Mixing RAM of Different Voltage ?

HoseB · SirTweaksabit Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 260

I've got a T4010 eMachines*.... and want to increase the RAM.

I've checked the Kingston, Crucial, and Corsar RAM selectors, and they all have a recommended model. However, each of those models runs at 2.6v, and mine is currently running at 2.5v (Everest). There are no BIOS voltatge or timing adjustments.

Will the system run correctly with one stick of 2.5v and one of 2.6v? If I try it am I likely to damage the RAM or MB?

TIA

Hose

*I know it's an El Cheapo, but it's in service as a dedicated function and fine for that. Intel MB, Intel Chipset, Celeron 340

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HoseB · SirTweaksabit Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 260

Forgot to mention... PC3200

(Sure wish there was and "edit" function on this board)

fussnfeathers · Lord of the Tweak Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 2763

Im'g going to go out on a limb and say it'll probably be fine. It *should* default to the lower voltage, so both sticks would be running at 2.5v. Personally, I'd try to find a match, though, you'll be better off.
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HoseB · SirTweaksabit Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 260

That's kind of what I thought too. Wouldn't bother me too much if it didn't work, but I don't want to damage anything.

I wouldn't even consider mixing the voltages except there's a big rebate on a ram stick at CC this week, so I'm thinking of giving it a try.

[KoG]^weaZel · Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 12:03 pm Post subject:

if you undervolt the memory is may work and it may not. I have found that if a memory is undervolted it can cause memory errors and act like a bad ram. But you bump the vDimm by .1-.2 volts and everything plays like it should.
I would suggest finding a memory that is made to run at the default voltage of 2.5. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that you probably dont need PC3200 (DDR400). Does it run the memory at DDR400 now? As the celery only has a FSB of 533. The memory may only be running at PC2100 speeds. And if that is the case then it might be OK to undervolt the dimms.
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HoseB · SirTweaksabit Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 260

[KoG]^weaZel · Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 2:01 pm Post subject:

very cool that you got it sorted and have a good bump in memory bandwidth to show for it.
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gmoney · Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 2:12 pm Post subject:

ive done it more than once never hadtrouble
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fussnfeathers · Lord of the Tweak Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 2763

For Weaz.........

Intel chips run RAM at the appropriate speed, since the memory controller is seperate from the FSB.........but you knew that, right?

I have DDR400 on a 400mhz FSB (whimper) P4, and it runs at DDR400 speeds just fine.
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[KoG]^weaZel · Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 10:33 am Post subject:

FnF,
what I was saying is, that since his cpu uses a FSB of 533 (quad pumped) that he probably didnt need to use DDR400 since is going to run at DDR333 anyways. And since the memories that he was looking at getting were DDR400 units that require 2.6 volts, it would probably be ok to get them since they were only going to be running at DDR333 speeds at 2.5 volts. But if they were going to run at DDR400 then the 2.6 volts would be needed.
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HoseB · SirTweaksabit Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 260

Also, I wanted to get DDR400 in the hope that Dual Channel support would activate... which it did.

HoseB · SirTweaksabit Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 260

[KoG]^weaZel · Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 11:36 am Post subject:

I know the stuff that you had and the new stuff that you found runs at the 2.5 volts but the other parts that you listed were supposed to run at 2.6 volts. Usually the "stock" (OEM type) ram modules will run at lower voltages than the high performance products do.
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HoseB · SirTweaksabit Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 260