My experience in upgrading X200 with Gskill PC10666 DDR3 CAS9

This is an update from my last post
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=346927

I couldn't stand having only 1Gb memory for my x200. Vista is running a bit slow.
So I took the risk and gone to get the Gskill DDR3 PC10666 9-9-9-24 memory.
I took some pics about the original memory came with my x200 in my last post. If anyone could tell me what sort of CAS Latency it suppose to run that would be great?

Anyway, I got the new 2Gb memory and installed the memory myself.
All set, turned on the power & got into bios.
The hardware was regonised showing total memory just over 3gb.
Ok. Ready to get into windows.

Lefre the bios and it re-booted.
Everything ran fine but it just froze before it gets into windows.
(It will stop at "Bios Extention.....")
I tried to re-boot a few times but nothing seems to change.

I then removed both memory and installed the new 2Gb Gskill memeory into the slot 1 where the old samsung memory was sitting.
Re-booted, and everything works!!

Thought it must be the CAS latency issue so i installed CPUID to check the running latency of the new 2Gb memory running by itself.
CAS Latency is 8-8-8-20.
That's something different. Nor 7 or 9.

I played the system for a while and it was significantly faster and it was very stable.
Just before I totally gave up on the old 1gb memory i decided to give it another go.
However I left the new 2bg memory sitting in slot 1 where the old 1gb memory is sitting and installed the old 1gb into slot 2.

Again, it booted but i thought it will freeze just before windows.
For some reason it works.
I finally have 3bg running my windows.
I have re-booted many times and ran different programs just to make sure the system is stable with this comination.
The system works perfectly!!!
CPUID is showing 8-8-8-20 still.
So i guess both memory sacrifice a bit.

 

what is the reported memory bus frequency in CPU-Z?   what speeds do you get with the PC3-10666 module installed by itself?

a CAS latency of 8-8-8 leads me to think the memory has downclocked to around 1200 MHz.   i find it odd, however, that the original memory would increase speed from 1066 to ~1200 MHz.   are you sure the original PC3-8500 module is actually running at a faster cycle?

 

When 2Gb is installed alone (Gskill), DRAM frequency 532 Mhz, CAS 8-8-8-20.

It's the same case when 3Gb is installed (1Gb samsung+2Gb Gskill).

However when just the 1Gb samsung is installed, DRAM frequency is stil 532 Mhz. but CAS is 7-7-7-20

 

in that case your g.skill memory is downclocking to 1066 MHz due to the bus speed limit.   the fact that the latency isn't downclocking to 7-7-7 tells me the g.skill memory is slightly slower than advertised (although you'll never notice it).