Solved Can I Use PC3-12800 RAM With a PC3-10700 Motherboard?

[Mohanned Aladin]

Hello,

I'm not particularly familiar with RAM upgrades for laptops. My Laptop has a motherboard which supports 4GB PC3-10700 (667 MHz) RAM. Will the 8GB PC3-12800 stick work in it?

Thank You,

MohaNNed

Laptop Link

Fujitsu Siemens LifeBook AH531/GFO Memory RAM Upgrades - FREE Delivery & Guaranteed Compatible | Mr Memory(R)

Computer and Installed Memory

RAM

8GB PC3-12800 RAM

 

[wither 2]

The best I can tell is that the RAM you have is 204 pin but the stick you want to replace it with is 240 pin. I think you would be best off asking Fujitsu. Not sure why you want to go to 8 GB. Unless you do something that benefits from that much RAM, I think 8 GB is overkill (just my opinion).

I should correct myself- I didn't look closely at the image of the memory stick you wanted to use. I see that it is 204 pin.

 

[Mohanned Aladin]

The best I can tell is that the RAM you have is 204 pin but the stick you want to replace it with is 240 pin. I think you would be best off asking Fujitsu. Not sure why you want to go to 8 GB. Unless you do something that benefits from that much RAM, I think 8 GB is overkill (just my opinion).

I have a single channel, that means i can't add more than one RAM to my motherboard and i have 4 GB installed, so if i want to upgrade my memory i need 6 GB or more and i don't think there is 6 GB RAM (i didn't find it) so i chose 8 GB (maximum memory). I need that RAM for some engineering programs to work faster like AutoCAD and Revit

Thanks for your reply, Wither

 

[iko22]

The best I can tell is that the RAM you have is 204 pin but the stick you want to replace it with is 240 pin. I think you would be best off asking Fujitsu. Not sure why you want to go to 8 GB. Unless you do something that benefits from that much RAM, I think 8 GB is overkill (just my opinion).

204 pin is Laptop memory
240 pin is desktop memory

Ive seen benefits of installing 6-8GB of RAM. Helps with browsing web with multiple tabs open, and helps with some applications.

I have a single channel, that means i can't add more than one RAM to my motherboard and i have 4 GB installed,

Not quite so. Two single channel memory sticks will work side-by-side. Provided they are technically identical in every other way. Two Single channel modules wont be quite as fast as two dual channel modules.

According to the link you provided, your Lifebook supports two RAM slots. So you could purchase a second 4GB DDR3 204-pin RAM module and install it.

Laptop Link

Fujitsu Siemens LifeBook AH531/GFO Memory RAM Upgrades - FREE Delivery & Guaranteed Compatible | Mr Memory(R)
​

According to the link you provided, your Lifebook supports two RAM slots.​

 

[Mohanned Aladin]

204 pin is Laptop memory
240 pin is desktop memory

Ive seen benefits of installing 6-8GB of RAM. Helps with browsing web with multiple tabs open, and helps with some applications.



Not quite so. Two single channel memory sticks will work side-by-side. Provided they are technically identical in every other way. Two Single channel modules wont be quite as fast as two dual channel modules.

According to the link you provided, your Lifebook supports two RAM slots. So you could purchase a second 4GB DDR3 204-pin RAM module and install it.



According to the link you provided, your Lifebook supports two RAM slots.

You are absolutely right

You really surprised me because i opened my laptop MANY times and didn't notice there's another single channel under the installed memory, then i thought i can't add more than one memory and to make sure of what i thought, i installed CPU-Z and Speccy and they showed your channel is single. To be honest i saw the number of slots but i ignored them because i did't understand what they meant.

I told my friend "unfortunately i can't add more than one ram" and he asked "what's your laptop model?" after i told him he kept telling me "i think you're wrong you can add another memory" and i kept telling him "no i'm sure i can't" when i read your reply, you made me immediately shut down my laptop and open it and then i noticed the other single channel under the installed memory.

i was going to buy 8GB PC3-12800 this week, but you saved my money thank you Now i need a second 4GB PC3-10700 RAM and if i found 4GB PC3-12800 RAM and i use it with 4GB PC3-10700 RAM, i can potentially have instabilities or crashes/reboots due to RAM incompatibility, is that correct?

 

[iko22]

if you found a 4GB PC3-12800 (204 pin) and tried to use it @1600MHz along side the 4GB PC3-10600 (204 pin) , then yes you would see instabilities. Your computer's motherboard might not support that much speed however, so you might not even see the option to try this out.

All DDR3 RAM will work at the slowest speed. That just means, from a compatibility point of view, that there is no point in buying faster RAM.

So, to answer your question. From a cost and performance point of view, you'd be better off buying a second 4GB PC3-10600 RAM, because when installed properly, it should give you 8GB total RAM.

Looking at your photo, it might be difficult to place a RAM module into the first slot, because the second slot is already occupied.

So you might want to take out the RAM module from the second slot, and place it into the first slot, before buying any extra RAM.

 

[Mohanned Aladin]

So, to answer your question. From a cost and performance point of view, you'd be better off buying a second 4GB PC3-10600 RAM, because when installed properly, it should give you 8GB total RAM.

I think you meant 4GB PC3-10700 RAM? Or
Did you mean i can use 4GB PC3-10600 RAM with 4GB PC3-10700 RAM together? Or
PC3-10600 and PC3-10700 is the same thing

What about type of memory is it must have be the same as the installed memory?

 

[iko22]

I mean DDR3 PC3-10600 1333MHz 204-pin SODIMM, like what is stated on the link you provided in your first post on this thread.

I.ve assumed that you have 64-bit version of Windows. I thought I read it in your system specs. Can you confirm that youi have a 64-bit OS?

Yes, you can use 4GB PC3-10600 RAM with 4GB PC3-10700 RAM, but the system will probably only be stable at 1333MHz.

DDR3 PC3-10600 and DDR3 PC-10700 are the same type of SDRAM, but they exhibit different clock speeds, and maybe different latencies.

 

[wither 2]

From Tomshardware.com-

"The problem comes with "rounding" and was first noticed with DDR-266 (PC-2100). The data rate of 266 MHz is actually 266.6 (continuously repeating decimal) megahertz, so the true transfer rate was 2133 MHz.

Today's DDR3-1333 has a peak bandwidth of 10666 MHz, which can be improperly rounded down and called PC3-10600, rounded up to be called PC3-10700 or stated without rounding as PC3-10666 depending on the manufacturer's desires."

 

[Mohanned Aladin]

I mean DDR3 PC3-10600 1333MHz 204-pin SODIMM, like what is stated on the link you provided in your first post on this thread.

I.ve assumed that you have 64-bit version of Windows. I thought I read it in your system specs. Can you confirm that youi have a 64-bit OS?

But Speccy showed my RAM is 4GB PC3-10700, so what should i choose if find both of them (PC3-10600 and PC3-10700)?

Yes i have 64-bit OS.

 

[iko22]

Yes, speccy does show PC3-10700 as the MAXIMUM bandwidth. But the DRAM frequency reading remains at 665.1 MHz. The part number is a SAMSUNG M471B5273CH0-CH9.

If you found both modules, then choose the SAMSUNG M471B5273CH0-CH9.

 

[Mohanned Aladin]

From Tomshardware.com-

"The problem comes with "rounding" and was first noticed with DDR-266 (PC-2100). The data rate of 266 MHz is actually 266.6 (continuously repeating decimal) megahertz, so the true transfer rate was 2133 MHz.

Today's DDR3-1333 has a peak bandwidth of 10666 MHz, which can be improperly rounded down and called PC3-10600, rounded up to be called PC3-10700 or stated without rounding as PC3-10666 depending on the manufacturer's desires."

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.

 

[Mohanned Aladin]

Yes, speccy does show PC3-10700 as the MAXIMUM bandwidth. But the DRAM frequency reading remains at 665.1 MHz. The part number is a SAMSUNG M471B5273CH0-CH9.

If you found both modules, then choose the SAMSUNG M471B5273CH0-CH9.

Okay, the last thing if i didn't find Samsung and found other types like Kingston or Crucial can i use it with Samsung?

 

[iko22]

If there was no SAMSUNG M471B5273CH0-CH9, then pick a different make that does PC3-10600 with CAS Latency (CL) 9. That will be the same as the SAMSUNG's.

 

[Mohanned Aladin]

thank you guys for all your support. I am going back to you when i bought it, much love to all of you

 

[wither 2]

IMO, I would go with the 10700.

 

[Mohanned Aladin]

IMO, I would go with the 10700.

I bought 10600. Why do you prefer 10700?

If there was no SAMSUNG M471B5273CH0-CH9, then pick a different make that does PC3-10600 with CAS Latency (CL) 9. That will be the same as the SAMSUNG's.

There was no SAMSUNG M471B5273CH0-CH9. I bought SAMSUNG M471B5273DH0-CH9, is there any differences?

SAMSUNG M471B5273DH0-CH9 RAM

CPU-Z SPD Slot 1

CPU-Z SPD Slot 2

CPU-Z Memory

Speccy RAM Page 1 of 2

Speccy RAM Page 2 of 2

 

[iko22]

Looks like there is no difference other than the week/year!

Congratulations! You have now got 8GB RAM

 

[Mohanned Aladin]

Looks like there is no difference other than the week/year!

Congratulations! You have now got 8GB RAM

Thank you so much, you really helped me a lot! I love you from the deepest of my heart ♥♥♥

IMO, I would go with the 10700.

Thanks, Wither you are such a great support as always!

Wish You All The Best

MohaNNed​