The list is a Qualified Vendor List, e.g.: a list of parts that have been tested and proved to work. You may try any unlisted memory module, and it may work; Asus only guarantee that the listed modules work OK.

The pair of modules is a mistery to me. Some boards need a minimum memory size, so if it needs 256 Mb minimum, it may work with two 128 Mb modules; but in the list seems that some 512 Mb modules must be installed in pairs. It seems related to memory construction, but I wouldn't know if a given memory module would work in the motherboard alone.

A7V600. I've worked with that board before. Should work fine with single 256mb modules. I do believe that board had some issues with DDR400 modules though, that compatibility list is likely a list of DDR400 modules certified to work. Clock it to 333MHz and you should be fine to use anything.

The fault of a lousy implementation of a DDR400 memory controller by VIA on AMD chipsets, plagued many boards of the day.

maddmaxstar wrote:

A7V600. I've worked with that board before. Should work fine with single 256mb modules. I do believe that board had some issues with DDR400 modules though, that compatibility list is likely a list of DDR400 modules certified to work. Clock it to 333MHz and you should be fine to use anything.

The fault of a lousy implementation of a DDR400 memory controller by VIA on AMD chipsets, plagued many boards of the day.

Maybe this is why my A7V600 didn't like 400Mhz FSB at all. Cheers for pointing this out.
Otoh, I have a Socket A board with KT600 which has been running 2 1gig DIMMs quite happily for a number of years now. It's a Gigabyte board that came with a Fujitsu Siemens computer.

I suppose VIA got it right with their KT880 chipset?

Well I just got one of those boards off Ebay - that is going to be my next build. Probably as a better platform for Linux than the p3-1000 I am using 😀

Tetrium wrote:

Maybe this is why my A7V600 didn't like 400Mhz FSB at all. Cheers for pointing this out.
Otoh, I have a Socket A board with KT600 which has been running 2 1gig DIMMs quite happily for a number of years now. It's a Gigabyte board that came with a Fujitsu Siemens computer.

I suppose VIA got it right with their KT880 chipset?

I think there was an issue with FSB vs RAM speed in certain cases, but that was probably more an issue with KT400. I believe KT600 on the A7V600 was a bit finicky, 2 of the 3 slots could only be used if using DDR400, add a 3rd and it all knocks down to 333, and was sensitive to RAM brand. Otherwise A7V600 is a solid board.

KT400 on the A7V8X was even worse I think, it was either 1x 400, 2x 333 or 3x 266 I think. It's been a while since I researched all this, just going by what I can recall from 03-05.

As for KT880, I don't think I ever used any of those boards, I'd moved to K8 by that point when they came out. Spec wise they look like an Nforce killer.