Off Topic - But you guys are so knowledgable (Grovel!) I'm confused about memory timings.....

I have an ABIT AB9 Pro (WiFi) m/b with: Intel C2D E6600 cpu 2Gb ( 2 x 1Gb) Crucial Ballistix DDR2 (pc2 6400) 800mhz ram Asus GeForce 8800GTS 320mb DDR3 GFX card What are the best settings to get the best speed from this set-up? (mainly used for gaming, so speed and frame rates are important) I have built many pcs for myself and friends, and have overclocked all of my own pcs, and I've not blown one up yet, but, I always get confused by the memory settings, especially the bit where the memory speed is doubled (DDR2) and is a ratio of the cpu speed? In my current set-up I use a dram setting of 533 which gives me dram clock speed of 400 (800 ddr) but where does the 533 come from? or what is it a reading of or related to?And why in the Crucial memory spec (above) are there two different speeds (6400 and 800)? where does the 6400 fit in? I've got my current pc up to 3200mhz with the current settings (default speed is 9 x 272 = 2400mhz) easily and it whizzes along nicely, but I'm sure I'm not getting the best memory settings, and hence could get more speed.... These are the current settings in my ABIT m/b bios.... ======================== Screen = OC Guru: External clock = 400mhz (options = various) Multiplier = 8 (options = various) CPU speed = (400 x 8) = 3200mhz NB strap cpu as = psb1066 (options =by cpu, psb1066, psb533, psb800) DRAM spec (cpu:dram) = 533 (options = by spd, ddr2 533, ddr2 667, ddr2 800) Est new dram clock = 400mhz (ddr2 � 800) PCI Express clock = 100mhz CPU core Voltages = 1.3250v (options = various >1.3250v) DDR2 voltage = 2.00v Screen = advanced bios features: CPU feature: - Thermal control = enabled (options = enable or disable) Limit CPUID maxval = disabled = (for WINXP) CIE function = disabled = (options = auto or disabled) Execute disable bit = enabled (options = enabled or disabled Virtualisation technology = disabled (options = enabled or disabled) E1ST function = disabled (options = enable or disable) Screen = advanced chipset features: Dram timing = by spd (options = by spd or manual) Cas Latency (tcl) = auto (options = auto or 3 to 6) Ras# to Cas delay (tRCD) = auto (options = auto or 1 to 15) RAS# precharge (tRP) = auto (options = auto or 1 to 15) Precharge delay (tRAS = auto (options = auto or 1 to 31) Command rate = auto (options = auto or 2T or 1T) Refresh cycle time (tRFC) = auto (options = auto or 1 to 63) ========================== What memory timings should I use in the advanced chipset bios screen? and what memory settings should I use in the OC Guru screen. Any info / explanations gratefully received, thanx... 8-)

The memory bus speed is supposed to independent of the CPU or front end bus speed on a motheboard. Depending on your memory, althouh reports a default set of timing paramters for cas, ras, ... in the form 5 5 5 15, some memories can be sped up if you increase the dram voltage from 1.8 volts to 2.0 volts or so (selectable in the bios). On my motherboard, the DDR2 memory is 667hz, with timing at 4-4-4-10 at 2.0 volts. For DDR2 the common clock speeds are 533mhz, 667mhz, and 800mhz. There's no standard for how fast the cas - ras timings can be, or the required voltage. You need to confirm your memories are designe to operate faster at a higher voltage.

Be very, very careful pushig that Ballistix RAM. I've had more Ballistix failures than any other type of RAM. In my previous machine, I went through three sets before I finally told Crucial to forget it, and send me standard modules, which have worked fine every since. Here's the thing... I wasn't even overclocking! As soon as I would put the machine into a strenuous operation, such as ripping CD's or DVD's, the RAM would fail. Permanently. It's been a couple of years but you can search on hardocp.com forums for the issues a lot of us had with this RAM. Just be careful. If you go too far, it may not be as simple to fix as bringing the overclock back down. -Larry "pjgtech" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ftYqk.299739$[email hidden]...

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>I have an ABIT AB9 Pro (WiFi) m/b with: > Intel C2D E6600 cpu > 2Gb ( 2 x 1Gb) Crucial Ballistix DDR2 (pc2 6400) 800mhz ram > Asus GeForce 8800GTS 320mb DDR3 GFX card > > What are the best settings to get the best speed from this set-up? (mainly > used for gaming, so speed and frame rates are important) > > I have built many pcs for myself and friends, and have overclocked all of > my own pcs, and I've not blown one up yet, but, I always get confused by > the memory settings, especially the bit where the memory speed is doubled > (DDR2) and is a ratio of the cpu speed? > > In my current set-up I use a dram setting of 533 which gives me dram clock > speed of 400 (800 ddr) but where does the 533 come from? or what is it a > reading of or related to?And why in the Crucial memory spec (above) are > there two different speeds (6400 and 800)? where does the 6400 fit in? > > I've got my current pc up to 3200mhz with the current settings (default > speed is 9 x 272 = 2400mhz) easily and it whizzes along nicely, but I'm > sure I'm not getting the best memory settings, and hence could get more > speed.... > > These are the current settings in my ABIT m/b bios.... > ======================== > Screen = OC Guru: > > External clock = 400mhz (options = various) > Multiplier = 8 (options = various) > CPU speed = (400 x 8) = 3200mhz > NB strap cpu as = psb1066 (options =by cpu, psb1066, psb533, psb800) > DRAM spec (cpu:dram) = 533 (options = by spd, ddr2 533, ddr2 667, ddr2 > 800) > Est new dram clock = 400mhz (ddr2 � 800) > PCI Express clock = 100mhz > CPU core Voltages = 1.3250v (options = various >1.3250v) > DDR2 voltage = 2.00v > > Screen = advanced bios features: > > CPU feature: - > Thermal control = enabled (options = enable or disable) > Limit CPUID maxval = disabled = (for WINXP) > CIE function = disabled = (options = auto or disabled) > Execute disable bit = enabled (options = enabled or disabled > Virtualisation technology = disabled (options = enabled or disabled) > E1ST function = disabled (options = enable or disable) > > Screen = advanced chipset features: > > Dram timing = by spd (options = by spd or manual) > Cas Latency (tcl) = auto (options = auto or 3 to 6) > Ras# to Cas delay (tRCD) = auto (options = auto or 1 to 15) > RAS# precharge (tRP) = auto (options = auto or 1 to 15) > Precharge delay (tRAS = auto (options = auto or 1 to 31) > Command rate = auto (options = auto or 2T or 1T) > Refresh cycle time (tRFC) = auto (options = auto or 1 to 63) > ========================== > > What memory timings should I use in the advanced chipset bios screen? > and what memory settings should I use in the OC Guru screen. > > Any info / explanations gratefully received, thanx... > > 8-)

Kingston HyperX memories. DDR2 at 675mhz (good enough for 667mhz): http://www.kingston.com/hyperx/products/khx_ddr2.asp#675d Fastest memories on this list appear to be the 800mhz 3-3-3-10 memories, at 2.30 to 2.35 volts. Although they list memories faster than 800mhz, I'm not aware of PC motherboards that support this, just components like video cards. I seem to remember some card that start off with 2, 2-x-x-x and these would be faster still.