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Opinions please, PC3200 or PC2700 worth the extra $$$??

N

nebula

Golden Member
I can't decide, $58 for 512MB of PC2700 vs. $76 for 512MB of PC3200 I know it's only a $16 difference but I'm trying to be frugal. Also, is DDR400 definitely stable yet? Get PC2700 now, upgrade later? I like looking towards the future, but the future costs more! 🙂 Or just get the DDR400 and run it at 333 if need be. Shoot, after the Barton chip, who knows if DDR400 will even work anymore.

I have a KT400 chipset mobo.
 
Many DDR400 modules require you to use slower timings in order to run at 400MHz, so they're sort of overclocked PC2700 modules. The more expensive name brands allow agressive timings at high speeds.

Memory should be run at the same speed as the CPU frontside bus on an Athlon system with DDR memory. Anything beyond that is wasted and can reduce performance. I assume that you're not going to be getting a 400MHz bus processor anytime soon, so it's somewhat needless to get memory for that, unless you plan to overclock a 333MHz bus CPU. Even if you did, you're going to be throwing out a perfectly good 333MHz processor? Or will you be using it in some other system so that you could also use that memory with it and buy memory to match the new CPU?
 
Rumors in the industry say that PC3200 prices are going to rise because DC DDR boards are going to become the prevelant platform and demand is going to skyrocket for PC3200.

techfuzz
 
OK, let's says I'm getting an XP1700-2000 266FSB, you wouldn't suggest buying DDR266 now, then having to buy new memory when I upgrade to a Barton would you? Not sure about all KT400 mobos but the MSI KT4 Ultra allows you to set memory speed independant of CPU FSB speed. I understand that this may be possible but cause performance losses. So, I guess I'm thinking DDR400 may save me when I do get the 400FSB CPU.

techfuzz Does that apply to PC2700 also?
 
Originally posted by: nebula
techfuzz Does that apply to PC2700 also?
Click to expand...
No, I'm pretty sure it was just PC3200 that will be affected mostly due to the recent introduction of 800 MHz CPU's which are just now making their way to retailers.

techfuzz
 
Kingston Hyper-X PC3000 256MB - $47 @ newegg.com. Rated to run 185MHZ, but most people have no probs running it at 200mhz with relaxed timings!
 
If you might buy a 333MHz bus CPU sometime in the next several months, then no I wouldn't suggest PC2100. But if you're going to have that CPU for a year or more, then yes I'd say get PC2100 and save the money if you're that concerned about being frugal. You're "wasting" money already if you're going to simply dispose of a 1700+ processor rather than reusing it, and if you reuse it you're going to need memory for it anyway.

If you're buying a CPU now and are going to wait till a 400MHz CPU is inexpensive, then you'll be looking at the fact that you can get an 800MHz bus CPU and wondering if you should bother with PC3200 memory instead of 800MHz (as example speeds).
 
Originally posted by: human2k
Kingston Hyper-X PC3000 256MB - $47 @ newegg.com. Rated to run 185MHZ, but most people have no probs running it at 200mhz with relaxed timings!
Click to expand...

Maybe I should clarify my needs. I want stable ram that runs at least at rated speed, but having headroom to play is nice. Also cost is a factor, $94 for 512MB is not what I'm looking for.
 
Lord Evermore, you make a good point. Just looked at Newegg and PC2100 and PC2700 is the same price. So, what about running the memory bus and CPU bus out of sync? And yes, I won't be buying a 333MHz CPU anytime soon. Up until a month ago, I had a Duron 800, then got a T-Bird 1.1 I can't change the multiplier on it past 11.5, I think mobo limited, KT133. So I decided to get a new mobo/memory and get a little more current with things, seeing as I am a tech head. Then I will replace the T-Bird with an XP 1700+ or so and pass the other on to mother-in-law.
 
KT133 chipset is limited to less than 133MHz bus speed anyway. KT133A accepted 133MHz speeds.

With DDR memory and an Athlon, synchronous speeds are best. That provides enough memory bandwidth to feed the CPU bus, and the timings are in synch so when one bus does something, the other bus is ready for it. Asynchronous busses results in one bus having to insert wait states in order to align with the other bus's next ready state. (2 cycles on one bus, 3 cycles on the other. They're only going to align every 6th cycle by default, so the 2-cycle bus waits a small amount for the next cycle of the other bus to catch up, so it ends up operating at a slower speed but still faster than waiting every 6th cycle.)
 
Yes KT133 can only do 100FSB, that's why I was trying to do multiplier OC'ing. Did it before with the Duron.

Anyway, what about DDR400 memory set in BIOS to run at 333MHz. Yes, initially a waste, but if I started upping the FSB wouldn't that give more headroom than a DDR333 module? Assuming the chips are rated for 400MHz. Or just get good quality DDR333 and it works out the same?
 
Yes if you're increasing the FSB and keeping the memory in synch, then 400MHz modules would have more capability to clock higher without reducing timings, assuming it's quality DDR400 that doesn't have reduced timings for the 400MHz speed in the first place.

I.e.: If you get a module rated for 400MHz 2-3-3-6, it'll probably do 2-2-2-5 at 333MHz, but if you start going higher it might have to be timed back down to 2-3-3-6. If your 400MHz module is rated for 2-2-2-5, it'll do that and better at 333MHz, and still be able to maintain 2-2-2-5 as you go over 333MHz. A 333MHz module rated for 2-2-2-5 might need to be moved to 2-3-3-6 to go higher, but that's no worse than the cheap 400MHz module would have been.

That's why I call cheaper highspeed modules with relaxed timings "overclocked" memory. Even the highest speed Corsair memory is overclocked in that sense, they're rated at 2-3-3-7 for the PC3500 memory, while PC3200 is 2-2-2-6 at the lowest and PC2700 is available as low as 2-2-2-5. The chips used are still a better chip as far as yield, but still they need to relax the timings just a tad to get real stability and reliability at the higher speeds.
 
Getting good PC2700 mem should be more than sufficient for you needs. And as the memory trends a moving towards DC-DDR your next upgrade will probably require you to make that move also. I'm going by the fact that you were just recently getting rid of your Duron and Athlon. It seems that you prefer light to moderate OC'ing and prefer a stable system each time you use it. I'd say save the money and stay with some good CAS-2 PC2700 mem.
 
Wow, that's the best explanation I've seen yet! Thanks again. One more question, do you happen to have any good links that explain what 2-2-2-5 means? New to DDR and haven't searched for that yet, seems like you might save me some searching! 😉

So I think I'll get the DDR333, something good like Samsung Original, Crucial, Apacer. Which, in essence, made my purchase of a KT400 mobo unnecessary, but it was cheaper than a KT333!
 
Originally posted by: MoreSpeed
Getting good PC2700 mem should be more than sufficient for you needs. And as the memory trends a moving towards DC-DDR your next upgrade will probably require you to make that move also. I'm going by the fact that you were just recently getting rid of your Duron and Athlon. It seems that you prefer light to moderate OC'ing and prefer a stable system each time you use it. I'd say save the money and stay with some good CAS-2 PC2700 mem.
Click to expand...

That is a good way to describe me, light to moderate OC'ing. I hope you don't have this trademarked, I'm going to use it in the future! 😉
 
Thanks all! I was beginning to lose faith in the AT forums. When I joined AT, I had a problem and I got great response. The last couple posts that I've had have had lackluster response. I was beginning to wonder what happened that I didn't know about.

But, this thread has rejuvenated me!
 
I don't have anything trademarked, so by all means use anything you want. As for the links, I haven't got any marked so I can't be very much help there. Do keep in mind the PC2700 memory you are looking at for $58 is more or less CAS-3. CAS-2 chips come at a premium price.

From my experiences I've OC'ed an AthlonXP 1600+ T-Bred "B" from its default 266MHz FSB to 166MHz FSB using cheap CAS-3 memory with Samsung Chips. Depending on what you do with your PC, the Memory Latency may or may not improve your performance all that much. I do my share of photo editing, word processing, gaming (WCIII, QIII ARENA, RAINBOW SIX, etc.), MP3 encoding, DVD-2-DIVX encoding, and so on. Another thing to take in consideration is what processor are you going to pick up? If you stay with a 266MHz FSB processor than you are more than safe in terms of "headroom" since you'll probably OC in the ranges of 133-166MHz (effectively 266-333MHz FSB) if you plan for a 333MHz FSB processor then may PC3200 because you'll more or less go for the 166-200+MHz FSB. But going back to my last post you had a KT133 board and a Athlon/Duron on the 200MHz FSB. So I think you'll be looking for the next generation processor, motherboard, RAM on your next upgrade. Once you look at premium priced CAS-2 PC-2700 memory you may start to feel that the cheap PC3200 is worth the cost.

My honest opinion: CAS-3 Memory with name brand chips or Name brand memory (Crucial, Mushkin, Samsung, etc.) Most name brand chips or memory makers of the PC2700 memory can support in to the 340-350MHz clock speeds.

Here is one site with a memory timings article:
Mem Timings
 
Wouldn't really be surprised if you could get decent timings out of that. 2-3-3-6 is pretty well assured. I've only had a couple of modules of Apacer, but I really liked it and it was wicked wicked cheap. (Well, it was cheap at the time.)
 
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