Pc3700 at PC3200 speeds

[Ritalin]

Hey!
I always wondered what happened when you put higher speed ram at lower speeds. I mean there are times when you can't have an oc (flashing bios or whatver) and you have let's say pc3700 ram. What do you do? Will it be unstable at pc3200 speeds?
Never read anything abotu this before...
thx
Ritalin

 

[spiritedandy]

just run it at normal speed when flashing bios .......

i would always run it at what its rated at when flashing....dito for cpu as well

 

[Ritalin]

but people told me never to have an OC when flashing bios...
And normal speed is ram rated speed or cpu normal speed (200mhz and 200mhz for ram too)?
Ritalin

 

[spiritedandy]

no i never said oc it when you flash .....

just run everything at stock speed and you will be ok ....

set everything to default

hope this helps andy

 

[CCW]

You can run the memory at its rated spped, and the FSB at its normal speed separately so you are not overclocking either, this is called running async. There will be an option in the BIOS for you to run your memory at is rated speed while keeping your FSB at its stcok speed. Technically though if you run the PC3700 @ PC3200 while flashing the memory isnt overclocked, it is downclocked as its designed to run much faster. However unless you have an Athlon XP 3200+ barton which is the only Barton that runs at 400FSB by running the FSB @ 200 in sync with the memory you will be overclocked.

Craig

 

[spiritedandy]

ty ccw

 

[hepp]

Or to put it simply.

If your FSB is 200 then your memory will run at PC3200 (DDR400)speed even if the memory has a higher spec.
Br
hepp

 

[CCW]

Or to put it simply.

If your FSB is 200 then your memory will run at PC3200 (DDR400)speed even if the memory has a higher spec.
Br
hepp

Only if you set it to run in sync with the FSB, 1:1, BySPD or whatever your BIOS calls it.

Craig

 

[Ritalin]

My bios has 3 ratios: 400 320 and 266 (1:1 5:4 3:2) and in none of those is the memory running faster than the cpu.
I know that at stock it will be pc3200.
My question is basically is it bad for ram to work at lower speed.
Will it cause errors? reboots? i dunno what else...

 

[CCW]

Nope, I run my PC3700 way at 200FSB on my 8RDA although now my NF7 has arrived I will be able to run at faster FSBs and that wiull all change, LoL

 

[Ritalin]

ah ok so it's gonna run well.. hmm cool thx!

 

[gogadgetman]

memory should run fine at stock or lower. might not like to be overclocked though. depends who it is made by and at what voltage you are running it at.

Juls

 

[Ritalin]

k thx!