RAM : The value stuff or the expensive stuff?

[Dark Horse]

t is easier to think of it in terms of dividers ie 1/2 instead of percentages.

As an example if I wanted to run my system at 2700mhz I would have some options

-Run the cpu at 270x10

-Run the cpu at 300x9

My ram is corsair value so doesn't really overclock and as such there is no way I could run it 1:1 like it normally would when at 200x10. I can therefore use a ram divider to keep the speed of the ram running at its stock speeds ie 200mhz.

The two options for a divider would be:

270x10 and a 5/6 divider for the ram - ie 225mhz for the ram. This wouldn't be stable as the ram is too overclocked

270x10 and a 3/4 divider for the ram - ie 202mhz for the ram. This would be fine as the ram is only 1% overclocked, not a lot really.

300x9 for the processor and a 2/3 divider for the ram - this means the ram would run at 2/3 of the processor htt ie 200mhz - its stock speed.

Either of the bottom two would be perfectly fine.

The cpu is therfore overclocked and running at 2700mhz and the ram is sitting happy at 200mhz not overclocked. This may sound like you're loosing performance but you're not at all. On an Athlon 64 processor the memory controller is on the processor so the cpu always has masses of memory bandwidth and even at stock speed you have more than enough. What really matters is getting the cpu mhz up.

Also the htt multiplier is ultimately a bit irrelevant. Again due to the memory controller being on the processor the htt bus has shedloads of bandwidth and apparently wouldn't even be saturated if you ran it at 200mhz. What is important with this is that you keep it within about 200mhz either side of 1000mhz as this is the most stable zone for it so you simply adjust your htt multiplier to keep it there and then forget about it as it really won't affect performance.

[Alun Fisher]

Thanks Zak.

I'm nearlt there on getting my head round that thanks.

Might also explain why my current MSI KT6 Delta board, with a XP2600 Barton chip is running my 1GB of PTNY RAM at 266 to my surprise. It is PC3200 and my board sets is like that on auto. Runs the XP2600 at a stock 1.92 Mhz and has it with a multiplier of 21 x 91 Mhz.

This is from MSI's Core Centre o/c utility. It has surprised me at first, but if it runs...well fine. I didnt know enough to question that.