What do the numbers in PC100 PC133 PC1600 PC2100 and PC2700 stand for?
In order to qualify as PC100, PC133, etc., a memory module must meet industry standards for use in a particular type of system. In SDRAM modules, the numbers that come after the “PC” refer to the speed of the system’s front side bus. In DDR modules, the numbers that come after the “PC” refer to the total bandwidth of the module. Here’s a short summary of each type. PC100 memory is SDRAM designed for use in systems with a 100MHz front side bus. It is used in many Pentium II, Pentium III, AMD K6-III, AMD Athlon, AMD Duron, and Power Mac G4 systems. PC133 memory is SDRAM designed for use in systems with a 133MHz front side bus. It is used in many Pentium III B, AMD Athlon, and Power Mac G4 systems. PC1600 memory is DDR designed for use in systems with a 100MHz (effectively 200MHz in DDR mode) front-side bus. The “1600” refers to the module’s bandwidth (the amount of data it can move each second), which is 1.6GB per second. PC1600 has essentially been replaced by PC2100, which is backward
