Ram stick ddr 500, motherboard 400ddr can it damge MOBO

[rebs51]

quick question, I bought a ram stick for my pc. Crucial 1 gigabyte, doublesides ddr500. Can it hurt my MoBO with 400ddr, or will it just run as fast as a max speed of 400DDR given by the MOBO thank you

 

[vnf4ultra]

It should work, the memory should just downclock to ddr400. If you'd overclock the cpu you could also make the memory run at ddr500, if you reached a high enough overclock.

 

[nork]

vnf4ultra is right.
Most of the time you can install faster ram and it will work, the system will use the ram at its own set speed. It works for faster ram but not for slower ram.
However, there are times where the mobo just doesnt tolerate the higher speed ram. I have seen the bios point that out as well, as a message on bootup. When you get the error message you will know, it will tell you the mobo is not accepting this change in ram. At that point all you can do is go with the proper ram for the mobo.
This is a common situation because sometimes the vendor is selling higher speed ram cheaper than lower speed, so its a wise purchase. And most of the time its a wise move as the newer ram could possibly be used in an updated mobo down the road.

 

[compres]

Those previous posts are correct. I will add that if the memory is compatible, it is very possible for you to clock the memory at 400mhz with more agressive timings(for example CAS2.0).

In my experience lower latencies are more desirable than more megahertz, specially in AMD systems.

 

[nork]

I agree with compres.
I was going to mention that part but i just had a guy who swears all he did was change the latency from cas3 to 2.5 and smoked (literally) his mobo. I have never seen or heard of a mobo being smoked for that, but i wouldnt want to give out advice that caused this, specially when new here as i am.
I dont think that can really happen but this guy swears up and down, but i have seen cases where these things are said but didnt really happen like that at all.
I know for my part, sometimes i had ram that didnt work at 2.5 but when the ram was taken out or changes done in bios, all was well. Some ram wont allow a change, others will. I think its pretty safe to experiment.

Remember, like google, bios reset is your friend.

 

[compres]

I can't really call that guy who changed his timins a lier, but I suspect something else burned his motherboard. I will try to find an answer to that posibility.

 

[rebs51]

thanks everyone for your imput. I am looking for a mobo to run 500 from msi, doesn't look it. doesn't even look like they have the K8T neo2's anymore. thanks.

 

[nork]

compres, i agree with you again!
Personally, I have found with changing cas that it just wont work or it will work, one or the other, but not any other scenario. I've even had a pc no-start but soon as i changed it back all was well. So i have misgivings about how his mobo got fried, if indeed it did.