Does Ddr2 Ram Work In Ddr3 Slot
The most obvious factor on how to differ DDR3 from DDR2 memory is appearance. But, that is not as simple as it might seem. Unless you can find the specific reference on the memory stick, you will need to look at the key notch. Along the bottom of the memory stick, 240 pins insert into the motherboard. Among the pins is a notch. That notch prevents inserting the wrong type of memory into an incompatible slot. Looking from the top side, the notch on the DDR2 lies slightly to the right of the middle point of the memory stick. On the DDR3, the notch is slightly to the left of the middle.
The Canadian regulatory environment is just as cloudy as the United States, and in fact, in some ways, it is even more confusing. When all the changes happened in the U.S., many professional real money gamblers moved to Canada to take advantage of Will Ddr3 Memory Work In Ddr2 Slot staying in the same time zones but being able to keep playing at their favorite sites. There have been motherboards that support both DDR2 and DDR3 RAM but you can only use one or the other at the same time. For example: MSI P45-8D. Not open for further replies.
DDR2 memory sticks do not fit into the slots for DDR3 sticks or vice versa. One reason why many manufacturers have been slow to adopt the newer DDR3 technology is because there is no backwards compatibility between the two. You cannot use a DDR3 when you do not have an appropriate slot in the motherboard for it. Some newer motherboards come with the ability for both types of memory to work. However, it is important to know how to differ DDR3 from DDR2 memory before you purchase it.
What else makes these memory sticks different? Transfer speed on DDR3 is double that of the DDR2. Transfer rates on DDR2 range from 400 to 800 Mbps. On the DDR3, the range is 800 to 1600 Mbps. The DDR2 has four internal banks of memory while the DDR3 has eight. The DDR2 does 4-bit prefetch and the DDR3 does 8-bit prefetch. The DDR2 uses more voltage than the DDR3 does. The DDR2 runs with 1.8V while DDR3 runs with 1.5V. DDR3 memory has a slightly higher latency than the DDR2. There are other technical differences between the two as well.
Currently, there is another significant way on how to differ DDR3 from DDR2 memory. The price is higher for the DDR3 memory sticks. Prices have continued to drop ever since the DDR3 came on the market a few years ago. However, the DDR2 sticks are still lower in price. But, newer motherboards are pushing the prices down on DDR3. The demand for the newer technology is starting to grow as higher memory requirements come into play with faster motherboards and chipsets. However, with the newer DDR4 technology planned for a 2012 release, the future of the DDR3 is still in question.
DDR2 vs DDR3 RAM - What's the difference between DDR2 and DDR3 memory? How do you tell them apart? Can you use DDR3 RAM in a DDR2 socket? Get the full answers right here.
The RAM found in most modern desktop and laptop computers is DDR3 RAM (DDR3 is short for Double Data Rate Type 3). To be more precise, its full technical name is DDR3 SDRAM.
If your computer was built in 2008 or earlier, then chances are that it has the older DDR2 RAM instead.
At buildcomputers.net, we don't take chances or make guesses... so let's learn what are the differences between DDR3 vs DDR2 RAM and how to tell them apart.
How to Tell If You Have a DDR2 or DDR3 RAM Module
In terms of physical appearance, DDR2 vs DDR3 RAM looks largely similar. They are of the same length (~13.3 cm or 5.25 in) and have the same number of pins (240):
Here's the trick to tell them apart: Look at their notch positions (circled in yellow above).
As you can see from the image below, the DDR2 notch is located near the middle of the RAM stick while the DDR3 notch is positioned nearer to the left side. If you want to be more precise,
- DDR2: distance between left side of RAM stick and notch = 7.1 cm (2.8 in)
- DDR3: distance between left side of RAM stick and notch = 5.4 cm (2.1 in)
This difference in notch position is also why you can't use DDR3 RAM in a DDR2 system or install DDR2 RAM into a DDR3 slot (even though they have the same number of pins).
Does Ddr2 Ram Work In Ddr3 Slots
In short, DDR2 and DDR3 RAM are not compatible with each other: If your motherboard has DDR2 RAM slots, then you can only use DDR2 RAM. The same applies to DDR3 RAM.
Does Ddr2 Ram Work In Ddr3 Slot Car
What's the Difference between DDR2 and DDR3 RAM?
| DDR2 RAM | DDR3 RAM |
Number of Pins | 240 pins | 240 pins |
Clock Speed | 400 to 1,066 MHz | 800 to 2,933 MHz |
Max Transfer Rate | 3,200 to 8,533 MB/s | 6,400 to 17,067 MB/s |
Voltage | 1.8V | 1.5V |
From the DDR2 vs DDR3 table above, we can see that DDR3 RAM offers better performance while consuming less power.
The difference in clock speed and max transfer rate numbers look impressive on paper, but DDR3 RAM is in fact just 2 to 10% faster than DDR2 RAM for most real-world applications (depending on your hardware specification and usage).
DDR3 RAM consumes less power and produces less heat than DDR2 RAM at the same clock speed (e.g. DDR3 vs DDR2 RAM that is both running at 1,066 MHz). However there is a catch: RAM with higher clock speeds have higher power consumption so DDR3 RAM running at 2,133 MHz will still drain more power than DDR2 RAM at 1,066 MHz.
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Can Ddr2 Ram Work In Ddr3 Slot
Budget Computer: 2 x 4GB Crucial DDR4 3200Mhz
Mid Range Computer: 2 x 8GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DD4 3600Mhz
Gaming Computer: 2 x 16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro DDR4 3600Mhz
Home Theater PC: 2 x 8GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3600Mhz
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