CAS Latency with A64 chips

[Braveheart77]

Hi everyone. I'm still on my way to upgrade my old XP2000+. I'm on an extremelly budget so I opted for an Sempron64 2800/3000 + some good S754 motherboard so I will swap my cpu and mobo with the new ones. The rest of my system will remain including my trusted ATI Radeon 9800Pro (r360 core) and my Seagate Barracuda 160Gb drive. The point is with my memory: I have 1x512Mb Kingston PC3200 (400Mhz CL3 or 333Mhz CL2.5) and 2x256Mb Micron PC2700 (333Mhz CL2.5). So what will you suggest? putting all my sticks at 333Mhz CL2.5 or make an effort and change the 2x256Mb sticks for one similar to the PC3200 module?

Thanks for any advice on RAM as any one regarding a motherboard selection (remember that it must be s754).

 

[Fern]

Check this THREAD. Looks like mem timings and even mem frquency (400mhz vs 333mhz) dont make a whole lot difference.

I'd try what you have and run some benchies or games, depending on what you're gonna be using the PC for.

Corsair Value Select is pretty inexpensive these days too. About $90 for 2 x 512MB. Maybe about for just one slab of 512MB?

As for a good inexpensive s754 mobo I'd recommend a Chaintech VNF3 250. They're about $58 at Newegg. Used one in a build recently and was impressed with the quality and features.

Fern

 

[Hacp]

DDR400 no brainer.

 

[Braveheart77]

So I must to throw away my 256Mb PC2700 sticks and go for another 512Mb PC3200 one?

As mobos goes... I must say I live in Argentina and here aren't many options for brands other than Asus, MSI and if you are lucky, DFI. I will try to search for that Chaintech tho...

 

[Peter]

PC3200 will give you better throughput, and fewer DIMMs per (the only) RAM channel are always to be preferred. Use the 512MB stick you already have.

If you want inexpensive, well performing AGP on socket 754, I'd highly recommend the SiS chipset, e.g. on ECS 755-A2. It runs all available processors, including E6-step 64-bit enabled Semprons. I'm typing this on such a system.

 

[Hacp]

Well, You could keep the DDR333 sticks. You will just lose some performance.

 

[Braveheart77]

Thanks for the info pals. I will try to get that new PC3200 512mb module. BTW is really good that Sis chipset? No ironic question, just don't know about it. I was originally looking for an NF3 board...

 

[Peter]

The SiS chipset is a lot better in I/O performance, particularly in IDE/SATA throughput. You'll notice.

 

[Furen]

I'd ask how well it overclocks as well...

 

[UltraWide]

Donde estas en Argentina? Man, I want to go back and visit sometime...

Did it change much from 1991?

Saludos, chau.

 

[Braveheart77]

Hohooo... well it changed drastically... specially since 2001 economic catastrophe. Still it's a somewhat nice place to live and a better one for tourists (the 3:1 peso-dollar ratio is fantastic for tourists but kills any aspiration for a serious computer upgrade... ;-) )
I'm from Capital Federal (DC). One of the bigest cities in the world...