So I was able to get a 200pin ddr2 module of 1gb to put in my laptop which is ddr1. the reason i got the ddr2 stick is because i got it for 50$ whereas the ddr1 memory is about 80$. I was told by a bunch of people that you can put ddr2 in ddr1 and it would work. i guess this is theoretical. so my current setup is 2 sticks of 256MB DDR333. I just bought a 1GB of DDR2 533. I inspected the module when i bought it and i noticed the miniscule difference in key. so i sanded the slot wider so it would fit. it only needed about 1/16th of material to be removed and nothing but pc board was being removed. so i took that material off, and viola, fits perfectly. both memory modules have 200pins and i looked carefully, they line up perfectly. so i put it in and started my computer. turns on, then the "cpu working" light stays on. and didnt boot for about a minute, so i juts shut it off. i put in the old memory and boots up fine. so why isnt the computer able to boot up? i mean i understand if it would not recognize the memory, but is it not possible to boot with 256? maybe ill give it another try and wait for it.

"I was told by a bunch of people that you can put ddr2 in ddr1 and it would work."

"why isnt the computer able to boot up?"

Because those people are morons! You can't run DDR2 in a PC that is designed for DDR1.

Michael J

Why do you think it's called DDR2?

You just ruined a perfectly good stick of DDR2 RAM because you listened to a bunch of morons (to use Michael J's term). You can no longer return it because you butchered it & if you try to sell it, I would think that the buyer would notice your "handiwork". Maybe one of your clueless friends will buy it from you?

Next time, check a memory manufacturer's website, or the laptop manufacturer's website, or call tech support, or post a question BEFORE you buy!

"I inspected the module when i bought it and i noticed the miniscule difference in key. so i sanded the slot wider so it would fit."

The fact that it didn't fit should have clued you in that something's amiss, you are lucky it's just something as minor as a stick of RAM. Try to be more thorough in your research next time.

But I still doubt your assertion that a bunch of people told you the wrong thing - c'mon what are the odds of that - huh? Something tells me you were on hunch to see what the worst is that could happen if you did it anyway. I have a couple of friends just like that.

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

yeah, well, it seemed like it wouldnt cause any harm, and it didnt really. the notch is barely noticible and i think i can get away with returning it.

but yeah obviously it is ddr2 and not ddr1 but they both have the exact same pins and the exact same pin layout, so it seems like a fair attempt. i didnt just go with whatever everyone else said. it seems logical that it would work, given the commonalities between the ram are numerous: pins, size, voltage.

besides, my computer is still under warranty. i can always get something repaired if it breaks. thats their problem :P

You're a good person. Very smart, too.

"If it ain't broke, upgrade anyway."

"it seems logical that it would work, given the commonalities between the ram are numerous: pins, size, voltage."

Voltage is different, and unless you are working with laptop memory the pins are different as well. And, it does NOT seem logical that it would work. The fact that the notch was positioned in such a manner that the module would not fit should have been a huge indication that there might be a problem. They are there for a reason.

"besides, my computer is still under warranty. i can always get something repaired if it breaks. thats their problem "

Have you ever actually read the terms of your warranty? Doing something as foolhardy as physically altering a piece of hardware not designed for your PC to make it fit would definitely void your warranty. However, in this instance you are lucky as there was no damage done and it would be difficult to prove that.

Michael J

yeah actually i have read my warranty, and basically, they would not be able to tell the cause of the problem if something were to break. usually when companies want to inhibit you from altering things in your computer they put stickers that seal the compartments such as the ram. these stickers often say "removal of this voids warranty".

anyways, lets not argue about such things. im more interested in the hardware. DDR2 operates at a different voltage than DDR1? I thought the only major difference in ddr2 is (on the newer ones) number of pins, prefetch, and the CAS latency. Of course they have different frequency rates as well. But voltage i was unaware. perhaps this fried the ram. maybe if i was able to reduce voltage down in bios it would work. and yeah i am working with laptop memory. if the pins were lining up different, then there is no way i would put it in my computer. im not even sure if it would fit in. pin distance seems to be standard....so more pins, longer the item.

anyways. i still would like to see if someone could set up a computer designed for DDR1 and set ram voltage to 1.8V and try a stick of DDR2.

You think people are ignorent now about RAM compatibilty wait until DDR3 comes out. It has the same amount of pins as DDR2.

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ OC 2.7ghz
2GB Dual Channel DDR 3200
Nvidia 7900GT
SATA II 2x 300gig 7200rpm 16mb cache RAID-0+1
Gigabyte Nforce 4 SLI

"anyways. i still would like to see if someone could set up a computer designed for DDR1 and set ram voltage to 1.8V and try a stick of DDR2."

It will never work. DDR2 has more pins then DDR1 not to mention the notches are setup diff.

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ OC 2.7ghz
2GB Dual Channel DDR 3200
Nvidia 7900GT
SATA II 2x 300gig 7200rpm 16mb cache RAID-0+1
Gigabyte Nforce 4 SLI

"It will never work. DDR2 has more pins then DDR1 not to mention the notches are setup diff."

The pin count for DDR1 & DDR2 SODIMMS are actually the same, same goes for the width. The fact that their heights are almost identical & the notches not very distinctive at a quick glance will exacerbate the confusion to someone not familiar with the two - which is what I assume happened with the OP in this thread & his failed attempt to file the stick to fit the slot.

http://www.legitreviews.com/article...

You're messing with the wrong guy

Quote from Sabertooth's link:

"...and although the pin count is the same the slot alignment differs just enough to make sure you can't use the wrong modules when you build or upgrade your notebook memory."

Michael J

"the slot alignment differs just enough to make sure you can't use the wrong modules"

Nothing a little sandpaper can't fix ;-)

Oops i should have cleared that up that i was thinking SDRAM and not laptop memory.

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ OC 2.7ghz
2GB Dual Channel DDR 3200
Nvidia 7900GT
SATA II 2x 300gig 7200rpm 16mb cache RAID-0+1
Gigabyte Nforce 4 SLI

"Nothing a little sandpaper can't fix ;-)"

..............ROFL

You're messing with the wrong guy

Yeah, well, it seemed like it wouldnt cause any harm, and it didnt really. the notch is barely noticible and i think i can get away with returning it.

besides, my computer is still under warranty. i can always get something repaired if it breaks. thats their problem :P

Well, Herman (if that is your real name), all I can say is that you are a real f*cking @$$hole (need to avoid the forum filters!). I hope that for the rest of your life you're the victim of every criminal and scam artist that comes along -- you deserve it! It's scum like you who have destroyed civilization. May you die soon.

why would you say such things? i'm not attacking anyone on this forum and put this up for simple reference and advisory. if you think that trying to put DDR2 into DDR1 would cause a civilization to fail and that i should die because of it then i am sorry you feel this way, but i don't think it should be posted merely for reasons of relevancy.

have a nice day.

im sure you can't say that no one else has tried this.

i didn't do enough research to find that the voltage for the ram pieces are different. other than that, what else is different in DDR2?

i mean the only reason i tried this was because DDR2 ram is cheaper than DDR1 ram (for laptops). and come on, if they were backwards compatible, you can't say that everyone wouldn't start doing it.

Why would he say such things? It had nothing to do with your bonehead move of modifying your RAM stick. It had to do with the fact that you would then try to return it for a refund. How 'bout you take responsibility for your own actions?

You go an physically modify a component because it didn't fit. Hey, ever consider there was a reason it didn't fit in the first place? And, now that you may have destroyed the component you want to return it for a refund. I call that theft.

BTW: I don't mean anything derogatory by the term "bonehead". We all have those moments. But, it's whether or not you take responsibility for your actions that separates civilized people from the scum. I once fried my cars electronics installing an alarm. The guy at the dealership tried to convince me to blame it on the radio installer to get them to pay for it. But, I have a conscience.

Michael J