memory for asus p5n32-sli premium

[smk_bud_420]

hey i bought a mobo and i need some ram and asus doent help much but would any desktop ddr2 work for this? what does it mean when compatible with 800mhz when overclocked? also...does your ram speed have to be half of your fsb? just curious because 533/1066 400/800 im sorry im a noob and dont know some stuff! lol

 

[Automata]

Pretty much any DDR2 RAM should work in that board, yes.

DDR (1/2/3/4..., etc) stands for Double Data Rate. This means that for every clock cycle (hertz), it transfers two bits of data. You are getting confused between the "actual" and "effective" speed ratings. "800 MHz" RAM is running at an actual rate of 400 MHz and an effective rate of 800 MHz since it transfers two bits per clock cycle.

In addition, the ratings on memory are their maximum values. You can get 1066 MHz RAM and run it at 800 MHz, for example. The same applies for timings: the "bigger" the timing, the slower ("looser") it is.