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FS: Three 1GB PC3200 400Mhz DDR sticks

NeXT

NeXT

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Joined
Oct 22, 2008
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Kamloops, BC, Canada
I didn't fully read the fine print on an auction and bought three 1Gb PC3200 400Mhz DDR sticks that used high density chips (128Mb). My system, like most other systems require low density (64Mb) chips and of course, I can't return them now.
So I got three brand spanking new sticks with no use at all for them. I paid $100 after shipping for them but I'll sell them for $70 + shipping and I'm flexible with the price.

Paypal also makes the transaction a lot more smoother. :cool:
 
I've seen the "high-density" vs. "low-density" tags on DIMMs. What's the practical difference and how can I tell what my system needs? For example, if I grab a manual for a motherboard here (NFORCE3A), the book just says "DDR400".
 
What's the practical difference and how can I tell what my system needs?
Click to expand...

The problem is a bit complicated, but it boils down to this: A standard 1GB stick of DDR would use 16 64mb x 8-bit chips. It's 64-bit wide memory, with two ranks. 'High density' generally would have 16 128mb x 4-bit chips. Still 64-bit wide memory, but only a single rank. The problem is that many chipsets lack the additional addressing bit necessary to see the extra density on that single rank. (Do not confuse this with single vs. dual sided modules. Dual sided != dual rank.)

Also note that such 'high density' modules do not comply with the JEDEC standards. They happen to work on some chipsets, and they're cheaper to produce than standard modules, so some manufacturers make and sell them for a quick buck. I believe the high density chips were originally intended for use on registered server memory, which is a different animal.

As far as whether your system supports it, probably not. Nforce and Intel boards generally can't use it. (A few could, but it's hit-or-miss.) Some Via boards, and I think most SiS boards, can handle it, but not much else.
 
Ah, thanks. Basically, it sounds like a cheat.

I recall that 3-chip vs. 9-chip SIMMs once had similar issues. I also seem to recall that some SIMMs shaved a few cents by generating the parity bit rather than actually storing it. Another cheat.
 
Yep, it's a cheat. It's just cheap crap peddled by unscrupulous sellers to uninformed buyers looking to save a buck. The sellers can hide behind the "check your compatibility before buying" thing, and usually offer no return policy. I half suspect it's only by coincidence that the stuff works in any motherboards.
 
Old Thrashbarg said:
Yep, it's a cheat. It's just cheap crap peddled by unscrupulous sellers to uninformed buyers looking to save a buck. The sellers can hide behind the "check your compatibility before buying" thing, and usually offer no return policy. I half suspect it's only by coincidence that the stuff works in any motherboards.
Click to expand...

I remember a conversation years ago with a fellow who was peddling the 8 bit+generated parity garbage. He insisted that it was just as good--and I responded that may be so, but the assumption was that my application used odd parity, which may or may not be true.

Some things never change, it seems.

Are the high-density peddlers mostly eBay sellers? I note that some sellers offer teaser rates on DRAM, then tack on outrageous shipping charges (e.g. $20 for a single DIMM).
 
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As a matter of fact, there is no quick buck made as it appears that the premium grade high density and low density sticks both cost the same save six or seven cents.
Still, it's bad in my part I missed the line "These are high density sticks" the first and second time I read the page.
The other thing was that the shipping cost per stick was rather affordable. Only $4 per stick which sounds about right.
 
Just to put my two cents in, having single rank memory is actually very important for servers. I use a dual opteron system and I know for a fact that a 4gb stick of single rank is a LOT more expensive thatn a dual rank.

Also 3 sticks ddr400 for $100? That seems real high to me, maybe i'm just delusional.
 
I think there's some sort of curve involved. You can get PC133 DRAM by the bucketload now many times just for the asking. But try to find a lot of 30 pin DIMMs or SIPPs and you'll start paying again. I imagine that if I wanted to find a few dozen 1103 DRAMs, I'd have a lot of trouble.
 
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