K7S5A Sept 02' motherboard released, what max memory can support?

Dear esori,

512 MB PC400 DDR

Thanks,
Sunray

oh i didnot read your question correctly.. wait a min

Sunray

I see that your motherboard supports PC2100 DDR..

Sunray

or


2x 184-pin DDR SDRAM PC-1600/2100
2x 168-pin SDRAM PC-100/133

Sunray

esori,

512 MB PC266 DDR

Thanks,
Sunray

ows? What is your basis?

Basis is I checked some websites and reviews in which they have put PC266 DDR works fine in your motherboard

Sunray

http://www2.dealtime.com/xPR-Elitegroup_Socket_A_K7S5A~ZD-1


Sunray

ofcourse, its obvous.

My worry is that this might be the right version, anyway, its much safer to choice the one with lower frequency?

reviews say that it is better with PC 266.. i would rather go with that

Sunray

To be more precise:  Your motherboard is cable of FSB speeds (both cpu and ram) of 266MHz.

As such, the fastest it can run the memory is 266MHz.

However, it is quite likely it will still run the PC3200 (400MHz) DDR RAM, albeit it will run it at 266MHz timing speeds.

'cable' should read 'capable'

That being said, imho the reason you'd want to do this is for a future upgrade path.  Say you want to upgrade your motherboard and cpu later on to something that is running a 400MHz system bus.  

If all you have is PC2100 (266MHz) DDR, you'll have obsolete RAM and need to dump it.  If you already have 400MHz RAM, you'll be able to use it when it's time to upgrade.

And BTW, if your supplier said it's "PC266" and "PC333" and "PC400" they should be taught a thing or two . . .  

266MHz DDR RAM is PC2100, 333MHz DDR RAM is "PC2700" and 400MHz DDR RAM is "PC3200"

Im now confuse...

You need not get confused..  PC 266 should work fine ... as of now cos that's what I see
What Albertabeef is saying is that if you get PC 266 now it might be obsolete in the future if you are planning to upgrade
so going for 400 mhz (pc 400) would be fine now.

Sunray

Yeah, don't be confused.

>>PC 266 should work fine

Except that there's no such thing as "PC 266", as I said.  It's actually "PC2100" but runs at 266MHz.  It's not like the PC100 and PC133 Single Data Rate SDRAM, we're talking about DDR (Double Data Rate) SDRAM which they gave a different naming convention to differentiate it from Single Data Rate.

And yes, 266Mhz RAM will work, but it doesn't leave you the same upgrade path, and you should be aware of that.  If it were me, I'd buy PC3200 (or faster) meaning 400MHz (or what your supplier is incorrectly calling 'PC 400') and use that.  It will run fine in your board, albeit at 266MHz.

Just because you buy RAM of a certain speed doesn't mean it won't function at a slower speeed.  It just means it designed to be able to run faster, and certified to do so.  

You couldn't run 266MHz RAM at 400MHz, BUT YOU CAN RUN 400MHz RAM AT 266MHz, which is what I'd do if it were my money being spent on the RAM.  That's why I'm recommending that solution to you.

To put it in simpler terms:   I live in an area with a 110 km/h speed limit on the highway.  I can buy a ferarri (well, if I had the money I could) or I could buy a hyundai.  Both will go 110 km/h on the highway.  But, if I ever had those cars on the autobahn, only the ferarri could do the speeds I'd want to.  And the ferarri, although designed for fast speeds, can still go the speed limit...

The same applies to your RAM.  The PC3200 ram (400MHz) can still go the 266MHz maximum of your system.  And  should you upgrade your system later on, that same PC3200 RAM will most likely work in the new system.  But the older PC2100 (266MHz) won't.  

so what you reccommend me to buy?
512 MB PC266 DDR?
512 MB PC333 DDR?
512 MB PC400 DDR?
will it run on my current motherboard?

Personally, I would buy the 512Mb 400MHz DDR.  And like I said, it's properly referred to as PC3200, not PC400.

I know crucial's PC3200 is guaranteed to work in your mainboard, I can't see why any other 400MHz DDR wouldn't.  I know people with your board using OCZ PC3500, so feel free to get the better RAM.

Here's the crucial link, fyi: http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.asp?Mfr%2BProductline=Elite+Group+%28ECS%29%2B+Motherboards&mfr=Elite+Group+%28ECS%29&cat=RAM&model=K7S5A+%28Rev+1.X%29&submit=Go

As you can see, they recommend PC2100, PC2700 and PC3200 for your board, meaning 266, 333 or 400MHz RAM.

As I stated earlier...

ok, to settle this. i will bring my cpu to the store and try to fit it? What you do u think?

You can take your cpu in, but they may charge you to install it.  It's up to you.  But I am 100% certain that good quality PC3200 (400MHz) DDR SDRAM will work in your system regardless of whether it's installed by you, me, the computer shop, or my cousin dave.

512 MB PC400 DDR right? But why sunray_2003 suggesting to go for 512 MB PC266 DDR. Is he playing safe?

And who is dave? =)

>>512 MB PC400 DDR right? But why sunray_2003 suggesting to go for 512 MB PC266 DDR. Is he playing safe?

I cannot tell  you why Sunray is suggesting 266MHz RAM.  It doesn't make sense to me.  Only Sunray can tell you why.

I'm guessing it's because he doesn't have the knowledge I do in this subject and he's under the mistaken assumption that's what is required here.  But Sunray is wrong if he/she thinks only 266MHz RAM will work in this system.  400MHz PC3200 will work fine.  I still prefer the Crucial part, but that's me.

I work for a company that sold alot of K7S5A boards nad based alot of their PCs on them.

Use 266DDR PC2100 184 pin memory, anything faster will see unstable performance from a machine based on this board.

StealthMullet is probabbly right. Not because its the fastest it will run just fine. i think  sunray_2003 has his basis that's why he come up with that suggestion.

Let us wiat for him.

Were is dave?   =)

Where not were hehe

And I talked to a distributor who sold thousands of them, and they assure me that as long as you're not trying to run the RAM past 266MHz, and use a part that's guaranteed to work (such as the crucial RAM) then you're fine.

But I should also put my 2cents in here that the K7S5Ais NOT the best board.  If StealthMullet is experiencing unstable performance using anything faster than 266MHz RAM, and it's crappy generic RAM, then it is possible.  

But, like I said, Crucial guarantees their PC3200 to work just fine in this board, and I've seen other PC3200 working just fine in this board, and the distributor I talked to has seen PC3200 working fine in this board.

I don't say these things as a guess, I do a lot of research before making a statement like this and it's based on solid facts, not conjecture.

The crucial product:

http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.asp?Mfr%2BProductline=Elite+Group+%28ECS%29%2B+Motherboards&mfr=Elite+Group+%28ECS%29&cat=RAM&model=K7S5A+%28Rev+3.X%29&submit=Go