PC2 labeling relates to memory speeds
PC2 labeling relates to memory speeds
In short, I upgraded my Latitude E6400 with another RAM stick. Both are labeled 2GB PC2-6400U. One comes from Hynix and the other from A-Tech using Nanya modules. The specs say 667MHz for the Hynix one and 800MHz for the A-Tech, but in the BIOS they’re both set to 800MHz instead of 667. That’s confusing because usually mismatched speeds cause downclocking. I’m wondering if I misunderstood the numbers or if I was misled. If so, how can a 667MHz stick run at 800MHz?
I think manufacturers are just pushing their limits, increasing sales while ignoring JEDEC standards. You're right about the numbers: 5300 is 667 and 6400 is 800 DDR2-400 (PC2-3200), DDR2-533 (PC2-4266), DDR2-667 (PC2-5333), DDR2-800 (PC2-6400) and DDR2-1066 (PC2-8500). When you looked at the speeds, it appeared in Windows, but the BIOS lists 800 for both. It makes sense that older RAM units would downclock by default and require manual overclocking in BIOS to run faster. This behavior seems consistent with how older chips handled things, while newer ones might differ.
I checked my setup and confirmed the details. The DDR2-1066 is indeed showing 800MHZ in both Task Manager and BIOS, which is unusual. The Hynix stick lists 667 MHz JEDEC, but the label claims 400 MHz. It seems there might be a labeling error. I also noticed a Dell motherboard with "CLEAR COMS" instead of "CMOS" near the CLRTC jumper. This could point to a hardware issue or misconfiguration. The memory behavior on similar chipsets has been unpredictable, so it’s worth investigating further.
Well it's DDR. Meaning 400x2 = 800. If the sticker says 667, there's a small chance that it's overclocking UP to match the new stick. Which I doubt. It could also just be a setting in the BIOS that overclocks it if this was the original stick. Does it keep 800Mhz even after you take out the new stick and reset bios to default value?
Apologies for the confusion - I meant the sticker indicated 667 rather than 800, not 667 versus 400. Before I installed the second stick, it also showed 800mhz in BIOS. I didn’t notice until I took out the panel to put in the second stick and noticed the Hynix was labeled 667.