# Why is this DDR2 AMD Only?



## TIGR (Feb 6, 2010)

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=213570567&listingid=65261156

Just curious what it is that makes some memory AMD-only. I see other kits that say they're optimized for AM3 or i5 or i7 ... how much of it is marketing hype and what are the real compatibility issues for memory between AMD and Intel?


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## brandonwh64 (Feb 6, 2010)

i used my Intel extreme dominators in my AMD 965 rig the whole time and got better clocks than i do now. i think they just do it for marketing


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## TIGR (Feb 6, 2010)

I've been under the impression that it's marketing for a while but the page for the memory in the OP says it will only work with an AMD CPU.


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## afw (Feb 6, 2010)

brandonwh64 said:


> i used my Intel extreme dominators in my AMD 965 rig the whole time and got better clocks than i do now. i think they just do it for marketing



+1 ... its pure marketing ... i've seen a lot of SLI/crossfire labeled RAMs .. they work on all motherboards that support DDR2 with matching speed/specs ...


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## brandonwh64 (Feb 6, 2010)

yea AFW, I had a set of OCZ SLI DDR2-800 set and it would work on any board i put it in. just a marketing hype


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## TIGR (Feb 6, 2010)

That seems to make sense since the DDR2 and DDR3 standards are developed independently (not by AMD or Intel) but I wondered if there was some issue with different memory controllers.


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## brandonwh64 (Feb 6, 2010)

TIGR said:


> That seems to make sense since the DDR2 and DDR3 standards are developed independently (not by AMD or Intel) but I wondered if there was some issue with different memory controllers.



Shouldnt be unless its a voltage issue.

like my Intel Extreme dominators are rated for 1.9v instead of the X58 platforms 1.65v max

so you see it wouldnt be cool to run these at full potential.

I run them at about 1200+ @ 1.65v


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## cadaveca (Feb 6, 2010)

I do beleive there is something with AM2, and the bits it can address...I seem to recall something about an additional 8-bits than can be addressed that Intel cannot...I'll see if i can find all the info...



> 144-bit DDR2 SDRAM controller operating at frequencies up to 533 MHz





> With 11 column address bit support by the AM2 memory controller, the number of addresses in each row or page can be as high as 2048 individual entries for a page size of 16kbit. Unlike modules based on standard 10-bit column address chips with an "8k" page size, the new Titanium AM2 Special modules take advantage of the AM2 controller's feature set and provide a single rank solution with 2GB density using 16k pages. This allows the controller to stay in page twice as long compared to standard memory architectures, thereby achieving unparalleled performance.



http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/memory/ocz_ddr2_pc2_5400_am2_special_high_density_kit-eol


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## TIGR (Feb 6, 2010)

Thanks cadaveca. So does that mean that modules like that can't even be used (in "regular" mode) by non-AM2 memory controllers?


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## cadaveca (Feb 6, 2010)

Possibly. I don't know if this memory is as that OCZ stuff is...mushkin has some of this "extra address" ram as well, and I'm fairly certain Corsair does too.

That just popped into my head as soon as I saw the thread title...only reason that I can think of why it would only be good for AM2..


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## sneekypeet (Feb 6, 2010)

Looking over at the Mushkin support thread, they have replied not to use i5/i7 ram for AMD. They never got into specifics, but I assume they advise against it for a reason versus making money selling you that kit

Could be as simple as the wrong sub-timings, but I bet cadaveca's addressing comment plays into it as well.


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## nt300 (Feb 7, 2010)

They are calling it AMD DDR2 memory because AMD stuck with DDR2 for a long while where as Intel switched to DDR3. If it wasn't for AMD sticking it out with DDR2, it would have died off fast just like DDR has. Now what AMD is with DDR3, we will see DDR2 die off soon after.
IMO


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## Easo (Feb 7, 2010)

Since RAM is made by unified standarts some products not working on Intel or AMD mobo will mean deviation from them. I doubt someone will realy make such RAM. Marketing hype is something other, of course, there you can write all kinds of BS...


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## TIGR (Feb 7, 2010)

Deviation from RAM standards is the status quo though, as we often see in voltages and timings.


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## rickyticky (Jan 16, 2015)

This is an old thread, but there is a serious lack of concrete answers to this question.....so please read on before slam-dunking this post

I too have come across ddr2 ram labelled as AMD....and there seems to be a lot of ambiguity about what works where....

So a bit of research was the order of the day.

See section 5 of this excellent article http://www.ocfreaks.com/ram-overclocking-guide-tutorial...

To summarize:

1) An industry standard DDR2 module must ship with an SPD chip to be compliant. (SPD = serial presence detect)

2) The SPD chip contains JEDEC information which identifies the RAM module to the PC bios .

3) The SPD chip may also include additional information to help the BIOS configure optimal memory settings.

4) Intel call this extra information XMP

5) AMD call this extra information EPP

6) If the PC bios cannot understand EPP or XMP is falls back to the JEDEC information.

7) All PC bios systems can understand JEDEC, irrespective of what other config data is on the SPD chip.

7) So, an industry standard DDR2 module could in theory contain JEDEC, XMP and EPP configuration data.

8) Which means (in theory) any DDR2 PC bios can at least recognize the installed DDR2 module. (compatible ram timings or not)

9) It is an entirely separate issue if the RAM module timing specs are incompatible.(i.e. CL4 RAM in a "CL6 only" PC)

Example 1:

I own an Intel PC that needs CL5 ram modules. I purchase an "AMD" CL5 ram module and install it. BIOS cannot read the AMD EPP info on the SPD but can recognize the CL5 timing info in the JEDEC data table. PC BIOS auto configures for the AMD ram module and boots normally.

Example 2:

I own an AMD PC that needs CL6 ram modules. I purchase an "INTEL" CL6 ram module and install it. BIOS cannot read the INTEL XMP info on the SPD but can recognize the CL6 timing info in JEDEC data table. PC BIOS auto configures for the AMD ram module and boots normally.

Example 3:

I own an INTEL PC that needs CL6 ram modules. I purchase an "AMD" CL4 ram module and install it. INTEL BIOS cannot read the AMD EPP info on the SPD but can recognize the CL4 timing info in JEDEC data table. PC BIOS recognizes module timings as incompatible and refuses to boot.


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## Steevo (Jan 16, 2015)

Could you not necro threads?


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## rickyticky (Jan 16, 2015)

Steevo said:


> Could you not necro threads?



Is this thread not too old to matter anymore? 

The drought of information on this subject is astounding, considering the technology in question is still being traded around the world.


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## qurotro (Jan 23, 2015)

As i understand, those AMD only memory use memory chips recycled from some Ram that use on workstations, the DRAM standard is different, so it wont work on Intel CPUs. However, seems AMD build their CPUs with some workstation CPU tech, so they can use those Ram that build from workstation Ram chips. they often come with lower prize. And DDR3 also have some Ram use only on AMD CPUs(AM3 only, not AM3+), and they wont work on AMD's APUs. Those memory are often seen in China.


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## Steevo (Jan 26, 2015)

Dear god its like you guys are breeding. 


None of that is even close to true, do you get paid to post this shit?


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## R-T-B (Jan 27, 2015)

The actual issue here is whether the memory is high density (which AMD DDR2 era stuff could usually handle, intel not so much) or not.

This is what I was led to believe at any rate, I have not verified it.

That said someone get the necro out of here.  /thread.


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## DarthDigital (Jan 30, 2017)

TIGR said:


> http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=213570567&listingid=65261156
> 
> Just curious what it is that makes some memory AMD-only. I see other kits that say they're optimized for AM3 or i5 or i7 ... how much of it is marketing hype and what are the real compatibility issues for memory between AMD and Intel?


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## R-T-B (Jan 30, 2017)

R-T-B said:


> That said someone get the necro out of here.  /thread.


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## v12dock (Jan 30, 2017)

Necro again I think this thread needs closed


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## eidairaman1 (Jan 30, 2017)

TIGR said:


> http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=213570567&listingid=65261156
> 
> Just curious what it is that makes some memory AMD-only. I see other kits that say they're optimized for AM3 or i5 or i7 ... how much of it is marketing hype and what are the real compatibility issues for memory between AMD and Intel?



Why Bring Up questions about antiquated memory?

This just means it was Tested on that particular motherboard and is guaranteed to work with it, it could have AMP too.

I'm using DDR3 that is rated for 2133 at 1.6V and has 4 XMP profiles. Yet it is OC to 2400 with timings of 10-10-12-20-20 1T at 1.7V (be on safe side with tighter times). Look at my system specs.

I just caught it was a dead thread.

@DarthDigital your post has been reported for closure on this thread. Do not write in threads older than 1 week from the day you are on.


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