Effects of RAM Timings

Now, we know DDR400 > DDR333, but considering that DDR333 can run at 2-2-2-4, but DDR400 runs at 2-3-3-6 minimum, usually, which is actually faster?

it almost seems like the two would be rough equals...

 

If running synchrounous with your cpu then 400 would be faster

 

Faster memory timings don't really have anywhere near the same effect as a faster memory speed, assuming your CPU can support the memory speed.

 

Is this definitely the case, cos if so, then I'm gonna go with some PC3500 or PC3700 regardless of the slower memory timings.

8-ball

 

Also, would running your cpu and mem asyncronously affect performance.

8-ball

 

Well the thing is though, that say you've got a P4, pc3200 runs at the cpu speed. having pc3500 in there with slower memory timings would be worse...unless you're moving the fsb of the cpu up to a level where that speed of ram would be used.

Edit: might want to get someone else to confirm this. Cause I'm about 90% sure this is the case.

 

I plan to be overclocking A LOT, hence getting a 2.4c with an ABIT IC7-G.

I will probably end up getting 1Gb of OCZ platinum PC3500 dual channel memory, and run the cpu and mem with a 5:4 divider.

I would assume that the cpu can overclock more than the memory, so 1:1 will probably not be very good, though it depends how far the ram can go.

Ideally, I would like 1Gb, so PC3700 is out of the question, as you can only get it in 256Mb sticks, at 70 pounds each.

Mind you, that's £280 for 1 gig, compared to the OCZ PC3500 dual channel pack with 2 512Mb sticks for £250. Choices, choices.

8-ball

 

running the memory at a faster speed than the cpu is not really beneficial. i.e. If you run your CPU at a FSB of 133, and your memory at 166 (HCLK+33), you wont really see a performance increase over running them both at 133. There will be a slight increase but not much. It would probably be better to run them both at 133 but with significantly faster memory timings.

However, if you can run both your cpu and memory at 166, even with lazier memory timings, then you will have a much faster system than the configurations in the first paragraph at faster timings.

AFAIK

 

I haven't decided what memory I'm gonna go with for my new rig yet. I was thinking of 2 x 256Mb Corsair XMS3200LL but for about the same money I could go for 2 x 256Mb XMS3500. These having timings of 2-3-3-7-T1, but I suspect that they could probably do a bit faster than that.

Edit:
I think I shall go for the PC3500 stuff. I'll be running about 280FSB and use a 5:4 divider.