RAM Timings? What should it be?

[Blitzen]

I am running:
AW9D-Max
E6400
OCZ Platinum 1gb x 2
eVGA 8800GTS Superclocked

The CPU, if im correct should run at 8 x 266 = 2.13ghz
and
The RAM should run 5-5-5-15

The problem is, with the stock settings for the CPU, the RAM is using the divider 4:5 to achieve the stated stock of 800mhz

If its 1:1 the RAM is 533Mhz.
If i set the bios to AUTO the ram falls back to 667mhz????? In CPU-Z the RAM is picked up as 800MHZ so im quietly confident the RAM is fine.

Am i doing something wrong?
Is the memory right?
CPU right?
Am i just confusing myself because of the new stuff?

Any help is much appreciated.

[kalniel]

Originally Posted by Blitzen

The problem is, with the stock settings for the CPU, the RAM is using the divider 4:5 to achieve the stated stock of 800mhz

4:5 will give you a speed for the ram of 333mhz, ie DDR2 667. (266:333 is 4:5)

You need 2:3 to get DDR2 800.

[Blitzen]

Originally Posted by kalniel

4:5 will give you a speed for the ram of 333mhz, ie DDR2 667. (266:333 is 4:5)

You need 2:3 to get DDR2 800.

My mistake...it is infact 2:3
I was just confused why, as the memory is rated 800mhz, that is doesnt run 1:1.

God...this C2D stuff is confusing

[kalniel]

edit.. oops, misread.

I'm confused - what happens when you set it to 1:1 in the bios?

[Blitzen]

The RAM drops to 533mhz
At 4:5 its 667
and 2:3 its 800 (well 400.1mhz x 2) so just over

I just assumed that 1:1 would be 800mhz as thats stock speed.

[aidanjt]

Originally Posted by Blitzen

The RAM drops to 533mhz
At 4:5 its 667
and 2:3 its 800 (well 400.1mhz x 2) so just over

I just assumed that 1:1 would be 800mhz as thats stock speed.

1:1 should give you 533Mhz DDR

Remember DDR is FSBx2
Intel CPUs is FSBx4

[kalniel]

Originally Posted by Blitzen

The RAM drops to 533mhz
At 4:5 its 667
and 2:3 its 800 (well 400.1mhz x 2) so just over

I just assumed that 1:1 would be 800mhz as thats stock speed.

Nope, 266 is stock speed - remember your CPU is running at 266 as well. 1:1 is therefore 266:266, which is DDR 533.

[Blitzen]

Originally Posted by kalniel

Nope, 266 is stock speed - remember your CPU is running at 266 as well. 1:1 is therefore 266:266, which is DDR 533.

Apparently i need to 'unlink' my memory from the CPU.

Never heard of that before...i take it its a bios setting

Also...my CPU is 1066mhz right....so if the memory is only 800mhz rated then the divider would automatically come into force wouldnt it?

[kalniel]

Originally Posted by Blitzen

Also...my CPU is 1066mhz right....so if the memory is only 800mhz rated then the divider would automatically come into force wouldnt it?

Didn't I just correct someone on this yesturday?

The CPU is not 1066, that is the 'quad pumped' FSB, ie 4x the real CPU speed, which is 266. You even knew this yourself when you said 8x266=2.16ghz.

So let me make it really clear

E6*** Core 2 Duos run on a CPU clock of 266mhz


That means to run at 1:1 you are running your memory at 266mhz, which is DDR 533. It doesn't matter what your memory is rated at, if you say run at 266 it will run at 266.

If you want your memory to run at 400mhz (DDR 800) then you need to either overclock your computer so that everything is running at 400mhz, and run at 1:1. OR run your ram on a divider at 2:3 CPU:RAM so that your CPU clock is 266 and your ram is 400.

Where this option is on your motherboard I do not know. There may be a ratio selection, there may be a RAM speed selection, it might be listed in real speed, or in effective (DDR) speed, or it might be a percentage.

[aidanjt]

His motherboard may support asynchronous bus clocking, I think that's what he may be talking about.

[kalniel]

But.. but.. that's got nothing to do with his RAM, which is running completely as it's meant to

[Blitzen]

Originally Posted by kalniel

Didn't I just correct someone on this yesturday?

The CPU is not 1066, that is the 'quad pumped' FSB, ie 4x the real CPU speed, which is 266. You even knew this yourself when you said 8x266=2.16ghz.

So let me make it really clear

E6*** Core 2 Duos run on a CPU clock of 266mhz


That means to run at 1:1 you are running your memory at 266mhz, which is DDR 533. It doesn't matter what your memory is rated at, if you say run at 266 it will run at 266.

If you want your memory to run at 400mhz (DDR 800) then you need to either overclock your computer so that everything is running at 400mhz, and run at 1:1. OR run your ram on a divider at 2:3 CPU:RAM so that your CPU clock is 266 and your ram is 400.

Where this option is on your motherboard I do not know. There may be a ratio selection, there may be a RAM speed selection, it might be listed in real speed, or in effective (DDR) speed, or it might be a percentage.

Thanks for the in depth explanation.
Ya didnt need to get the 'ump about it though

I have actually set the divider to 2:3 as suggested. Thanks

Its complicated stuff when you havent set these kind of sytems up before and this is the best place to ask

[aidanjt]

Well, such a feature would let him clock his RAM and FSB independently, assuming his board supports it of course, of that I have no idea. *shrug*

But yeah, his RAM is running as the settings intend

[Clunk]

The motherboard in his "my system" bit is a 975x board and they dont have that feature. The unlink think is for Nvidia boards, and the r600 has a similar thing.

Kalniel is right. At stock speeds, your cpu is 266 and your ram is 533, this is 1:1.

You can mess around with the dividers, you have 533, 667, 800, 889, 1067.

If you start to raise the FSB, you will notice that the values of the dividers start to rise as well.

[aidanjt]

Thanks for clarifying Clunk, that's something to keep in mind when I get around to putting money over the counter later in the year

[kalniel]

Sorry, hoped the would counter any 'umpiness - there have been a lot of posts recently asking exactly the same thing and I felt I'd already given you the same information earlier in the thread but because it wasn't red and big you seemed to ignore it