Memory?

[lostsoul62]

What does the PC3-15000 / 1866MHz and PC3-12800 / 1600MHz mean? Where does the first number come from and what is it? Is there a big difference in the two memories? Would it be better or even matter if I get the 1866MHz? I know some motherboards say they will take these but without setting something the 1866MHz drops down to 1600MHz I think?

 

[StrangleHold]

The first number is the transfer rate, the second in the mhz that it runs at. If close to the same price go for 1866. For the motherboard, it depends on the highest default memory speed the board will boot with. Aything higher then that, you will need to manually set the speed/voltage and timing.

 

[Cromewell]

PC15000 and 1866 are really the same thing written differently. They are simply different representations of the speed of the memory. The first is it's transfer speed in MB/s, the second is it's effective operating frequency.

Obviously the PC-15000 stuff is faster on paper, but most people don't see much of a difference.

 

[wolfeking]

Generally speaking, 1866 is pretty cheap now.

And is the transfer rate always equal or very close to 8 x the MHz? Or is that just a random math thing?

 

[Cromewell]

Generally speaking, 1866 is pretty cheap now.

And is the transfer rate always equal or very close to 8 x the MHz? Or is that just a random math thing?

It's always the same, if the math doesn't add up one isn't actually what's advertised.