Is this memory compatible with this motherboard?

I have a Foxconn P35AP-S as seen here.

I need to get some more RAM since I only have 1 2GB stick. The current one is 1066MHz.

I would like to get the memory situated here: www.scan.co.uk/Products/6GB-(3x2GB)-Corsair-XMS3-Classic-DDR3-PC3-10666-(1333)-Non-ECC-Unbuffered-CAS-7-7-7-20-165V memory. It is 6GB of Corair 1333MHz memory. According to the motherboard website it is able to take 1333MHz, but it says oc** next to it (which means achieved when overclocked). So my question is: are they still compatible without overclocking, or does the motherboard require overclocking to be compatible?

If it requires overclocking (which I have no idea how to do) can anyone recommend any other memory (in the region of 6GB) which the motherboard is compatible with? I'd rather it were from Scan, but to be honest it doesnt need to be.

Many thanks in advance.

Regards,

Richard

Edit: I just realised that the motherboard has a maximum capacity of 4GB of RAM. Scrap the RAM given above, I'd like to go for something like that but only 4GB.

Edit: Scrap that last edit - its only if I go for DDR3 that I need to take this into account. DDR2 is a maximum of 8GB.

ClarkeyBoy

Posted 2010-08-27T15:44:07.460

Reputation: 151

Answers

Faster memory can be used on a slower motherboard, with the understanding that it obviously won't run at full speed. So the 1066 memory will probably run at 800 speed, but it should still work.

EDIT: No, wait, strike that, sorry. I didn't notice you were linking to 3 2GB modules. I guess you're planning to fill the 3 extra slots? That board is designed to take memory in matching pairs, and while I haven't tried it myself it's usually recommended to have both DIMMs in each pair identical. So maybe you shouldn't pair up the module you already have with a new DIMM unless it's the same make and model, or at least exactly the same stats. I honestly don't know if that'd work or not.

Josh

Posted 2010-08-27T15:44:07.460

Reputation: 2 471

Forgot to mention - the current one, I think, is not working properly - every now and then my computer blue screens, does a memory dump and then restarts. I am thinking of having 3 DDR3 RAM sticks in there. Would this work? I know there are 3 slots, a gap, then another 3 slots. 1 slot from each set is DDR2 and 2 slots from each set are DDR3. Would having 2 slots in one set filled and 1 slot in the other set filled work, or do I have to fill either 2 or 4 slots? – ClarkeyBoy – 2010-08-27T16:19:23.143

There are lots of offers at http://www.scan.co.uk/TodayOnly/Index.aspx on memory at the moment - you have to scroll down a bit. Please take a look at <a href="http://www.scan.co.uk/product.aspx?ProductId=24171">this</a> and tell me if that would run on my motherboard. If not, which one would you recommend from the offers? Sorry to be a pain - I just know nothing about hardware (literally nothing - I am merely a developer) so really need help when it comes to these things.

– ClarkeyBoy – 2010-08-27T16:49:29.563

What sort of blue screens are you getting? There's no reason to assume that it's a memory problem out of the blue. – Shinrai – 2010-08-27T17:23:29.633

Take a look at my other question - http://superuser.com/questions/180800/computer-doesnt-get-far-past-the-mode-selection-point. There are details in there as to what errors I was getting, or two of them anyway. I didnt see the message the third time. Someone said that one of those points directly at the RAM, and since the other RAM stick went wrong a while back it wouldn't surprise me if the same thing was affecting the other one now.

– ClarkeyBoy – 2010-08-27T17:39:49.903

PS I did solve that question - think the memory was just seating wrongly as I havent had any blue screens in over 24 hours now. Then again it has done that before - it seems to have fits of blue screens - loads of blue screens in a row then nothing for a long time. – ClarkeyBoy – 2010-08-27T17:42:36.333

With regards to your bluescreen errors (even though they've since been potentially resolved), have you tried running MemTest86? http://www.memtest86.com/

– nhinkle – 2010-08-30T01:25:54.547

The following article, Memory Upgrade for the FOXCONN P35AP-S Motherboard, advertises 2-GB memory modules for your computer. It's claimed that with a 64-bits operating system you can reach a maximum of 8GB for RAM.

Pressing the "All compatible upgrades" button will list several RAM upgrade kits, where you can buy RAM in quantities of 2x1GB or 2x2GB.

The article also says:

Q: Do I have to install matching pairs?

A: No, you can install modules one at a time, and you can mix different densities of modules in your computer. But if your computer supports dual-channel memory configurations, you should install in identical pairs (preferably in kits) for optimal performance.

Since your computer supports dual-channel memory, the main question is, of course, where are the pairs. You can also just put in the DDR3 to see if they work at all.

If you don't need DDR3, going with DDR2 may be safer.

harrymc

Posted 2010-08-27T15:44:07.460

Reputation: 306 093

There are no DDR3 modules listed there - I currently have a DDR3 module and it has 4 (out of 6) DDR3 slots, so its obviously meant to take DDR3. – ClarkeyBoy – 2010-08-27T16:20:52.503

It's true, both DDR3 and DDR2 memory are supported on this motherboard, so ramshopping.com probably mixed it up with another model. I rewrote my answer. – harrymc – 2010-08-27T17:28:37.760

Ok, had a look at that. I notice it says it can have 4 sticks of DDR2 or 2 sticks of DDR3, yet my DDR3 stick (which I had a look at earlier and I can confirm that it is DDR3) is in the centre slot of one of the sets of slots. Something is weird here - either they have put a DDR2 slot on either side of the DDR3 slot, or the second website you specified is wrong (or I misunderstood it) or one slot can take both (in which case the website is still wrong). I have no idea whether to go for 4GB or 8GB of DDR2. I think I'd rather go for DDR2 now since the speed loss is minimal and its cheaper. – ClarkeyBoy – 2010-08-27T17:49:01.423

See my edit above. – harrymc – 2010-08-27T18:06:15.693

What I meant was not 4GB DDR3 or 8GB DDR2 - it was literally what I said - 4GB of DDR2 or 8GB of DDR2. I have decided to scrub the idea of DDR3 due to the tiny increase in performance and the sometimes vast increase in cost. According to the website you pointed me to, it can take 8GB of DDR2 (4 sticks) but based on the fact that my computer worked when the DDR3 stick was in one of the end slots, but now its working with it in a centre slot (i.e. 2 slots of each set supports DDR3 - 4 slots altogether), it would seem it only supports 2 sticks of DDR2 (4GB max). – ClarkeyBoy – 2010-08-27T18:54:21.203

hmm now having taken another look at the website you pointed me to (Crucial.com) it turns out that DDR3 wont fit into DDR2 slots, so the website must be wrong as the DDR3 stick fits into 4 slots. Having also taken a look at the prices I am thinking that 4GB (unless there is a 6GB set somewhere) may be the maximum I can afford. – ClarkeyBoy – 2010-08-27T19:02:37.793

@ClarkeyBoy: Your motherboard was specifically designed to be able to upgrade from DDR2 to DDR3 when the later became available, so your slots are said in theory to accept both. But as the slots might have been designed at a time that DDR3 has not yet really existed, DDR2 may be safer (as well as cheaper). – harrymc – 2010-08-28T06:10:39.697

Im thinking I will probably go for 6-8GB DDR2 then. My birthday is less than a month away so I may be able to encourage my parents to buy me 2GB. Im also gonna format my hard drive at some point to free up some space and increase the speed a bit more. Thanks for the advice. – ClarkeyBoy – 2010-08-28T15:32:36.823

@ClarkeyBoy: Happy birthday to you! – harrymc – 2010-08-28T17:04:01.320

Why thank you..! I will post back here as to what my decision is - see what other people think, and if anyone else can come up with something better. – ClarkeyBoy – 2010-08-30T00:21:31.217