Motherboards and RAM Types

[awsomejake]

I want to build my first PC but after taking a closer look at the motherboard I'm looking to get I see that it says the memory type is DDR3-1066 / 1333 but the RAM says it's DDR3-1600. Is the motherboard not compatible with the RAM?

 

[GhislainG]

By default DDR3-1600 runs at DDR3-1333.

 

[laviniuc]

By default DDR3-1600 runs at DDR3-1333.

... no it doesn't ddr3 1600 is running at 800mhz double data rate

 

[GhislainG]

By default DDR3-1600 runs at DDR3-1333.

... no it doesn't ddr3 1600 is running at 800mhz double data rate

By default it runs at 667 MHz x 2 = 1333 MHz, but that wasn't the OP's question; he wants to know if DDR3-1600 is compatible with a motherboard that supports DDR3-1066/1333 and it is.

 

[laviniuc]

yep, guess it's just a misunderstanding, you mean the default clocks and that you need to set it manually to 800 to get to the proper ddr3-1600 standard? and to answer the op's question, yes, any faster ram can decrease speed to get to what the motherboard can run. in fact because it always starts at a low speed it wont increase to the normal speed it can run at and stay at ddr3-1333

 

[GhislainG]

yep, guess it's just a misunderstanding, you mean the default clocks and that you need to set it manually to 800 to get to the proper ddr3-1600 standard? and to answer the op's question, yes, any faster ram can decrease speed to get to what the motherboard can run. in fact because it always starts at a low speed it wont increase to the normal speed it can run at and stay at ddr3-1333

The OP didn't mention which motherboard he'll buy, but most motherboard have an XMP setting that will set the memory modules to their optimal values (DDR3-1600 or 800 MHz).