More, but slower, memory???

So, I have an HPdv8339us laptop. It came standard with 1gb of 667mhz memory. However, the frontside bus is only 533mhz. If I upgrade to 2gb, and use 533 memory, will I be worse off? Why would they even put 667 ram in a 533 machine?

Thanks!

 

You can use 533Mhz memory without any issues. The 667MHz memory is probably running at 533 anyways being limited by the FSB. It wont hurt if you put memory of either speed.

As for as why HP installed 667MHz memory is for the simple fact that every other Core Duo/Solo processor uses 667MHz FSB whereas only T2250/T2050 and a few other crippled versions make do with 533MHz FSB. Economies of scale and using 667 meory does not hurt performance in any way.

 

2gb of 557 is better than 1gb of 667 anyday. Besides going from 533 to 667 will only give you a very small performace boost, that you wont notice unless your doing some memory demading computing. And the FSB of your processor has nothing to do with the memory speed, new intel computers support 553 and 667MHz ram, reguardless of processor FSB.

 

Wait miner does your processor FSB affect your memory speed?

 

Yes it does. FSB is what connects the processor to the memory controllers and memory wont be any faster than the how fast the connection is between it and the cpu.

 

you wont even see a performance difference going to and from 533/667 as the cas latency takes any edge off the 667. I heard somewhere around here there may be some 667mhz ram with a cas of 4...that would be a big enough increase to "feel"

 

Well I guess you learn something new every day, thanks.