Understanding CPU-Z indications: memory speed?

[JET 1 0]

I'm tinkering with my old choking FS9 PC, which consists of: AMD 64 Athlon processor 3800+ "Venice", MSI K8N mobo and a total of 2Gb RAM (4x512)Trying to squeeze most out of it I picked up a system monitor program called CPU-Z, which displays various values from a system. CPU values are correct and FSB 200MHz (not overclocked), like it should.However, the memory tab shows memory speed as 134MHz. Shouldn't it equal FSB in my case? That's what I was thinking.Moved on to the next tab which shows info on each memory chip installed, in my case four. Three of them showed to be PC3200 (200MHz) but one as PC2300 (134Mhz)!In BIOS memory management settings are all at auto.I'm not very good with hardware, but am I correct in reasoning that:1) back in the day when my system is built someone probably made a mistake and installed wrong memory2) the system can only run at the rate of the slowest memory chip..?..bonus question3) I wonder if I will see a visible improvement if I replace that one chip with PC3200 and increase memory speed to 200MHz?

[RickB1293 9]

If your comfortable with opening your computer, you can verify what kind of memory modules you have. CPU-Z reports the hardware identifier so I'd bet that someone slipped in a different module. Your system uses single channel RAM and you are right in that the system will drop back to the slowest memory speed.Adding another PC3200 module won't make much of a difference in performance though. Even FS9 is considered a resource hog and challenges every system component including the CPU, memory, data bus, hard drive and graphics subsystems. The small marginal improvement in memory speed won't outweigh the shortcomings of your other legacy hardware. I've also found that finding "old" memory sticks can be challenging and most of the time "buyer beware" is an appropriate warning. Even if good tested memory is out there, it can be prohibitively priced because of obsolescence.Hope this helps--

[JET 1 0]

Thanks Rick.I could check the difference though, by stripping away two sticks, one pc2100x 512 and one pc3200 x512, leaving behind two sticks pc3200, total 1Gb running at dual rate ... total 400MHz (dual rate). 1Gb should be enough for FS9, I think.Theoretically, what would faster memory speeds affect in FS9, if everything else was left unchanged? In this case, going from 266MHz -> 400MHz. I know that's a tough one to answer, demonstrate and prove but just asking in case anyone had an idea..

[Guest firehawk44]

next tab which shows info on each memory chip installed, in my case four. Three of them showed to be PC3200 (200MHz) but one as PC2300 (134Mhz)!

The SPD tab shows the various frequencies and voltages you can set for your installed memory, not info on each memory chip. You can go into the BIOS on modern MB's and use four different settings to control your memory. I have mine set at X.M.P. so I can use the highest settings.Best regards,Jim

[dazz 69]

This is what my sticks look like in CPU-Z (Slot 1 & 3 are the Exceleram 2x2GB rated 2000MHz 7-10-10-24, and slots 3 & 4 are 2x2GB Mushkin Blackline rated 2000MHz 7-10-7-27)Both are labeled PC3-107000H - 667MHz (1333MHz with double data rate) but they are all 2000MHz CL7Even the JEDEC's for the Exceleram kit don't show the 2000MHz range, so CPU-Z may not be telling the whole story.Definitely ignore the "Max Bandwidth" field there.I would google the "part number" to find out if your RAM is what it should be. My E30119A Exceleram kit here (couldn't find the specs in the Exceleram web site):https://content.it4profit.com/itshop/itemcard_cs.jsp?ITEM=110202082935976002&THEME=asbis&LANG=lvshowing it's 2000MHz 7-10-10-27 RAMAs for the RAM speed being the same as the FSB, it doesn't need to be. There's a RAM multiplier to adjust RAM speed. My "FSB" is 100 but RAM runs at 1000MHz (2000MHz considering DDR)Keep in mind that every platform has it's default RAM speed. Mine is 667MHz (1333MHz) so even with 2000MHz sticks, if I don't set it manually to the stick's rated speed in BIOS, my board will default RAM to 1333MHzCan post a screenshot with each slot in the SPD tab, and the Memory tab please?