Question Compatibility of RAM with MB and CPU

Dimitri001

Reputable
Oct 11, 2019
170
9
4,585
I used to think the extent of compatibility concerns regarding RAM and your computer was whether your MB was compatible with DDR2,3, what have you, but someone mentioned to me that there are other concerns besides that and that a CPU can be incompatible with RAM, too. Is that true?

My MB is MSI MS-7641 and the CPU is Athlon II X2 250 and I'm thinking of getting Patriot Sig.,D3, 1600Mhz, 8GB (PSD38G16002). Would that work together?
 

Dimitri001

Reputable
Oct 11, 2019
170
9
4,585
Getting DDR3-1600MHz rams will only work at DDR3-1333MHz on your platform due to your platforms limitations. You should also work with a kit of ram, instead of mixing and matching rams.

The plan is to use this 8 GB stick alone, I would yank my current 4 GB stick as it shows a ton of errors on memtest and causes frequent crashes.

So this particular stick would work with my MB+CPU, just at 1333, rather than 1600?
 
On lot of the older boards you could not run the memory faster than the CPU. In one of my intel boards I have a 1600Mhz CPU and the memory runs at 16000Mhz my other has a 1333 CPU and it runs at 1333. The newer boards with DDR4 are not limited that way. Memory is compatible by board and Chipset not CPU.
 

Dimitri001

Reputable
Oct 11, 2019
170
9
4,585
You are going to have to come up with a better number for your motherboard MSI said they had nine different models with MS-7641=760GMA-P34,760GM-P34,760GM-P21,760GM-P23,880GMS-E41 see https://us.msi.com/search/ms-7641/product/motherboard/
Don't think PSD38G16002 is compatible, You will have to get the correct motherboard number and go here to find out. http://finder.patriotmemory.com/memory-finder

I looked for my MB box and I have a box that says G31M3. That's probably my PREVIOUS MB's box. I don't think I have the box of my current MB. All msinfo32 tells me is MS-7641. Is there some other way I can check (ideally without installing something)?

Does it make a difference, tho, which of those MS-7641 models it is? I imagine if one can run that memory probably all of them can, or am I completely worng on that?

I can't find the MS-7641 model at all on that Patriot link you gave.