Can memory speed be adjusted indepent of the FSB?

[GotoDengo]

Bear with me, here--I'm still using a p2 300, and have recently tried to reacquaint myself with the PC Hardware world.

I've already got some Mosel Cas2 pc133 (wanted to buy before prices soared too high), and am thinking of picking up a p3 700 w/ the cB0 stepping. Still trying to decide between a BX or i815 mobo. One question I had is this: can the system memory's clock speed be adjusted independent of the system's FSB speed, or does fsb determine memory clock speed? I'm unlikely to be able to clock the processor much above 933, which means 133 fsb. Will my memory also have to run at that speed, or will I be able to jack it up to mid-140s? (the mosel should be capable of this.)

Are bx boards and i815 boards identical in the way they allow you to adjust memory speeds, or is one superior to another?

TIA.

(any quick opinions on the CUBX would be appreciated, too. If I go the BX route, I don't want to mess around with a slotket, so the CUBX seems like a natural choice. Is this a good oc'er and a stable board?)

 

[Viper GTS]

No BX boards support separate memory/FSB speed adjustment. FSB is memory speed, period. However, the VIA based boards do support it. But they only support a +/- 33 MHz. For example, if you had a 133 MHz P3, but only PC100 memory, you could run your memory at 112 & your CPU @ 145, if it would make it that high. Or, if you had a Celeron that would work fine at a 112 MHz bus speed, you could run your high-quality memory at 145. I believe the i815 also supports this, but don't quote me on it.

As far as BX boards go, if I buy another BX board I'll probably get a ABIT BX133. I know it's an ABIT, but it looks like a sweet board. Plus, I've been happy with my BF6. Don't honestly know too much about the CUBX, though. Looks like a decent board, & it seems to get decent reviews.

Viper GTS

 

[Ulysses]

The two chipsets are very different. The Intel 815E, like the VIA Apollo 133A, has an asynchronous memory bus, unlike the Intel 440BX. Other things equal (ha ha ha), this is to be preferred. I'm not sure how flexible this memory bus adjustment is, and it may vary from board to board, but it beats nothing.

Overclockers like the traditional BX chipset because it has such an efficient memory controller that it is faster than any other when run synchronously at 133 mhz. The 815E is very new but is almost as good as the BX and has many other more up to date features. AnandTech gave an Editor's Choice Award to a brand new 815E board, the ASUS CUSL2, which is barely on store shelves yet. See:
http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1274

 

[Ulysses]

On the BX matter:

AnandTech gave an Editor's Choice Award to the MSI/Microstar BX Master. See:

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1149

Any way you go I'd get the P3 in FC-PGA form, 'cause it's more versatile. If you need a 'slotket' be sure it's the same brand as the mobo and note this:

http://support.intel.com/support/processors/pentiumiii/ssalist.htm

P.S.
And note that all 815E boards will likely require an FC-PGA P3.