Question Regarding Memory / Bus Synchronization.

[m33p]

Hello!

I have created a rather large post that outlines my entire set of questions at a different forum, but I will summarize here and then provide a link.

Basically I am building a new system and have selected the following components:

E8400 / Xeon e3110 with a Freezer 7 Pro
Asus P5K-E / WiFi <--- Tenative Choice, unless someone can offer better at a similar price point.
4 GB DDR2-800 RAM
Antec 900 Gaming Case


I am curious as to how important it will be to run the RAM in a 1:1 ratio with the bus speed. I have a couple options as to how I could configure the system, and am soliciting advice on the "best" (I know, I hate that all-too-subjective term as well) configuration.

I do plan to be doing extensive gaming and I am what could be considered a power user (typically music + browsing in multiple windows, sometimes while simultaneously downloading or streaming something. As well as gaming + downloading/seeding etc...).

I'll stop with the excessive typing now and link to my other thread. No you do not need to register with the forum, you should be able to see it without problem. I am simply hoping to receive a somewhat more first hand and/or technical/informed opinion from this group.

http://www.pcgamer.com/forum/v...ic.php?p=443614#443614

Please read the entire thread, it's only about 9 posts, of which the 1st, 2nd, and 5th are most important.

Thanks in advance for your help, and if you have any questions, I'll be keeping an eye on this thread.

- Ryan

 

[m33p]

Well I found THE link with regards to FSB and Memory.

I won't say I understand everything I'd like to. And some of the math methods I would like explained, but wikipedia can help with that. In any case, I understand what I'll be doing now. It's not so much that I'll matching the clocks by moving to a 1:1 ratio, but matching up the memory bus bandwidth... at least that's how I read it.

By moving to a 1600 MHz FSB (actual at 400) I am equaling the potential bandwidth of the DDR2-800 which is also running at 400 MHz. Thus the CPU -> memory controller is 12.8 GB/s and the Ram -> memory controller is 12.8 GB/s. Right ?

[And there is not really any point in moving to 1066 RAM because the bandwidth would still be greater, the only advantage would be that at a comparable CL timing I would gain a fraction of a nanosecond per memory access... at the cost of more voltage and asynchronous accesses.]

Whew...

Oh yeah, here's that link :

http://episteme.arstechnica.co...7909774/m/571005387831

- Ryan

 

[m33p]

==

Double Post

Sorry

==

 

[Billb2]

Originally posted by: m33pI am curious as to how important it will be to run the RAM in a 1:1 ratio with the bus speed.

Yes, as you found out, there's no need to change away from the 1:1 ratio.