DDR2 speed compatability

I always thought that motherboards would accept any memory speed up to, whatever they have support for. A friends PC has stopped working, it looks like it is the motherboard, (an AM2+ foxconn). I was looking on Scan to get a rough idea of the price for a replacement and noticed that most of the AMD chipset motherboards don't list DDR2 667 support. They currently have 2GB of DDR2 667. Are the specs just not listing DDR2 667 becuase no one buys it anymore or is it not listed becuase it won't work?

If anyone from Scan happens to read this, the specific motherboard I was looking at was LN29209.

Well, maybe there is no such multiplier that the memory could work below 800MHz, but I doubt it. I think if you just went into BIOS and set the bus:memory multiplier to make it 667MHz (or 333MHz, depending on which way you look at it), it would work just fine.

Edit: oh, and being the assinine grammar nazi that I am, it's compatibility.

Also remember you can run faster memory at slower rates without issue, as it still must comply with JEDEC standards

Opps, sorry you're asking about a replacement motherboard and it's compatibility with the old ram.

EDIT @Queelis it's compatibility not compatility.

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Originally Posted by Pob255

EDIT @Queelis it's compatibility not compatility.

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OMG fail at it's highest level :Oops:

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Originally Posted by Queelis

Edit: oh, and being the assinine grammar nazi that I am, it's compatibility.

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If we're being really pedantic "nazi" should have a capitalised N as well...

Anyway, on the motherboard question, it should be able to go to 333MHz but if not it should be able to run at 800MHz without issue, although the CAS timing may have to be increased slightly.

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Originally Posted by Skulltrail

If we're being really pedantic "nazi" should have a capitalised N as well...

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Thought about that, but found no compelling reason to, so didn't. One of English axioms? OTOH, should've just listened to the spellcheck :)

Thanks for the answers. Even if you are mostly correcting my (and each others) spelling! :) I expected that I had spelt compatability wrong but I was in a hurry, sorry.

@pob255, I know I can faster memory at a slower rate, I'm asking about putting slower RAM in a motherboard whose description doesn't explicitly list support for that speed. Is it becuase the description doesn't bother to list the slow speeds or is the BIOS incapable of a low enough multiplier.

Basically a friend has a PC that now does nothing when you press the power button. I have tried a new PSU, I have also tried shorting the FP header pins for the power switch. Neither of these provoked any reaction from the PC so I have concluded the motherboard is dead. (Anyone got any other ideas?) I am hoping to replace as little as possible for them becuase they can't afford a big upgrade, hence the search for a motherboard with support for their existing RAM.

Have you tried removing all the components from the motherboard and starting it bare? This will tell you if the motherboard's completely fried or if it's just arguing with one of the other components.

Most modern motherboards should have dividers that will allow the memory to run slower - I'd be amazed if any didn't. There's still plenty of DDR2-533 and 667 on the market, so they'd be daft if they didn't support it. Which motherboard specifically were you looking at?

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Originally Posted by scaryjim

Which motherboard specifically were you looking at?

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I'm going to take a stab in the dark at this one.....

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Originally Posted by pipTheGeek

If anyone from Scan happens to read this, the specific motherboard I was looking at was LN29209.

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@Sacred, your stab is correct. Am I now dead? :)

@scareyjim, I have tried starting it almost bare. I haven't tried removing the CPU but I had disconnected the drives, etc. TBH I can't now remember exactly what combinations of things I have tried, another friend has had a PC go wrong as well which is also looking like a failed motherboard, and I've started to get them mixed up.

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Originally Posted by Sacred

I'm going to take a stab in the dark at this one.....

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:embarrassed: Epic Reading fail. Sorry!

pip, have you tried downloading the memory compatibility guide from the Gigabyte Product Page? If there's any 667MHz memory on that then you'll know it can support those speeds... ;)

EDIT: I finally got round to installing Acrobat Reader on my new laptop, and can confirm that the mobo has ratified 667MHz modules in the compatibility list. So yeah, it'll work with DDR2-667 :)

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Originally Posted by scaryjim

EDIT: I finally got round to installing Acrobat Reader on my new laptop, and can confirm that the mobo has ratified 667MHz modules in the compatibility list. So yeah, it'll work with DDR2-667 :)

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I'm sorry to go offtopic again, but don't use that Adobe overblown cr*p - use Foxit Reader. It's a lot faster and free :)

@scaryjim, thanks for that. Just need to work out if they own any recovery discs now and whether they will work after a hardware change. :(

@queelis, SECONDED!