DCDDR pC3500?

Hey, new nForce2 mobo with DC RAM support...It looks like MSI K7N2G-ILSR supports PC3500 RAM...but what's the deal with duel channel ram? can I not just get 2 sticks of PC3500? or is there DC PC3500?

I know i want to go DC here ,but do i need actual DCDDR?

and if so, where can i get a GOOD deal?
THanks.

Theres no such thing as dual channel ram. The chipset and the board handle the ram banks in 2 separate channels making it dual channel. The nforce2 boards are a little picky about ram, more so if you plan on OCing, so you should get 2 of the same sticks to be safe. But yes, any 2 sticks of PC3500 will do fine.

One thing you might wanna consider though, do you plan on OCing? If not, I wouldnt suggest getting PC3500. You'll pay a lot more for something that you dont need.

surprising pricing

well, you might be surprised...
i am not planning on O/C ing much, but the PC3500 is not too expensive; with Cu heat spreaders, you can get 2 sticks of 256MB PC3500 (Samsung) RAM totaling just under 100 bucks.
Not too shabby, I think...i was just wondering about whether I needed to seek out some mythical "DCDDR" or not.

THanks for clarifying that for me.

dual channel DDR RAM

DOES exist. Several manufacturers sell pairs of DDR RAM sticks that are specifically tested to run TOGETHER in dual channel mode on DCDDR motherboards. Despite what many here have posted, I know that several people I know have purchased the OCZ EL series DCDDR pairs of RAM sticks and used them successfully in DCDDR boards when they could not get individually purchased non DC specific sticks to run well in DC mode, and sometimes they would not run at all unless the FSB was set very low and the RAM timings set very loose. I have not done this myself, but know others that have. I have now put my money where my mouth is and I ordered some OCZ DC DDR of my own, it is PC3500, a pair of 256MB sticks. I ordered it because several have had good luck with it, with the board I ordered, a Soltek SL-75FRN2-RL.

DCDDR or not.

Hmmmm....ok, I am looking around and DCDDR costs a good deal more.
Can I get regular PC3500 to work in DC mode?
Or is there somewhere I can get two 256MB sticks of DCDDR PC3500 for about $100?

Thanks.

Re: DCDDR or not.

Shmuck said:

Hmmmm....ok, I am looking around and DCDDR costs a good deal more.
Can I get regular PC3500 to work in DC mode?
Or is there somewhere I can get two 256MB sticks of DCDDR PC3500 for about $100?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

I dunno. I paid $163 for mine.

Savage is confused. There still is no special DC DDR ram. The sets that they sell (both OCZ and Corsair) are simply regular modules tested together to make sure they work together. There is NOTHING different besides testing and packaging between these 'magic' sticks and regular DDR ram.

As I have said above, the nforce2 boards are a little picky about ram. Now sometimes you may get 2 identical sticks, and find that they do not work together. This is rare, but it can happen. You will have to RMA the ram and try again. Usually 2 sticks from the same batchs will run together, and it is VERY UNCOMMON if they do not.

If you wanna pay $100 more for ram thats tested together go ahead, but I wouldnt recommend it. Your chances of it not working are slim, and if it doesnt, youre only out a few $$$ to ship it back in an RMA.

And actually, there is no guarantee that the DC packaged ram will even work on your board. I'm pretty sure they both use the asus A7N8X delux for testing, and one or the other (forgot which) uses an intel granite bay board as well. If your board is not that asus, then you might as well buy regular ram.

I think I plainly said that Dual Channel DDR RAM WAS specially tested sticks (tested to see that they are compatible with each other in dual channel mode), maybe you failed to READ that part of my post. I'm not confused at all, perhaps you are lacking in reading comprehension. It is called dual channel BECAUSE it is tested to run together in dual channel mode. The price difference is $61, at least where I bought mine. You can't always RMA memory because it doesn't run in dual channel mode, it isn't all guaranteed to run in dual channel mode. Besides, how many times do you want to RMA your memory? I have neither the time nor the patience. What do you do if you pay for two sticks and they won't run in dual channel mode, and the vendor won't accept an RMA just because it won't run in dual channel mode?

Wohh, easy there tough guy! I did read everything you said. But your first sentence fragment 'DOES exist.' led me to believe you thought it was different from regular memory. Apparently you think calling someone confused is synonymous with calling them the 'N' word.

For starters, the chances of you having to RMA your memory once are slim to none. Unless you buy mixed sets or cheap generic ram that doesnt run alone in the board, there is a very good chance that it will run together without any problems. The chances of having to RMA it multiple times is even slimmer...

As far as not excepting an RMA, buy from reputable resellers. If a dealer wont give you an RMA because you are unsatisfied, they must be a pretty shab company. Especially if you are only requesting a return for the same product...

And once again... those OCZ dual channel 'optimized' sticks are still not guaranteed to run in anything but the boards they test it in. Last I checked, OCZ only tested them in the Asus A7N8X together. I just checked their website again and their website now says 'a variety of boards'. Which variety? They dont say...

A price difference of $61 is a 60% markup over a non tested pair. 60% more for something that is still not guaranteed to work together is not worth it in my opinion...

hmmmm...sounds like a big can of scam--thanks for the insight, i wasn't going to pay the extra anyways. One way or another, DDR433 should be fast. That's what matters.

DDR Dual Channel Bank, which has enhanced SPD designed for the newest Dual Channel DDR technology.

Hmmmm...quite a good deal.
I am going to go with the pc3500 first, since i am getting 2 identical sticks anyways...if that doesn't come through, I doing the DCDDR...Thanks Techonut, for such a great find!!!
More good news is that I'm going to start ordering components soon; I took a look at my projected pay for the summer, and I can pay this baby off soon...which also means sooner I buy, sooner I get that new video card as well--grin--
I have leave coming up soon, too, so I'm going to assemble it before, and "break it in" over leave.

Any more suggestions on RAM?
THanks