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Mobo, CPU, and Ram compatability?

M

Munku

Member
I'm a little confused on FSB compatabilities between CPU's and RAM. How exactly do I find out what will run together? I've heard I need a RAM FSB that's equal or faster than the mobo's? But someone else has said that DDR2 ram is doubled, so 800 fsb you need to look at 400 and for processors it's divided by 4 so 800 fsb is really 200 so they wouldn't work or something? Does this make any sense?

Here are the 3 that I'm looking for. If anyone has any recommendations though feel free. What I really want is compatibility and price. Preferably in the 3.4 ghz processor range and 2 gigs of ram.

Mobo http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813127209

Cpu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819116196

Ram http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820134009

Thanks guys! 🙂
 
First, welcome to AT. 🙂

Second, I recommend you go with AMD. Have you given that any thought?

Edit: spelling
 
I'm a little confused on FSB compatabilities between CPU's and RAM. How exactly do I find out what will run together? I've heard I need a RAM FSB that's equal or faster than the mobo's? But someone else has said that DDR2 ram is doubled, so 800 fsb you need to look at 400 and for processors it's divided by 4 so 800 fsb is really 200 so they wouldn't work or something? Does this make any sense?
Click to expand...

You're way, WAY confused.

All Athlon64 systems use regular DDR400 (running at 200Mhz, but DDR doubles the effective speed, so it is sometimes listed at 400Mhz).

Newer Intel systems use DDR2, in various speeds (200/400, 266/533, 333/667), but Intel uses a "quad-pumped" FSB, and they almost always list it at four times the actual clock rate of the memory. So a system with an "800Mhz FSB" uses 200Mhz RAM, or DDR/DDR2-400.

That motherboard has a "1066Mhz FSB", which runs the RAM at (1066/4) or 266Mhz (ie, buy DDR2-533). It can also use DDR2-667, but it will run at DDR2-533 speed.
 
Weird. That MB is listed as supporting FSB 1066 or 800 (266/200), yet it shows the standard RM speed as 667 (333). I didn't even notice that before.

 
Ok that makes some sense. But do I need to match ram to processor speeds as well or just ram to mobo like you illustrated?
 
MB must support the CPU's speed. The RAM should be at least what the CPU speed is, and possibly higher if you plan to OC the CPU.
 
Ok so assuming I were to go with the mobo and processor listed above, I would need DDR2 400 mhz FSB Ram them? Since the mobo would be 800/4 and the ram would be 400/2 or am I still lost?
 
You should be able to run higher rated ram as well, without the need for overclocking. Mine has a setting for DDR2 to run it at either DDR533, or DDR667, so if you got faster ram, you would just need to change it in the BIOS. Not sure if that motherboard would have official support for DDR800.
 
So 667 Ram would work as well? What would be the point of going with something higher than equal to my processor and mobo?
 
Originally posted by: Munku
So 667 Ram would work as well? What would be the point of going with something higher than equal to my processor and mobo?
Click to expand...

Allows for OC'ing of the CPU. You can OC the CPU by raising the FSB. You would be able to raise it up to 333 (at a minium), without ever worrying about keeping the RAM stable.
 
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