Member Avatar for Bertminator

I have a Pentium 4 - 3.4, on a Asus P5P800 motherboard, and have 1 Gb of ram installed.

The problem? When I boot the computer It always says 400 Mhz Dual Channel Linear mode, but today, I upgraded the ram to 2 Gb's using the same rating as my present ram (PC 3200 - 512 Mb's, DDR400 - single sided 184 pin DIMM OEM), and NOW when I boot the computer it states "320 Mhz (NOT 400 AS BEFORE), and Dual Channel Linear mode. IS THIS NORMAL? or should I be concerned? I thought that it should always say 400 MHZ, not drop to 320 like that (especially with an upgrade). The only physical difference is that the NEW ram has chips on only ONE SIDE. Does this matter? What should I do?

Please help!

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What happened is common on older P4 boards: when you populate all four DIMM sockets the memory controller often falls back to a safer, lower JEDEC speed or looser timings to keep the system stable. That automatic downclock can make a system with more RAM actually perform the same or a little worse for CPU-bound tasks (like rendering) because memory throughput and timings changed even though capacity increased.

Concrete checks and fixes to try (build on and suggestions):

  • Verify each stick’s SPD (use a tool such as CPU‑Z) so you know the advertised CAS, tRCD, tRP and the voltage. Mismatched SPD tables frequently force the board to pick a lower speed.
  • Test combinations: boot with only one pair at a time, then with different pairs swapped between channels. That will reveal if one module or one slot triggers the downclock.
  • Set the DRAM frequency manually in BIOS (choose the option that corresponds to the PC3200 rated speed or a 1:1 FSB:DRAM ratio). If the board still refuses, try the module vendor’s recommended voltage (check the stick label) — increase only within the manufacturer spec and with caution.
  • Update the motherboard BIOS; memory compatibility updates are often included in later revisions.
  • Run a memory stress test (Memtest86+) after changes to confirm stability.

Why the render didn’t improve: rendering is normally CPU- and disk-bound. If the memory controller slowed when all four DIMMs were added, the CPU may have had slightly less memory bandwidth, offsetting the benefit of extra capacity. If the project fit in 1 GB already, adding RAM won’t speed it up.

If keeping full-speed memory with four DIMMs is critical, use a matched kit specified for quad-population or switch to two higher-capacity matched sticks (same model/brand/rank) so the board can run the rated timings.

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Member Avatar for osama_b

Hi , use other slot in main board

Member Avatar for Bertminator

Hi , use other slot in main board

Perhaps I wasn't clear, I have 4 slots total, on the motherboard. I have 2 - 512's in the "blue" slots, and I NOW added 2 more 512's in the black slots, so I have NO other slots to use. Update to this is I tried the new 512's in the blue slots by themselves, and my dos prompt shows 400 Mhz ( as it should), but when I plug in all four ram chips, I still ONLY get the 320 Mhz.

Also....I rendered a 2 hour video with ONE gig of ram, and it took 44 minutes to render, however with the 2 Gig's installed it took 46 minutes to render :-/ . Maybe I'm wrong in my thinking, but shouldn't it be FASTER? PLEASE anyone help me!!!:'(

AM I perhaps missing a bios setting or update? I tried everything that I know about bios settings, but nothing worked.

Member Avatar for dcc

Having more RAM is important in ripping and burning movies, but there are other variables. The length of the movie, the type of encryption, the amount of space you have on your hdd.

I have about two hundred movies backed up on my media computer for my home theatre, and I have seen movies that are the same length take different amounts of time to rip, the burn time is a lot more consistent.

Are these new modules exactly matched with the other two modules?

Have you tried to adjust the frequency in the BIOS?

Member Avatar for Bertminator

HOW? I don't know how to do that...I tried adjusting the timings, but nothing worked.

Having more RAM is important in ripping and burning movies, but there are other variables. The length of the movie, the type of encryption, the amount of space you have on your hdd.

I have about two hundred movies backed up on my media computer for my home theatre, and I have seen movies that are the same length take different amounts of time to rip, the burn time is a lot more consistent.

Are these new modules exactly matched with the other two modules?

Have you tried to adjust the frequency in the BIOS?

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