# pc2 5300 vs pc2 5400



## Fast240Z (Mar 16, 2007)

So, what's the difference between pc2 5300 and pc2 5400?  I read online that 5400 memory meets a certain hardware spec, but is one better than the other? 

Sorry if this has been answered before, I searched, but was unsure what exactly to look for.


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## r00n (Mar 16, 2007)

Generally PC5300 and PC5400 are exactly the same. The number is derrived from multiplying the clockspeed times 8, representing its maximum theoretical bandwidth:

667MHz × 8 = 5336 MB/s

Some manufacturers round this number up to 5400, others round it down to 5300. Nothing more than a marketing decision.

In some cases, when one manufacturer uses both terms, they use PC5300 for Value-memory and PC5400 for high-end products even though they have the same clockspeed.
And in even fewer cases, PC5400 represents memory clocked at 675MHz, which has a theoretical max bandwidth of exactly 5400MB/s.


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## Fast240Z (Mar 16, 2007)

Thanks for the reply! So, it would be alright to buy pc5300 memory, I won't be losing any performance as long as I look for latencies and speed, correct?


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## Pinchy (Mar 16, 2007)

Nothing a really small OC cant fix


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## superman1932 (Jan 10, 2009)

"In some cases, when one manufacturer uses both terms, they use PC5300 for Value-memory and PC5400 for high-end products even though they have the same clockspeed."

Doesn't really seem to be the case here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231052
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231105

At GSkill.com, it does list slightly different chipsets for each.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jan 10, 2009)

Officially, it's PC2-5300 as per JEDEC's recommendation (rounding to the nearest hundred).  Some manufacturers defy JEDEC's recommendation and always round up tothe nearest hundred; hence, most are 5300 and a few are 5400.

There is absolutely no differences between them.  I'd never buy 5400 just because the company is pushing marketing over engineering.

JEDEC does not sanction any 5400 speed.  If the memory is actually intended to run at 5400 MB/s, it is considered overclocking memory.


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