Memory Question

[Eddy01741]

Is it better to get higher speed memory (as in PCxxxx, example, PC3200) or get something that is PC3200 (stock AMD reccomended mem speed) with tighter ram timings? Because i'll be getting memory soon, and i wanna know if i should get PC4000 or PC4200 with looser timings, or PC3200 with tight timings.

[NoSoup4You]

Re: Memory Question

If you overclock the machine then the higher speed will be better. If you don't plan to overclock then the lower CL timings are better.

[Eddy01741]

Re: Memory Question

If you overclock the machine then the higher speed will be better. If you don't plan to overclock then the lower CL timings are better.

So, let's saay i get PC4000 mem and oc to 2.5ghz (reasonable for my CPU), how would that compare to if i got PC3200 mem with 2-2-2-5 and only oced to 2.25ghz? I don't think my CPU can overclock far BTW, with this setup (value ram and stock cooling) i can only oc to 2250mhz without getting problems.

[NoSoup4You]

Re: Memory Question

The higher freq. ram will be better. The lower timings may allow you to overclock however perhaps not as much. The higher speeds would be better.

[imported_Wreck]

Re: Memory Question

You can keep the CPU at the same speed while running the ram slower. Tighter timings are worth 10-15mhz in overclock maybe. So a system running 200mhz @ 2-2-2-5 timings is about equal to a system running 215mhz @ 3-3-3-7 timings.

So you can have your CPU at 2.5Ghz and ram at 250mz or 210mhz using a divider.

[Flanker]

Re: Memory Question

Yea, the faster frequency will far out-do the tighter timings. Timings barely make a difference, and definately not a noticeable one. You only notice the difference in benchmarks like SuperPi.

I don't think my CPU can overclock far BTW, with this setup (value ram and stock cooling) i can only oc to 2250mhz without getting problems.

What version of the 3200+ do you have? Is it the older Socket 754 Newcastle or Socket 939 Winchester (130nm) or Venice (90nm)?

If its a newcastle, you can expect 2.3GHz atleast. If its a Winchester, you can expect 2.4GHz. If its a Venice, you can expect 2.5GHz.

Probably the reason you're getting problems at 2.25 is because of your value ram. Value RAM can't take more than 215 MHz and still be stable. 225MHz is definately too much for your RAM (even if you don't fail immidiately, you'll experience random errors and reboots). You should try setting a memory divider. It'll make your RAM run at a different speed compared to your system bus allowing you to take the CPU farther without stressing the RAM.

[Eddy01741]

Re: Memory Question

Yea, the faster frequency will far out-do the tighter timings. Timings barely make a difference, and definately not a noticeable one. You only notice the difference in benchmarks like SuperPi.



What version of the 3200+ do you have? Is it the older Socket 754 Newcastle or Socket 939 Winchester (130nm) or Venice (90nm)?

If its a newcastle, you can expect 2.3GHz atleast. If its a Winchester, you can expect 2.4GHz. If its a Venice, you can expect 2.5GHz.

Probably the reason you're getting problems at 2.25 is because of your value ram. Value RAM can't take more than 215 MHz and still be stable. 225MHz is definately too much for your RAM (even if you don't fail immidiately, you'll experience random errors and reboots). You should try setting a memory divider. It'll make your RAM run at a different speed compared to your system bus allowing you to take the CPU farther without stressing the RAM.

Ok, i'll try the ram devider thing. But how did you get to such a high overclock with your value ram (it says 4x512 valueselect ram)

EDIT: oh, i have s939 venice core, it was cheaper than the winchester, even though the venice is supposedly better as it uses a 90nm core.

[Flanker]

Re: Memory Question

Memory Divider. I've set a DDR266 (2:3) memory divider. That lets my HTT run at 270, the CPU at 2.7GHz and my memory runs at 180MHz (below specifications, but .2GHz more from the CPU more than makes up for it).

Don't expect 2.7GHz from your CPU;

1.) Its hard to do (lots of advanced tweaking).
2.) It takes a long time (tweaking and testing).
3.) Your CPU probably maxes out before that anyways. 95% of the processors aeren't doing more than 2.55GHz anymore.

[Eddy01741]

Re: Memory Question

Memory Divider. I've set a DDR266 (2:3) memory divider. That lets my HTT run at 270, the CPU at 2.7GHz and my memory runs at 180MHz (below specifications, but .2GHz more from the CPU more than makes up for it).

Don't expect 2.7GHz from your CPU;

1.) Its hard to do.
2.) It takes a long time.
3.) Your CPU probably maxes out before that anyways. 95% of the processors aeren't doing more than 2.55GHz anymore.

Ok, thanks for the info flanker.

[Eddy01741]

Re: Memory Question

FIrst off, srry for double post (yes i know about the edit button, but i need somebody to actually look at this as a new thread). BUt flanker, i can't find the ram divider in my BIOS, where is it in the BIOS?

[Flanker]

Re: Memory Question

Usually its under "DRAM Configurations" which might be in some other sub-folder, lol. Have you looked all over the BIOS? Its usually somewhere where you can change the RAM speed. So it might say "Set the Memory speed to; DDR500/DDR400/DDR333/DDR266/DDR200/etc..." Or it might be displayed as a ratio like 6:5 (or 5:6) which would be DDR333, or 3:2 (or 2:3) which would be DDR266.

[imported_Wreck]

Re: Memory Question

Ok, i'll try the ram devider thing. But how did you get to such a high overclock with your value ram (it says 4x512 valueselect ram)

EDIT: oh, i have s939 venice core, it was cheaper than the winchester, even though the venice is supposedly better as it uses a 90nm core.

Winchester is also 90nm.

Make sure if you change your FSB you also change your HTT multiplier. Default is 5 x 200mhz. Everything is based off of the 200mhz bus. Here's what i tend to use:

200-210mhz: 5 x HTT
210-260mhz: 4 x HTT
260-333mhz: 3 x HTT

With my ram as long as it's below 260mhz 1:1 then I am fine. Here is an example of my settings:

CPU voltage 1.42v
CPU: 280mhz x 10 = 2800mhz
Ram voltage 2.7v
RAM: DDR180 10:9 Divider = 510mhz
Timings: 2.5-3-2-6
HTT: 280 x 3 = 840mhz x 2 = 1680mhz effective bus

Keep HTT under 1050mhz. THe HTT does not matter in the overclock and icreasing it above 1000mhz x 2 = 2000mhz may have bad results on performance and stability.

[Eddy01741]

Re: Memory Question

Ok, thanks for all replies, i'll try it tonight (if i have time) or tomorrow.

[NoSoup4You]

Re: Memory Question

I have a 3.4Ghz P4 w/2GB DDR2.

I have mine to DDR2 400 (1:1) and then OC'd my host freq. to 252. Which makes my effective FSB 1008Mhz my CPU 3520Mhz, and my RAM 504Mhz.

Stock my 3D Mark Score was 6100. After it was 6500. My CL timings are 3-3-3-10.

[BoloMarkXXX]

Re: Memory Question

I dont overclock anything to much math involed for other simple minds here how it was splain'd to me in plain english.

The difference in preformance between valeu ram /w CL 3 & OC ram /w CL 2.5 if you dont overclock is very small.

OC ram has faster timings at stock speed when you overclock it though you first loosen the timings to like the value ram timing, then boost the frequency to speed it up.

So if you dont ever plan on overclocking use the extra money to buy more of the value ram. Thats what I was told, like I said I aint no good at math.