DUMB computer question :can I put DDR400 ram in a MB that wants DDR266?

[emulatorloo]

I understand that I won't get DDR400 performance out of it. . .but I have an older Athlon Socket A motherboard that is spec'd for DDR266 Ram. I want to upgrade RAM, but figure it would make more sense to buy DDR400 ram that I could then take to my next system when I upgrade to a new motherboard in the future.

Will that work ok, or should I just buy a stick of DDR266 and shut up about it?

Sorry to be so dumb.

THANKS!

[Benfea]

1. Read your mobo manual

If the manual was written before PC3200 (DDR400) was available, then contact your mobo manufacturer.

Chances are, the answer is "no," but it can't hurt to check.

[emulatorloo]

2. Thank You --- I had no clue where to start (obviously!)

Anyway -- I hit thier website, and DDR400 is a no go. . .

Thanks again. :toast:

[Benfea]

3. Good luck!

It's so much more satisfying to build and upgrade on your own!

PS — why are you buying new RAM? Do you just want more, or did you have chips go bad on you? If you had chips go bad, you may want to check out your power supply and make sure it's kosher. Also, when you get your new RAM, make absolutely certain you run a RAM testing program of some sort for an hour or so after installing (the cache can mask physical problems).

[DS1]

4. go back to the MBs website, see if there's a BIOS flash that will

support it.

I had a SocketA chip, and the Asus board ended up support clock speeds much faster than when I bought it due to BIOS updates

[emulatorloo]

5. Great Idea! -- sadly no luck though - latest bios doesn't change it

although I learned a lot digging around the website.

Thanks!

[billyskank]

6. Yes. It'll just work at the lower speed

:)