Been out of the OC loop for a long while... need some low latency memory advise

[SinfulWeeper]

I've been keeping up on CPU's/motherboards and what not and I know I can tackle that arena easily enough.
But is there any low priced memory out there yet that can run 2-2-2-(5-7) 250FSB+/- yet? Or is still non-existant?

I am wanting to go DC, but I do not want to do memory dividings if possible.

 

[Shimmishim]

still non-existant for that range of fsb's

mushkin though does have a pc3500 that can do 2-2-2 @ 217 which is pretty good... but no where near what you're asking

the pc4200 and pc4000 by ocz can run cas 2.5

 

[Richdog]

Yeah the Mushkin PC3500 Level II Simmishim is talking about is getting rave reviews, with people regularly hitting 235Mhz FSB @ 11-2-2-2 with them thanks to the BH-5 chips they use. I've just ordered a dual-channel kit myself.

With PC3700 and PC4000 latencies and timings are higher, which is OK for Intel chipsets but not for AMD. Virtually all Nforce2 mobos can't get above 235Mhz FSB anyway, very few people manage it.

 

[pelikan]

If you are on a budget find some used sticks with BH-5 chips. It can be found on Corsair LL pc3200 v1.1, Corsair pc3500, some HyperX pc3200 (the stuff that was sold with a Cas 2-2-2-6 rating), some kingston pc3200 value ram, mushking pc3200 and pc3500 level 2 and twinmos.
I just bought some hyperX pc3200 with bh-5 chips in the FS/T forum. It was tested stable in memtest86 and prime95 in the same mb as I have at 230 FSB, Cas 2-2-2-11 with 2.9V.
My hyperX pc3500 is great but I have to set ras to cas at 3, so I run 2-2-3-7. It maxes at 225 FSb with 2.9V with those timings. In the benchmarks I've run, getting Ras to Cas from 3 down to 2 is equal to about 100MHz of cpu power.

 

[SinfulWeeper]

Righty then. It seems only a few exceptions can get the timings. What brand regularly gets good timings near 250FSB?

 

[pelikan]

Are you planning on a p4 or AMD?

 

[SinfulWeeper]

Both

 

[pelikan]

I don't have a p4.
For 250 FSB on AMD you will need an NF7 rev. 2. You will have to get lucky enough to receive an exceptional board and you will have to volt mod for more vdd and vdimm. Better NB cooling will be necessary. You may have to mod your psu to provide 3.4V on the 3.3V rail so you can get the vdimm up to 3.2V or more. If you have a tbred you'll need to do the L12 mod to enable high FSB. If its a barton you won't need the L12 but you will need to get one that will take that high FSB because not all of them will.
And then some very good BH-5.
It's a lot easier to get a rev. 2 NF7 and settle for 220 - 230 FSB with BH-5 and tight timings.

 

[SinfulWeeper]

That and it's also the luck of the draw on the CPU's
For the P4 I am going to be putting in a 2.8 and hope to make it to 250FSB for a pleasing three and a half. I just thought it would be sweet for that kinda a clock with a 1:1 ratio and tight timings.

As for the AMD. I realize they do not make it that high. But I figure to get good memory off the bat in case of a future P4. I have not had very much luck in the past as far as a good AMD system goes. The last one I built was with a Soyo K7V Dragon originally sporting a duron 800MHz and later upgraded to a XP1500+... I must say since day one I was pulling my hair out with all the instabilities that system had. As well as it's prior AMD siblings. I figure with nforce chipsets out, I could give the AMD route one last chance.
If it works, great , if not, well I'll still have good memory left over to make a motherboard/cpu purchase. Either way I come out ahead.