Well, friends, I?m about to take the plunge into building a new XP mobile 2400; I?ll be overclocking. I?m still waffling over MoBos, but narrowed it down to NF7-S or Shuttle AN35N Ultra, probably will go the route of Abit. However, several questions concerning RAM have been repeatedly assailing my thoughts. This post is to address these RAM questions. (Ah, yes, of course, I?m a Newb!)
In brief, my questions are these:
1) I?ve read (did I understand, though?) that NForce2 Ultra boards have a dual channel memory capability when using certain banks for housing the DDRam but it makes little difference in performance with AthlonXP, is this so?
2) I plan to overclock my system. 200 FSB is desirable, at the least, so I?m thinking of going with DDR 400 (PC 3200). However, there?s a bubbling caldron of RAM questions here:
For the moment, let?s assume I?m buying name brand ram.
A) Some people may suggest buying more expensive, tighter timing RAM, of the PC 2700 variety and simply push the good stuff a bit higher?
B) Some people may suggest buying PC 3200 and push it beyond spec.
C) Some people may suggest buying >PC3200.
3) The answer to the first question will influence this next question? Price is a concern. I?ve targeted $100 as the ceiling on RAM expenditure. Should I go with one stick of 512 or two sticks of 256?
Real world examples, from NewEgg:
Choice 1: Mushkin 3200, 256 MB 2.5-4-4: $44 x2 = $88
Choice 1A: Mushkin 3200, 512 MB 2.4-4-4: $80
Good brand, maybe I get a 210 FSB out of it, maybe ? maybe not. If I want 210, then why not help assure it with PC 3500 (DDR 433)?:
Choice 2) Geil Ultra Platinum, 256 MB, DDR PC3500 2.5-6-3-3: $53 x 2 = $106 (I?ve crept a little above my $100 ceiling, but not by much. Would this RAM make much of a difference (3500 vs 3200) for a casual overclocker?)
Choice 2A) Kingmax 512 MB DDR PC3500 2.5 cas: $85 (Occupies 1 bank, is not a brand name I?ve read associated with great RAM, but does the higher MHz (216) suggest 200 MHz would be easy for this RAM?) The price looks tempting.
And, applying the same type of concepts utilized in Choices 2 and 2A above, why not go with PC3700 (DDR 466), with something like this:
Choice 3) Kreton Technology, 512 MB DDR PC3700 3-4-4-8: $95 (occupies 1 bank, not a brand name I?ve heard of but shouldn?t this be able to easily reach PC 3500 and PC3200 speeds?let alone, it should do 233 MHz, right?
If I take a moment and swing in the opposite conceptual direction, I might look at:
Choice 4) Mushkin 256 MB DDR PC2700 2-3-3: $51 x2 = $102 (good name, tight timing, maybe this stuff hits 200 MHz in stride and doesn?t look back?
Choice 4A) Mushkin 512 MB, DDR 2700 2-3-3: $96
Choice 4B) Corsair XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, Low Latency 512 MB DDR 2700 with Platinum-Silver Heat Spreader, 2-3-2-5 1T(??): $103
There are probably other questions I should ask but am suffering from agnosagnosia (I don?t know what I don?t know).
There a lot of decisions to be weighed and thought about and I currently lack the knowledge to make an educated decision. Hence, I turn to you and your knowledge for help.
Thank you for your consideration,
-SynapticBliss
In brief, my questions are these:
1) I?ve read (did I understand, though?) that NForce2 Ultra boards have a dual channel memory capability when using certain banks for housing the DDRam but it makes little difference in performance with AthlonXP, is this so?
2) I plan to overclock my system. 200 FSB is desirable, at the least, so I?m thinking of going with DDR 400 (PC 3200). However, there?s a bubbling caldron of RAM questions here:
For the moment, let?s assume I?m buying name brand ram.
A) Some people may suggest buying more expensive, tighter timing RAM, of the PC 2700 variety and simply push the good stuff a bit higher?
B) Some people may suggest buying PC 3200 and push it beyond spec.
C) Some people may suggest buying >PC3200.
3) The answer to the first question will influence this next question? Price is a concern. I?ve targeted $100 as the ceiling on RAM expenditure. Should I go with one stick of 512 or two sticks of 256?
Real world examples, from NewEgg:
Choice 1: Mushkin 3200, 256 MB 2.5-4-4: $44 x2 = $88
Choice 1A: Mushkin 3200, 512 MB 2.4-4-4: $80
Good brand, maybe I get a 210 FSB out of it, maybe ? maybe not. If I want 210, then why not help assure it with PC 3500 (DDR 433)?:
Choice 2) Geil Ultra Platinum, 256 MB, DDR PC3500 2.5-6-3-3: $53 x 2 = $106 (I?ve crept a little above my $100 ceiling, but not by much. Would this RAM make much of a difference (3500 vs 3200) for a casual overclocker?)
Choice 2A) Kingmax 512 MB DDR PC3500 2.5 cas: $85 (Occupies 1 bank, is not a brand name I?ve read associated with great RAM, but does the higher MHz (216) suggest 200 MHz would be easy for this RAM?) The price looks tempting.
And, applying the same type of concepts utilized in Choices 2 and 2A above, why not go with PC3700 (DDR 466), with something like this:
Choice 3) Kreton Technology, 512 MB DDR PC3700 3-4-4-8: $95 (occupies 1 bank, not a brand name I?ve heard of but shouldn?t this be able to easily reach PC 3500 and PC3200 speeds?let alone, it should do 233 MHz, right?
If I take a moment and swing in the opposite conceptual direction, I might look at:
Choice 4) Mushkin 256 MB DDR PC2700 2-3-3: $51 x2 = $102 (good name, tight timing, maybe this stuff hits 200 MHz in stride and doesn?t look back?
Choice 4A) Mushkin 512 MB, DDR 2700 2-3-3: $96
Choice 4B) Corsair XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, Low Latency 512 MB DDR 2700 with Platinum-Silver Heat Spreader, 2-3-2-5 1T(??): $103
There are probably other questions I should ask but am suffering from agnosagnosia (I don?t know what I don?t know).
There a lot of decisions to be weighed and thought about and I currently lack the knowledge to make an educated decision. Hence, I turn to you and your knowledge for help.
Thank you for your consideration,
-SynapticBliss
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