800MHz FSB and Memory

[Tony Simopoulos]

Hi,

I'm about to purchase a new machine, and am contemplating the P4
800FSB 2.8 Intel chip. I'm a little bit confused as to the benefit I
will be getting from the 800MHz FSB.

I've been quoted an ASUS motherboard that can operate at the 800FSB
speed.

However, the max memory speed is 400MHz DDR. Its also been
recommended that i use dual channel DDR. Does the dual channel DDR
efffectively allow the memory to run at 800MHz? Secondly, if I used
plain 400MHz DDR would I effectively be slowing down my overall bus
speed to 400?

My application is as a web development and database workstation, i.e.
I don't need powerhouse graphics.

Thanks for the help,

Tony Simopoulos

 

[kony]

Hi,

I'm about to purchase a new machine, and am contemplating the P4
800FSB 2.8 Intel chip. I'm a little bit confused as to the benefit I
will be getting from the 800MHz FSB.

I've been quoted an ASUS motherboard that can operate at the 800FSB
speed.

However, the max memory speed is 400MHz DDR. Its also been
recommended that i use dual channel DDR. Does the dual channel DDR
efffectively allow the memory to run at 800MHz? Secondly, if I used
plain 400MHz DDR would I effectively be slowing down my overall bus
speed to 400?

My application is as a web development and database workstation, i.e.
I don't need powerhouse graphics.

Thanks for the help,

Tony Simopoulos

FSB clock rate is 200MHz, quad-rate, which is the "800MHz" figure you
mention. The memory is also at 200MHz, double-rate (hence "DDR"), which
is what you're calling "400MHz". Nobody uses DDR-MHz-rates for memory
though, generally it's mentioned as "PC(nnnn)", which in your case would
be PC3200.

You are not slowing anything down nor making any mistake, the proposed
parts are correct for your performance/needs.

 

[DaveW]

The FSB of the sysytem is 200 MHz.
The CPU runs INTERNALLY at 4x the FSB= 800 MHz
The DDR (Double Data Rate) RAM runs at double the FSB= 400MHz. If you run
this DDR in dual channel mode you will not increase the frequency speed
further but the memory data transfer rate bandwidth will double. So
effectively, Yes, the RAM will run faster.

The above is a highly recommended configuration for your new system.

 

[Trent©]

Hi,

I'm about to purchase a new machine, and am contemplating the P4
800FSB 2.8 Intel chip. I'm a little bit confused as to the benefit I
will be getting from the 800MHz FSB.

I've been quoted an ASUS motherboard that can operate at the 800FSB
speed.

However, the max memory speed is 400MHz DDR. Its also been
recommended that i use dual channel DDR. Does the dual channel DDR
efffectively allow the memory to run at 800MHz? Secondly, if I used
plain 400MHz DDR would I effectively be slowing down my overall bus
speed to 400?

My application is as a web development and database workstation, i.e.
I don't need powerhouse graphics.

Thanks for the help,

Tony Simopoulos

Besides the other excellent replies, Tony...

You need to get TWO memory modules in order to get the 800
performance. Each module needs to be installed in a different
channel...A & B. For example, if yer gonna get 1 gig total, get 2
512's.

Make sure you get the 2.8 with the 1 meg cache. And I'd suggest a
mainboard with 4 memory slots...for future expansion without having to
dump the then-current memory.

I've gotten fond of the Intel boards.

Good luck.


Have a nice week...

Trent©

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!

 

[Frank Kirk]

You need to get TWO memory modules in order to get the 800
performance. Each module needs to be installed in a different
channel...A & B. For example, if yer gonna get 1 gig total, get 2
512's.

Make sure you get the 2.8 with the 1 meg cache. And I'd suggest a
mainboard with 4 memory slots...for future expansion without having to
dump the then-current memory.

I've gotten fond of the Intel boards.

I recently purchased an Intel D865GBF mainboard, but can't get system to boot.
Would you happen to know if this board requires non-ECC memory? Many thanks.

Frank Kirk

 

[pen]

http://developer.intel.com/design/motherbd/bf/index.htm?iid=ipp_browse+motherbd_d865gbf&