3 sticks of DDR, epox 8RDA+, best config for dual memory controller?

[bupkus]

I play UT2004 so I find I actually prefer 2x512 of PC2700 C2.5 to my 2x256 PC3500, but maybe not.

Here's what I have of DDR at the moment:
2 sticks of OCZ PC3500 EL which likes to run at 2.0 3-3-7 and
1 stick of Corsair CMX512-2700C2 / XMS2700v1.3 / 023720 (whatever all that stuff on the label mean)

I only have 3 dimm slots on the epox so I suppose I can get all three to run at cas 2.0 but I don't know if I can expect a 200 fsb with the XMS.

CPU is a LOCKED 2500+ Barton that easily does 2.2GHz with a slight voltage increase.

The point is mute as to FPS as the video card is only a PNY Ti4200 w/ 64MB mem, but I actually do things besides game and I like to get the most out of what I have.

 

[Googer]

3 Sticks of Ram is never a good idea, since dual chanel configurations work best when memory is installed in Even Numberd Pairs (2, 4, or 6). The general rule of thumb for best performance is use fewest number DIMM's of the highest capacity on a given memory channel. In your case 2 sticks of 1GB would work best in a dual channel configuration. With 2GB or more in a windows 2k/xp system you can configure it through BOOT.ini to load the page file and all drivers to run from system ram and totlay abandon the hard disk for memory.

 

[FlasHBurN]

Originally posted by: Googer
3 Sticks of Ram is never a good idea, since dual chanel configurations work best when memory is installed in Even Numberd Pairs (2, 4, or 6). The general rule of thumb for best performance is use fewest number DIMM's of the highest capacity on a given memory channel. In your case 2 sticks of 1GB would work best in a dual channel configuration. With 2GB or more in a windows 2k/xp system you can configure it through BOOT.ini to load the page file and all drivers to run from system ram and totlay abandon the hard disk for memory.

How?

 

[Googer]

how? what exactly do you want to know? Please be a bit clearer.

 

[FlasHBurN]

Originally posted by: Googer
3 Sticks of Ram is never a good idea, since dual chanel configurations work best when memory is installed in Even Numberd Pairs (2, 4, or 6). The general rule of thumb for best performance is use fewest number DIMM's of the highest capacity on a given memory channel. In your case 2 sticks of 1GB would work best in a dual channel configuration. With 2GB or more in a windows 2k/xp system you can configure it through BOOT.ini to load the page file and all drivers to run from system ram and totlay abandon the hard disk for memory.

Clear enough?

 

[Googer]

Thank you, 2GB is the minmum recommended amout of ram if you wish to operate windows nt in this fashion. For game playing with out a swapfile you will definitly need 4 gigabytes. Here is how it is done and it is very simple:
[boot loader]
timeout=60
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000" /fastdetect

If you know dos this should be easy.
where it says fastdetect there are several other switch options avalable,
change it to:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000" /fastdetect/NOLOWMEM

I think by doing this it works in a similar maner to chaging windows 9x System.ini
conservativeswapfileusage=1
For light apps on system with less than 2gb you will still use the swap file , but not as much and watch the task manager (look at it before and after) your memory resource bar will jump around as much as the processor graph.

there is another switch that alows for support over 4gb but i have never had the chance to test it out. I belive it works only under windows 2k advanced server edition.

Let me know how this works out for you and share some benchmark results with me.
If you have any questions be free to ask and "merry christmas* to you".

*I normanly charge 19.95 for this information but since it is christmas it's free.

By the way check out my signature and let me know what your opinions are.

 

[FlasHBurN]

Sweet, thanks for the info. I think I might have to go the 2gb route with my next system.