New Build, some questions (memory, Asus Rampage Formula, Bios, etc)...

[jonesad]

Hello -
I have recently ordered some parts to build a new rig. The components I'll be using are:

Power Supply: CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W
Mobo: ASUS RAMPAGE FORMULA
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
Heatsync: ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler
Memory: Corsair Twin 2X 4GB PC-6400 DDR2 800
Video Card: SAPPHIRE 100251SR Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1
Hard Drive(s): Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1TB
OS: Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit

I think this will be a pretty sweet rig, but I have a few questions I'm hoping some people can help with:
1) On the Asus Rampage MOBO, the manual mentions that, "While in DDR2 1066 mode, ASUS´s exclusive technology offers a choice of FSB 1333 - providing great performance for 3D graphics and other memory demanding applications." That isn't extremely clear to me, but I'm wondering if I should take back the ram I bought and get DDR2 1066, or possibly 1333? Any thoughts?

2) I downloaded all the latest drivers off the Asus website, but I tried to get the X48 chipset drivers off Intel's site because they seem to have an updated version. However, when I choose "Vista Ultimate 64" as my OS, it says the drivers are no longer available. Are the chipset drivers on the Asus site okay, or is there a place to get the updated chipset drivers?

3) Should I install the LAN drivers off the Asus site? I would have thought the chipset driver would include the LAN, so I'm not clear if these are actual drivers, so just some additional software I don't need?

4) Before I try to OC this rig, I'll want to run it at spec speeds for a few weeks. I haven't found any decent forum posts on optimal BIOS settings for the Rampage Formula - anyone have some insight to share on how to get the most out of the BIOS (without OC'ing)?

Thats it I think - thanks for any input!

 

[sonnygdude]

Not sure what the FSB thing is about - a 1333 FSB equates to a true FSB of 333.25, meaning you could use DDR2-667 synchronously (1:1 divider). Running your DDR2-800 at stock would be using a 6:5 divider, so no problem there. You could even OC up to 1600 FSB and your DDR2-800 would be at 1:1 in that case, so i don't think there's really a need to go with DDR2-1066 unless you're looking at really aggressive OC'ing. In which case you might want to see if there's any DDR2-1000 for cheaper than the 1066

 

[jonesad]

Thanks for the reply! I'm prolly not even going to OC for awhile, since I just had my system crash on me (hence the new build). That info in the manual is just really cryptic and doesn't explain why/how I'd get a boost from the 1066 ram.

 

[sonnygdude]

Yah- the terminology seems a little weird. Not sure what "DDR2-1066 Mode" would be, since you can choose what speed to run your RAM at. maybe they need to spend some more money on manual writers!