rate....the true speed of it is 200MHz and if they wanted to they could word it like 200MHz (400MHz effective) or something along those lines to indicate it's Double Data Rate...but other than that when talking about RAM...if you talk about the MHz you talk about the Base MHz....which is 200 in this case and that's why it's then called 'DDR400' and not 400MHz....because it's telling you that the DOUBLE DATA RATE is 400(mhz) to some degree.

Either way the point is you can tell what they are trying to say and I doubt they are trying to make people think that it's "DDR800!!!" because after all it does say PC3200 there...but they shoulda put PC3200 - DDR400 really....but whatever who cares, no point in looking so much into it when you pretty much know what they are trying to convey

 

[Flanker]

jeez, can't believe theres such a big deal about this.

Truly in terms of RAM it's not '400MHz' regardless of the Double Date Rate....the true speed of it is 200MHz and if they wanted to they could word it like 200MHz (400MHz effective) or something along those lines to indicate it's Double Data Rate...but other than that when talking about RAM...if you talk about the MHz you talk about the Base MHz....which is 200 in this case and that's why it's then called 'DDR400' and not 400MHz....because it's telling you that the DOUBLE DATA RATE is 400(mhz) to some degree.

Either way the point is you can tell what they are trying to say and I doubt they are trying to make people think that it's "DDR800!!!" because after all it does say PC3200 there...but they shoulda put PC3200 - DDR400 really....but whatever who cares, no point in looking so much into it when you pretty much know what they are trying to convey

Exactly, thats how I was going about it. Alienware should go about it as the rest of the world does, by talking about the base speed. Sure, it goes 400Mhz with DDR but thats not as common as the base.

And I DO think that they did it on purpose. Why else would they do it, but to attract not-so-knowledgeable buyers.

 

[PP Mguire]

My Corsair value select says PC3200 400mhz, you gonna go against them too? It runs at 400mhz period. Get over yourself.