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Items and misconceptions about DRAM and CPU-Z:
There are two tabs in CPU-Z that primarily relate to DRAM, the Memory tab and the SPD tab, the Memory tab identifies the "Type" i.e. DDR3, "Channels #" i.e. the number of memory channels run " 1-Single, 2-Dual, 3-Tri, 4-Quad, and "Size" i.e. total amount of DRAM, say 16384 for 16GB. Next it goes to a window it refers to as "Timings" and starts with probably the most misinterpreted item, that being "DRAM Frequency", many people see what's shown in the box and get all upset, i.e. they may have 1600 DRAM and it shows 800, or they have 1866 and it shows 933 or 933.6 (yes odd ball fractions often show up) The reason for this is that it shows the DRAMs true frequency, but since it is DDR (DOUBLE Data Rate) that freq is has to be multiplied times two to find what the sticks are truly running at or with the above examples 800 x 2 = 1600, 933 x 2 = 1866.
The other most common misconception comes in the SPD Tab of CPU-Z. In addition to other info provided, CPU-Z has a window they call "Max Bandwidth" which is one of the biggest misconceptions/myths/whatever there is on DRAM. Many people swear up and down that the software identifies the actual chips as being of a certain speed (most common 1066, 1333 and 1600) and identifies the sticks by the actual chips, and go on to say that if they are sold as 2133 they are really only 1333 or 1600 and have been OCed. NOT TRUE!, what shows up in the Max Bandwidth, comes from the SPD on the sticks and is the default boot designation for the sticks, that is the section of the SPD the BIOS looks at and tries to correspond to upon initial boot up or after a BIOS/CMOS rest. It has nothing to do with the actual chips used. If not for this area of the SPD, higher freq sticks wouldn?t be able to boot up by themselves, i.e. no mobo has a default of 1866, 2133, 2200, 2400, 2600, so if not for these default SPD settings you couldn?t ever get into the BIOS.
If this isn't clear to anyone, give a shout and I will try and explain it better.
There are two tabs in CPU-Z that primarily relate to DRAM, the Memory tab and the SPD tab, the Memory tab identifies the "Type" i.e. DDR3, "Channels #" i.e. the number of memory channels run " 1-Single, 2-Dual, 3-Tri, 4-Quad, and "Size" i.e. total amount of DRAM, say 16384 for 16GB. Next it goes to a window it refers to as "Timings" and starts with probably the most misinterpreted item, that being "DRAM Frequency", many people see what's shown in the box and get all upset, i.e. they may have 1600 DRAM and it shows 800, or they have 1866 and it shows 933 or 933.6 (yes odd ball fractions often show up) The reason for this is that it shows the DRAMs true frequency, but since it is DDR (DOUBLE Data Rate) that freq is has to be multiplied times two to find what the sticks are truly running at or with the above examples 800 x 2 = 1600, 933 x 2 = 1866.
The other most common misconception comes in the SPD Tab of CPU-Z. In addition to other info provided, CPU-Z has a window they call "Max Bandwidth" which is one of the biggest misconceptions/myths/whatever there is on DRAM. Many people swear up and down that the software identifies the actual chips as being of a certain speed (most common 1066, 1333 and 1600) and identifies the sticks by the actual chips, and go on to say that if they are sold as 2133 they are really only 1333 or 1600 and have been OCed. NOT TRUE!, what shows up in the Max Bandwidth, comes from the SPD on the sticks and is the default boot designation for the sticks, that is the section of the SPD the BIOS looks at and tries to correspond to upon initial boot up or after a BIOS/CMOS rest. It has nothing to do with the actual chips used. If not for this area of the SPD, higher freq sticks wouldn?t be able to boot up by themselves, i.e. no mobo has a default of 1866, 2133, 2200, 2400, 2600, so if not for these default SPD settings you couldn?t ever get into the BIOS.
If this isn't clear to anyone, give a shout and I will try and explain it better.
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