DDR2 backward compatability question

[perryx]

I'm ordering some 800mhz DDR2 for my new system. In the meantime, while I wait to get the rest of the computer... I want to put the ram in my mom's computer. Her system supports up to 533mhz DDR2...

If I throw my 2GB in her computer, can I set it to run at 533mhz... and go about my business? Or will it not recognize it at all?

I would think I could just set it to run at 533... but some of my friends guess otherwise. Nobody knows for sure.

She's got 256mb of ram... which is about enough to... boot... and maybe log in. haha. I can't even open more than like 5 pages in Firefox without it starting to lag. 😛




Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[apt403]

It depends on the mobo, but the ram should automatically underclock itself to 533.

 

[perryx]

I thought so too...

It's whatever mobo comes in a Dell Dimension E510.

 

[RyanMicah]

There are ways to find out, aside from pulling the memory out of the Dell POS. 🙂 You could go on Dell.com and enter your Service Tag # for one.

 

[perryx]

I tried that. And I chatted with someone from Dell... but they didn't even understand my question, or display any initiative toward forwarding me to someone who would know. I guess we'll just find out when the new ram gets here.

 

[RyanMicah]

I tried that. And I chatted with someone from Dell... but they didn't even understand my question, or display any initiative toward forwarding me to someone who would know. I guess we'll just find out when the new ram gets here.

Another reason not to buy premanufactured. 🙂 Ever. If you don't have to. Or aren't buying mass computers. And even then...if you own a small business. Build 20. =) Your Self-Tech Support > Middle-Eastern Tech Support. Dell doesn't want you to upgrade their systems by yourself. They want you to buy new...from them. Or pay them an outrageous amount to have them upgrade it. Their cases are difficult to open, their systems are often compatible with only their parts, they have motherboards specially made too, sometimes removing expansion slot headers so that you can't use the slots. It's all just so stupid.