Can I use 184 Pin PC3200 DDR in place of 184 Pin PC2700 DDR?

Answer 1

It works. How do I know? I run this setup in my system.

Memory modules typically have no problems running at a slower rate. The only issue maybe be that SPD (Serial Presence Detect) or the configuration that the RAM has stored internally may need to be overriden in BIOS. If your motherboard is set to use SPD setting, it may try to run the RAM at PC3200 if your motherboard supports it.

I manually set the setting on my computer to run it at PC2700 in BIOS and it was good to go.

Side note: I could have ran it as PC3200 but I wanted my computer to run SYNCHRONOUSLY (i.e. FSB and Memory Clock running at the same rate.) instead of running the FSB at 333 and Memory at 400.

Answer 2

The PC3200 has to be "backwards compatible". That is, it must be able to operate as a PC2700. If it is backwards compatible it will function as a PC2700, similar to a USB 2.0 operating like a USB1.1

Answer 3

You actually can do that. But if your computer has the limitations of pc2700, it will slow down the pc3200 and it will act as pc2700. No point of actually doing that because you spend more for pc3200 than pc2700.

Answer 4

Yes, but if your computer is not made to run at the faster speed you will not be able to fully utilize the speed that the DDR chip is capable of.

Answer 5

I REALLY don't think so.

I don't feel like giving the techs on this one, but it has to do with the fact that your computer is not made for that type of memory.

It's like putting a blue block in the red block hole, it fits, but it doesn't exactly match =)

Answer 6

no it will not run, it will just create a problem for you, it has a different speed it wont work when combine