memory - PC2100? PC2700?

I have a new PC with an "AMD A3000+ CPU (Athlon XP 1700+) ", which "supports 266/200MHz FSBâ€, that came with a single 512mb DDR PC2100 stick of RAM installed. My intent was to add a second stick to upgrade RAM to 1 gig. Does it make any difference if the second stick is PC2100 or PC2700? Do I need to consider replacing the original 2100 stick with a 2700 (any significant boost on throughput?)?

 

Keywester - which is it? 3000+ or 1700+ ? You don't get to have it both ways. If its 1700+ then your bus speed is 266, if its 3000+ your bus speed is 333. If the bus speed is 266, you want PC2100, if its 333, you want PC2700. As a general rule, you don't want to mix different memory. Sure, 2700 can run at 2100 but theres no memory speed gain to be realized if its paired with a 2100 module. Yes, you will still benefit from the overall increase in installed memory.

 

Rockster2u:

It is supposed to be and does appear to be a 3000A+, but system info that is produced by various utilities also tends to add the 1700+ in parens, or as with AIDA32, simply tags it as a 1700+ and not a 3000...

Even the AMD site specs for that mobo (K7-825GLM3k+) lists it as a 3000 with the 1700+ in parens. I have also noticed that most of their specs do the same thing, with a trailing number that is lower. Pretty certain that it is a 3000...

The bus speed is also confusing. FSB real clock =244Mhz, effective = 489MHz, external clock = 133MHz. Memory bus is same. The other oddity is that it weighs in at 1466MHz and it is supposed to be 2167MHz, but that is another post...

 

I'm sorry Keywester but you're saying isn't making any sense. Is it a duck or a goose? What Rockster is saying is completely spot on. I think you have an XP 1700+ which runs at the 133(266 effective) FSB which means it runs with PC2100 memory. Now what I would probably do is buy a PC3200 memory stick, mix it with the PC2100 stick and have a leg up on my next upgrade. Interestingly, at Newegg (which does sell Crucial ram as well), the newer (PC2700, PC3200) memory is often cheaper than PC2100. The faster memory would simply run at the slower speed. I've kicked myself before for not getting faster memory that would have a longer usage for me.

Gary

 

I found that mobo model at the Amptron website. It is descibed as having what keywester says (the CPU is sold "onboard "). Searched the AMD website for "A3000+" (note the A). It came back with zero search results. I would say that the processor is some kind of rebadged Athlon 1700+. The FSB of the mobo is 266mHz.

Matt

 

thanks Matt, and Gary...

Matt: "rebadged" by the tech shop or by AMD?

 

I'd try bumping your FSB to 333 and see if it registers as a 3000+ if it will boot at all. Whats the MoBo chipset on there? May handle PC2700 or 3200 if you are lucky.

On the other hand, the older 1700+ Palamino's would usually OC to 2.2 - 2.6 actual speed with the right board and good cooling. One of the better 266 Athlons ever made. So, bottom line is, you have two possible ways to "luck out ".

 

It comes "onboard" with the Amptron motherboard, so I would say that it a motherboard manufacturers (Amptron) description. They would probably say that A3000+ is the "model number" (mmmm!).
I tried a general website search, but found nothing on A3000+ in about the first 150 hits.

Matt

 

Here's that motherboard page if anyone wants a look:
http://www.amptron.com/html/MB-K7-825GLM3K+.html

(Keywester, does this information agree with what you have? It is for the version 7.2C...Holy Cow (mattman), there must be a lot of versions of this board around !)

 

mattman:
I'd say you nailed this one down pretty good. Manufacturer should be shot for such mis-leading terminology. As Chiles4 points out, it appears the "turkeys" in marketing are "ducking" the real spec, trying to "goose" up the description.

 

Keywester, just for the future, Amptron boards are the "economy-type" boards used by local builders to help boost their profit margins. They are in the same class as ECS and PCChips.

If, in the future, you are in the market for a mainboard, I'd recommend a different maker. There are top-notch makers like Epox that can be found for very low prices.

I'm not saying you won't get great service from your board - just that there are better alternatives.

Gary

 

Again, thanks everyone, a good education....

Matt: regarding your question "...does this information agree with what you have? It is for the version 7.2C... "

Yes, that is precisely the board -- even worse, the "local builders" advertised it simply as an "AMD Athlon 3000+ ", and admittedly being in a hurry to pack for an out of town trip, I simply did not have the time to check it out and trusted them that I would be getting a 3 gig rig, as they had done me right in the past...

I guess that the bottom line is that our world is continually changing and we may no longer be able to trust those that have been trustworthy in the past...

 

If you are stuck with it then maybe just make the most of it. I have a similar base model Gigabyte board (given to me by a friend when upgrading). I have set it up with an 1800+ CPU, it has the built in "everything" like yours and I am pleased with it, but I know I can't do much more to it. Those machines are well suited to applications that don't need heavy duty hardware, or for rev-head rebuilders (say as an office machine ).

Those FSB figures you quote sound strange. Whoever set that system up may have thought it was 3000+ themselves. Check the temperatures in AIDA32 (edit: also the BIOS setup...making sure they agree) and make sure it is not running too hot (say 55*C or more for the CPU). If it is then I would reset the FSB to standard (266/133).

Gary's suggestion of getting RAM/parts that are compatible with a future mobo is what I try do as well...just watch rockster's warning that mixing different types of RAM may cause trouble (can you get the same brand, but in PC3200?).

I would find and download everything I could on the Amptron site. That mobo is now listed under "discontinued ". I looked at the drivers, but your EXACT model is not listed. Maybe there are general drivers??

You may find it chugs along well for years, but don't push your luck with trying to upgrade with it.

I thought my imagination might have been a bit wild with the A3000+ naming, but I am disappointed for you since it seems to be not quite the "real deal ".

Matt