intel 4300 800mhz vs the 6600 1066mhz fsb

[Oobie-]

Hey guys,

I wanted to know, what does having a 1066mhz fsb have over the 800mhz on the respective CPU's.
If you were using PC8500 ram, I take it that when used in conjunction with the 4300, it wouldn't run faster than 800mhz (unless overclocked)?

I've probably answered the question, but I'm confused.
If you had PC8500 and had a 6600, would everything run at 1066mhz fsb?

*wanders off aimlessly*

Thanks

[Steve B]

The specification on the memory is what it is rated to run at, not the speed at which it will actually go, on a standard system.

My 6400 runs at 266.7 on the FSB. If you double this, it gives you the speed your RAM runs at. i.e. 533MHz

I could stick PC2-one billion in my machine, and it would still only run at 533.

You're 4300 that you want runs at 800mhz bus speed.
Now intel quad-pump the bus, which means the true FSB speed is now 200MHz.

The multiplier on a 4300 is x9, which means an increase of 9MHz in the processor for every 1MHz increase in FSB. The memory will run this time at 400MHz. Again, if i put PC2-one megajillion in it, it would still run at 400Mhz.

The only difference between PC2-6400 and pc2-8500 is that the latter is rated to run at 1066Mhz, which means 533MHz of uber-FSB-goodness. A stick of PC2-6400 may or may not run at these settings (more than likely it will struggle)

So, to answer the original question, upgrading to faster memory makes no difference to the average joe, but if you're overclocking you're system, it gives you much higher scope for improvement.

[Oobie-]

Ok, so the only way to actually get say, the PC2-6400 to run at ~800mhz would be to have the FSB at 400?

Would it be easier to reach that 400mhz FSB on the 6600 than the 4300?

[kalniel]

Ok, so the only way to actually get say, the PC2-6400 to run at ~800mhz would be to have the FSB at 400?

Or just run the memory faster than the CPU through use of a divider setting.

Would it be easier to reach that 400mhz FSB on the 6600 than the 4300?

Not much difference - you're starting from 266 on the 6600 and 200 on the 4300, but the parts won't be all that different.

[Oobie-]

Or just run the memory faster than the CPU through use of a divider setting.

How would you do that?

[kalniel]

It should be in your motherboard manual - basically there's a setting in the BIOS. Wether it gives the divider itself (1:1, 4:5 etc.) or the target ram speed depends on the make and model etc.