800 FSB and memory config 1

[RIBEYZE]

I've recently bought a new computer:

AIC MICRO Barebone Configurator

CPU - P4 478 2.8E GHz 1MB Cache 800MHz FSB
Motherboard - ASUS P4P800-E Deluxe
PSU - 450W
Memory - Corsair VS512MB400 512MB PC3200 400MHZ DDR SDRAM (1 stick)
HDD - Seagate ST380023AS 80GB 7200RPM S-ATA 8MB
Video - ATI Radeon AIW 9800 Pro 128 (still waiting for delivery)
OS - Windows XP Pro (OEM)

Will I need another stick of 400MHz DDR RAM to achieve the 800MHz FSB?

Any other comments on this system or problems I can expect (avoid) would be greatly appreciated!

Ribeyze

 

[NADIAZIPPER]

Reguardless of how many sticks of memory you have, they will all run at 400MHZ. So 3 sticks of 400MHZ run at 400MHZ, not 1200MHZ. Its a long story but basicly there are multipliers built into the motherboard that allow different speeds to work together.

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ram.htm

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?SQID=775978&SPID=602&newpid=602&page=1

 

[paparazi]

RIBEYZE
It will run at the full 800fsb, no probs (Intel's are quad pumped)
Just that you won't get dual channel on your memory (requires a maching pair of modules) but then the performance gain in dual channel mode is only a couple of percent, certainly nothing you would notice.
Martin

Start by questioning and soon you will be anwering.
So please take but remember to return and give when you can.

 

[RIBEYZE]

Thanks for the replies. I realized that the memory would only run at 400MHz no matter how many sticks were installed, I was wondering if I needed to install a maching pair of modules in order for the frequency of the FSB to achieve the full 800MHz. The vid card should be delivered soon, I guess I'll figure it all out when I put it all together. Thanks again!

Ribeyze

 

[ceh4702]

The FSB and the Memory Bus Speed can be different. The 2 Memory Channels or the Dual DDR run at the same speed whether they have 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 sticks of DDR. However, there is an advantage to using Dual DDR, which requires matched pairs to take full advantage of. The memory increase from using the matched pairs is somewhat minimal. It ranges from 5%-15%. Another memory technology called PAT that Intel uses requires DDR400 and Dual DDR to take advantage of for about 1%-5% improvement. PAT is available on the Intel 875 series of chipsets but can be attained on some Intel 865 series of chipsets on some motherboards.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[RIBEYZE]

Beyond my original question dealing with the FSB speed, would it be beneficial to double the memory to 1GB anyway? I plan on using this system for mostly gaming and surfing.

-and-

As far as I can tell, the Intel 875P Chipset is the only chipset that takes advantage of the Intel PAT (Performance Acceleration Technology). How can it be attained by some Intel 865 series of chipsets on some motherboards?

 

[Strator]

would it be beneficial to double the memory to 1GB anyway?"
Yes it would, more RAM means less use of the pagefile on your harddrive (meaning that U even can make it smaller and gain some HD space).
You make advantages by installing Dual-DDR if you do lots of heavy cpu work, like videoediting/conversions.
BUT.. the very best tip on performance boost is to install a RAID0 configuration on your computer.
I know I've done it.
Theese days it's your harddrives which is the bottleneck in a PC system.

Good luck!!

/Strator

Abit IC7-MAX3
Intel 2.8GHz
1024MB Dual-DDR
2x Seagate 80GB SATA setup as RAID0

 

[cdogg]

Ribeyez,

1) As you've heard several times now, you will need to have two sticks of memory to achieve a dual-DDR configuration. It is best to use two identical memory modules. Remember that the FSB and Memory bus are still only going to run at 200MHz. However, both will be a 4x multiplier achieving the same bandwidth as an 800MHz bus would.

In the scheme of things, speed is more important than bandwidth. This is because most of the time, your system is only going to send small chunks of data along the bus. Therefore, the extra bandwidth that Dual-DDR and Intel's "quad-pumped" technology provide is only going to help a small percentage of the time. If the speed was really 800MHz, we wouldn't be having this conversation as benchmarks and overall performance would be off the charts! However, due to the limitations of heat and length, such stable speeds are not currently possible on motherboards available today.

2) Since you are going with a newer NT OS (WinXP Pro), then yes the more memory the better. After you exceed 512MB, the gain is minimal depending on the type of apps/games you run. However in some cases, you will see a noticeable difference in response time. Definitely go for the extra 512MB if it's within your budget. Everything Strator mentioned also applies.

~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[RIBEYZE]

Thanks for all the great replies. I installed XP Pro last night an am amazed at how fast the new box is compared to my old P2 400/WIN98SE. Maybe when the amazement wears off in a few months I'll get that second stick of RAM and consider another HDD.

Ribeyze