Memory timings issues - need some experienced input here please!

[The Sauce]

New mobo and memory: ASUS A7N8X and Corsair XMS 2700 (rated at cas-2)

When I set "Aggressive" for memory timings in the BIOS, it gives me 7-3-3-2 (the order of those is active precharge delay - RAS to CAS - RAS precharge - CAS latency). But if I recall correctly, these are not very aggressive settings. I think on my prior system the active precharge delay was like 5...maybe 6 by default.

Can someone please advise me as to what settings i should be able to achieve with this memory?

 

[Flightsim]

According to the Corsair website, the default timings for this memory are 2-3-3-6(the order is CAS Latency, RAS to CAS delay, RAS precharge, and RAS active time- at least for my P4S533). The default command lead-off time is 1T. I have the same memory and run it at the defualt timings, but it could propably handle more agressive timings if you want.

 

[ChampionAtTufshop]

maybe its defaulting to what the bios thinks is best for the ram at the speed
you could always manually adjust it

 

[The Sauce]

Yeah, well that's exactly what I'm wondering...if I should manually adjust it or if this is the best settings for that RAM.

 

[Smilin]

It will handle 6 for sure.

 

[The Sauce]

Hmm...i just went from 7 --> 6 and my Sandra memory scores actually went down a marginal amount.

 

[Cerb]

Manually get it as low as you can. and run sandra or something for a few hours (or if you have it ready, memtest86). If it is too aggressive, you may have lock ups, temporary halts during normal operation. I learned all of this by trying to run Kingston ValueRAM at more aggressive timings. Needless to say, it hated them 🙂. You won't be damaging the RAM by altering the timings (but you could by raising the voltage).

 

[ChampionAtTufshop]

Originally posted by: Snatchface
Hmm...i just went from 7 --> 6 and my Sandra memory scores actually went down a marginal amount.

well then in that case i am wondering if its the same story as video cards....too fast for bus, bus becomes supersaturated? 😕
for example, if a video card is at 300/600 (core/ram) and say 3dmarks is 10000, sometimes if they go 310/650 (or any other increase in mhz) the performance drops (sometimes noticably)

perhaps the bios indeed is setting the best timings for the ram for performance, as you said sandra dropped

have you tried numerous runs? dont count just one or two, atleast 5-6

//edit
try other programs/games
3dmark

afaik, lowering cas settings SHOULD increase performance
is bank interleaving being defaulted to 2way or something instead of 4way?