Running a-sync = poor performance for AMD?... maybe not

[Whitedog]

Jeff, I've a question. If I plopped a Barton 2500+ in my A7N8X board... I'd be limited to 12.5x multX?

 

[Whitedog]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: Whitedog
I can see running the RAM @ 166 and the FSB @ 200 ('cause your RAM may not be fast enough to run @ 200), but I certainly don't see the point in running the FSB @ 166 with the RAM @ 200? I don't know why he even suggested doing that? There's no point to that.

As you can see, 3DMark score went down, but FPS increased by 1-2. So maybe it's not so bad afterall. I think it would make more of a difference if Athlon XP's were as bandwidth hungry as P4's, but they're not, so latency is more of an issue than maximum bandwidth.

I know it was faster.... but there should be NO reason to run the FSB at a slower speed than what you can run the ram at. NONE.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: Whitedog
Jeff, I've a question. If I plopped a Barton 2500+ in my A7N8X board... I'd be limited to 12.5x multX?

In my experience, and everything I've heard, yes. The Epox 8RDA+ I know for sure has all available, and maybe the Abit one.

 

[pspada]

Very interesting. I'm going to get an 8RDA+ in the next day or so, and I'll try anologous tests, and let you know what happens. I'm also intending to run my Barton at the highest clockspeed I can at a 200fsb.

Meanwhile, I suspect you'd have gotten more than just a point or two additional FPS in your SOF saved game if you'd set the RAM back to the highest stable 5-2-2-2, instead of trying it still set to 7-3-3-2.5

 

[Whitedog]

Another thing to take into account is the max vcore setting. The ASUS board maxes out at 1.85 vcore. I hear some of the other boards go higher... It would be nice for sure as I'm stuck at 2.35GHz. I can't go any higher without problems... AND I'M STILL RUNNING ON MY OLD COOLER!!! My freakin SLK900 STILL HASN'T Gotten here. (*$)#@Q$ FedEx is playing merry-go-round with it!!! :|

Don't recon it matters as I'm already maxed out without it. I was hoping I could hit 2.4 at least. But not without the voltage.

Look into the A-Bit board. I heard that clown, shim talking about doing 1.95 or something. He's got the a-bit board.

2.35 isn't that bad though. I compared all my benches to posted benchies for the 3200+ and it beats every one of them. Even beats the P4-3.06 in some too.

I've got it running stable at 180x13@1.85v/180@8-3-3-3 (I know... yuk).

OS reports it as a 2700+
Sandra reports: Performance Rating : PR3400 (estimated)

Sandra results
CPU Test - Dhrystone - 8772
CPU Test - Whetstone - 3514
MultMed Test - Int - 12939
MultMed Test - Float - 13834
MemoryTest - Int - 2737
MemoryTest - Float - 2601

I can live with this... especially with my "Crappy" PC2700.

...For now

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: pspada
Very interesting. I'm going to get an 8RDA+ in the next day or so, and I'll try anologous tests, and let you know what happens. I'm also intending to run my Barton at the highest clockspeed I can at a 200fsb.

Meanwhile, I suspect you'd have gotten more than just a point or two additional FPS in your SOF saved game if you'd set the RAM back to the highest stable 5-2-2-2, instead of trying it still set to 7-3-3-2.5

Definately, but the purpose of my test was to see the difference in Mhz only... introducing a 2nd variable makes the test invalid, which is why I kept it at 7-3-3-2.5

 

[selfbuilt]

Originally posted by: Whitedog
Jeff, I've a question. If I plopped a Barton 2500+ in my A7N8X board... I'd be limited to 12.5x multX?

My Barton 2500+ tops out at 12.5 (max available) on my A7N8X board.

Running at lowly 2.08GHz ;-) ... I haven't tried increasing the external freq yet, but I've heard you can comfortably go to at least 185Mhz or so with the 2500+ .... maybe 200 if you are lucky.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: selfbuilt

Originally posted by: Whitedog
Jeff, I've a question. If I plopped a Barton 2500+ in my A7N8X board... I'd be limited to 12.5x multX?

My Barton 2500+ tops out at 12.5 (max available) on my A7N8X board.

Running at lowly 2.08GHz ;-) ... I haven't tried increasing the external freq yet, but I've heard you can comfortably go to at least 185Mhz or so with the 2500+ .... maybe 200 if you are lucky.

More like at least 200, maybe 220 if you're lucky. The deciding factor is your RAM. If you're using PC2700 RAM, set your FSB at 221, set the ram at 75% and set your multiplier at 10. That's how I ran mine for a long time until I got PC3200 RAM.

 

[pspada]

I'd considered the Asus mobo, but the reason I want a 8DRA+ is that it should have multipliers above 12.5 available off the shelf, right?

I new feel much better having blown the extra bucks to go to PC3200 directly from PC2100, without stopping at PC2700 on the way.

Now, tho, I think I want one of these, which claims native support for the 400Mhz Barton:

FIC KT-748

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: pspada
I'd considered the Asus mobo, but the reason I want a 8DRA+ is that it should have multipliers above 12.5 available off the shelf, right?

I new feel much better having blown the extra bucks to go to PC3200 directly from PC2100, without stopping at PC2700 on the way.

Now, tho, I think I want one of these, which claims native support for the 400Mhz Barton:

FIC KT-748

The A7N8X Rev. 2.0 has native support for 400 Mhz Bartons. I know this because when I set my FSB to 200, and my multiplier to 11, it says it's an XP3200... if it didn't have support for the 400 Mhz Bartons, it wouldn't know what an XP3200 is.

 

[Whitedog]

My Rev 1.06 does the same thing... XP3200+ @ 200x11, but I have to set my memory at such rediculously slow timings to get it to boot at 200MHz, it's not even funny. :disgust:

I'm sticking with 180x13

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: Whitedog
My Rev 1.06 does the same thing... XP3200+ @ 200x11, but I have to set my memory at such rediculously slow timings to get it to boot at 200MHz, it's not even funny. :disgust:

I'm sticking with 180x13

If you don't have PC3200 RAM it will be hard to run it in sync...

 

[pspada]

But the damn Asus mobos cost 50 bucks more than the 8RDA+! I'd go for it, if someone wants to buy my KT400 motherboard off of me.....

 

[selfbuilt]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
More like at least 200, maybe 220 if you're lucky. The deciding factor is your RAM. If you're using PC2700 RAM, set your FSB at 221, set the ram at 75% and set your multiplier at 10. That's how I ran mine for a long time until I got PC3200 RAM.

Actually, I was thinking of the HardOCP article on the Barton 2500+. Not all of their test subjects were able to make it to 200FSB, even with board and memory permitting, but all could do 185 stably. But of course, like you say, if your Barton can make it to 220, then simply run your PC2700 memory at 75% async to the CPU and you'll still be within mem specs.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: selfbuilt

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
More like at least 200, maybe 220 if you're lucky. The deciding factor is your RAM. If you're using PC2700 RAM, set your FSB at 221, set the ram at 75% and set your multiplier at 10. That's how I ran mine for a long time until I got PC3200 RAM.

Actually, I was thinking of the HardOCP article on the Barton 2500+. Not all of their test subjects were able to make it to 200FSB, even with board and memory permitting, but all could do 185 stably. But of course, like you say, if your Barton can make it to 220, then simply run your PC2700 memory at 75% async to the CPU and you'll still be within mem specs.

That may be true, but I've yet to meet anyone who had a decent board and decent RAM that couldn't hit a 200 Mhz FSB. I have a suspicion that all Bartons were/are capable of running at a 400 Mhz FSB, they just delayed the 400 Mhz processors so they can have more new product releases.

 

[Whitedog]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: Whitedog
My Rev 1.06 does the same thing... XP3200+ @ 200x11, but I have to set my memory at such rediculously slow timings to get it to boot at 200MHz, it's not even funny. :disgust:

I'm sticking with 180x13

If you don't have PC3200 RAM it will be hard to run it in sync...

I[m running in sync now... just not at 200. I got my SLK-900U in yesterday and got it installed (Nice cooler, it lowered my temp by 10c!). My previous cooler was an all copper Kanie Hedgehog.

Anyway... I was able to get my Bus speed and memory to run in sync at 183 x 13 @ 1.85 volts vcore and mem at 8-3-3-3 @ 2.8v

It's running Really fast and stable.

I just don't know how it is going to run over a long period of time at 1.85 volts... Do you think there's a change the CPU will burn out over time? I'm hoping it will last at least 9 or 10 months.

I've never had a CPU burn out. Then again, I've NEVER ran one that much over spec voltage either.. maybe 1 to 1.5 over.

183 x 13 gives me 2.38GHz and 366MHz FSB and Memory Bus. I can live with that until I get some PC4000 (250MHz).

Cheers!