simple questions about memory

[Seria]

Hi, I have a few small and simple questions. I should know them, but I dont.

I have tried looking for the answers to these questions in my M/B manual but it does not answer them.

I am building a new system and I have placed a “Kingston 512MB 333MHz DDR PC2700 DIMM” stick in a memory slot. On my M/B there are 3 DIMM slots. DIMM1 and DIMM2 are purple and DIMM3 is green. The purple DIMM slots are next to each other and the green one is away from the purple ones.

Q1: I am correct in putting the memory stick in DIMM1 even though it is next to DIMM2? Or should I put the stick in the green slot?

Q2: If I am supposed to put the stick in a purple(DIMM1) slot then why does the boot screen say that the memory frequency say it is at 166MHz?

Is there a bios feature I need to mess with in order to get it to be 333MHz?

 

[Red Fox]

When you do install a new memory module, providing your motherboard supports the frequency you are installing, it should pick it up and run properly. If it doesn't, then just ensure that your motherboard supports memory modules of that frequency and then you can venture off to BIOS.
Some BIOS versions do entail that you modify that frequency, so just take a quick glance after you verify that your board supports the speed and you should be ok once it is set properly.
Mind you, if you have two modules on your board, the frequency will only run as fast as the slowest one you have installed.
So if you have one stick at 333mhz and another at 166mhz, the most you will get is the 166mhz, unless of course, you remove the slower module.

~Fawks

 

[Seria]

ok, thanx.

 

[Codeine]

Ok, i can answer that question if you tell me what type of mobo you have.

 

[Seria]

an MSI K7N2 Delta2.

 

[Sevoma]

On some boards the two colored ones are for a faster speed (for dual channel) like ddr400 and the other one if you are using something like ddr333. Somebody correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Nubius]

Q1: I am correct in putting the memory stick in DIMM1 even though it is next to DIMM2? Or should I put the stick in the green slot?

You're correct in putting it in the first slot. That seperate 3rd slot is to acquire dual channel. One purple and one green gets you dual channel I believe. This is because the purple slots are Channel A, hence why they are next to each other. The seperate green slot is Channel B, and of course if you want DUAL channel you want two seperate channels running, meaning channel A and B which means you'd want on stick in a purple slot and one in the green slot. You'd have to check your motherboard manual to find out the exact slots for dual channel.

Q2: If I am supposed to put the stick in a purple(DIMM1) slot then why does the boot screen say that the memory frequency say it is at 166MHz?

Is there a bios feature I need to mess with in order to get it to be 333MHz?

I believe it's showing you the RAM speed in accordance to the CPU FSB which 166 = 333MHz because it's DDR ram which means DOUBLE data rate, so the 166 you see you have to multiply by 2 to get your actual speed.

You should go into the BIOS though and check for DRAM FREQUENCY and if you're only options are 133,166,200 that's basically 266,333,400 that you're choosing from.

On some boards the two colored ones are for a faster speed (for dual channel) like ddr400 and the other one if you are using something like ddr333. Somebody correct me if I am wrong.

Generally it's the two opposite colored slots, I explained why above. In the case of those boards I believe if you decide to fill up all the slots then you will have more RAM but it will only let you run all that RAM at 333MHz even if they're all PC3200

 

[Seria]

wow. thanx.!

 

[Nubius]

You're Welcome