2.4c OC vs 2.8c OC

[P2Mc28]

Here I was, thinking I had finally settled in on deciding what motherboard, CPU, and RAM I wanted, when I go and read something about how high MHz RAM is better suited for an OC'ed 2.4c, so you can run it 1:1, and lower speed RAM is better for 2.8 - 3.2c because the FSB will never get very high.

Well, I had decided on a gig of OCZ 3700 Gold, when I read it works great as DDR500+ (around DDR520, for 3.2GHz) for 2.4's, and has awesome timings at DDR440 (with 2-2-3-5 or 2-2-3-6 timings) for 2.8's.

Assuming both processers hit around 3 - 3.2GHz, would the 2.8c perform better since it has tighter timings, although the clock speed will be slightly lower?

 

[tallman45]

Assuming that both hit the same speed the rig that is the 2.4 would have a much higher fsb so that system will feel faster. But the 2.8 will be a more likely candidate to actually reach say a goal of say 3.2 and your components will be far less pushed thus less risky of damage or shortened life. Remember that finding a good OC'ing cpu is also the luck of the draw.

For the couple of dollars more, go with a 2.8 as your starting point.

 

[SilverBack]

I'm looking for the article now. I read that at high front side busses the timings have very little effect on performance.

If the two chips are both hitting 3.2 GHz and no higher, the 2.4 will out perform the 2.8.

 

[SilverBack]

The article I read was at THG.
Interesting read.

In most of the disciplines, you can see that it no longer matters as much what memory timings you have as it did only a few years ago, when SDRAM or the first DDR generation were still hot. Or, to put it another way, having faster or slower RAM will not tip the balance in favor of or against the latest AMD and Intel processors.

The graphs basically show a 2 to 3% difference in timings on the same cpu's, however in the instance of the 2.4C at 3.2 Ghz the FSB is 1066 Mhz which gives it the edge over the 2.8 at 3.2 regardless of the timings.
One thing to think about though is that the 2.4C may not make it to 3.2GHz unless your using advanced cooling such as water. The 2.8 will have a much easier time on air.