RAM and CPU compatibility?

It's weekend - free time to waste - so I would apreciate swift answers on this.

I'm building a new rig with AMD Phenom Quad 9850 Black Edition 2.5GH. The memory I was given is OCZ 4GB PC2-8000 Platinum XTC (2x2GB) EPP (Nvidia approved, though I have AMD's 4850 card). But someone told me that the CPU doesn't like the RAM, because it runs at 2.1v but Phenom only supports 1.8v. :-o

The RAM is slower than the mobo supports (it supports PC8500) but I want to try the sticks anyway, to see if the pc will run at all - but should I try with CPU+RAM only or plug in graphics card first? :confused If the pc will run with this memory, could there be unstability issues? Or could I even damage the cpu?

Also, I assume that I should put the sticks into the same coloured slots, 1 & 3 and not 1 & 2 (as it used to be the case with old machines) I apreciate your answers, I've been very lucky not to have come across any issues before, so I have never given much thought for compatibility.

 

What motherboard are you going to use?

 

I can't believe it, I've been refreshing the page but your message didn't come up... It's Asus M3A79-T Deluxe (with 790FX/SB750 chipset).

I've had most of the components lying around for about a month but I've been waiting for to get my hands on the graphics card until now, so I'm dying to get it going. It's a modest rig, but I hope the mobo serves me for quite some time (we're talking about years here), even though it doesn't support the latest technology, like DDR3 and Phenom2. Night is a good time to build a computer: the phone is less likely to ring at inopportune moment.

There's just one minor snag: there are only 2 PCI ports so if I want internal wireless card AND a TV card (or a sound card - there's no PCIE1) I can say good bye to the idea of crossfire: as usual the PCI between first and second PCIE16 will be blocked by graphics cards. I just have to hope that my router isn't faulty and the lan ports on it will work, though they didn't with my laptop.

 

Well, as long as the RAM is on the board makers QVL list it 'should' be OK, even then it probably works anyways. Follow the manual in installation, my board likes slots 1&3.

 

Fire it up and post back if you have any problems. I think you will be ok with that RAM.

 

It's really annoying, I write an answer only to find out that I've been bumbed off and my text irretrievably gone... I finally found and downloaded QVL list from Asus: OCZ is hardly mentioned there and none of my RAM chips numbers are anything like those that are on it - probably I don't know how to read the list - doesn't help my eyes are getting old.. I don't know if it helps for me to put down here all the info that's on the dimm (they're matching pair, of course), to decipher if the RAM should be OK:

PC2 8000 Platinum edition
PN: OCZ2P10004GK
5-5-5@2.1v 2GB
SN: X7100809005687-1

The specs on the web state: "Supported RAM Speed PC2-4300, PC2-6400, PC2-5300, PC2-8500" so my dimm doesn't fit into this category either - I simply thought the memory would be slower than what the mobo supports. Darn, I should have found the motherboard first!

 

Oh dear, ASUS also has a power calculator: I put all that I have at the moment (no future firewire or second optical drive) and it came up as I should have minimum of 800W. Now ASUS doesn't recognise HD4800 series, so I put one 2900 series card... My power supply is Corsair 850W: I thought this was plenty, enough even for another 4850 card, but now t doesn't look that much!

 

Something is strange there, jeez I'm running two 9800GTs on an Antec 500W at full blast without an issue for now. I wish I had an answer but nVidia's power thingy sounds faulty to me.

 

Man that psu calculator is off. I had a 610 watt psu and I've had 2 8800gt's oced on it stable. I upgraded to a 750 watt psu for future upgradeability but currently I only run one 8800gt 2 opticals 3 hdds 8 fans a q9550 and 4 gigs of ram and have plenty power to spare. Add to the fact that you have a name brand psu and you should have zero problems. As for the 1.8v ddr2 limitations I thought that was an intel chipset problem on the 965 series motherboards, but I may be mistaken.

 

That is now least of my worries: I powered up just the CPU and RAM but it took me several seconds before I realised the plug for CPU fan had come undone. Turning off the machine I connected the fan but nothing happened. Then I took off the RAM sticks and powered the CPU alone - still nothing! The CPU fan was definitely going round when I tested it at home but I only bought the kettle lead today, because I left it behind - I can't tell if the lead is new or old and of course I don't have a spare fuse. I'm just worried if I have damaged the CPU, overheating with fan not working. :eek They're not cheap, them things. Trouble is, I have not had even a hint of any problems before when building myself a PC and now it's as fundamental as CPU not powering up... Thank goodness tomorrow, errm today, is Sunday so I have a whole day for panic attacks and a temper tantrum or two. :crybaby