OCing (DDR) -- tight timings or high spec speed?

A

andrew.gullans

In June, I'll be taking advantage of AM2's release to put together a
939 system for fire sale prices. It looks like I'll be running an Opty
at multi 8 x 333 HTT on a ULi-powered ASrock dual eSATA mobo. Now,
about the RAM, I'm torn between two choices:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231032
DDR400 2-3-2-5 with a 3:4 divider running at DDR500 speeds? How loose
will the timings get?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231021
DDR500 3-4-3-8 with a 1:1 divider running at DDR666 speeds (is this
even possible)?


Google digs up some interesting articles about the timing/speed
tradeoffs:
http://www.google.com/search?client...al_s&hl=en&q=tight+timings&btnG=Google+Search
 
M

Mike T.

In June, I'll be taking advantage of AM2's release to put together a
939 system for fire sale prices. It looks like I'll be running an Opty
at multi 8 x 333 HTT on a ULi-powered ASrock dual eSATA mobo. Now,
about the RAM, I'm torn between two choices:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231032
DDR400 2-3-2-5 with a 3:4 divider running at DDR500 speeds? How loose
will the timings get?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231021
DDR500 3-4-3-8 with a 1:1 divider running at DDR666 speeds (is this
even possible)?


Google digs up some interesting articles about the timing/speed
tradeoffs:
http://www.google.com/search?client...al_s&hl=en&q=tight+timings&btnG=Google+Search
Click to expand...

You'd be better off going with the lower latency DDR500 RAM, as your RAM is
going to be running asynchronous anyway. That is, the clock speed won't
keep up with the processor (but won't slow it down), but the lower latency
will help RAM performance itself. -Dave
 
A

andrew.gullans

[:] "'You'd be better off going with the lower latency DDR500 RAM`"
[:]
You mean "the lower latency DDR400 RAM," I presume.^^^^

Don't forget that my plan is to either run DDR400 asynchronously or
DDR500 SYNCHed with the HTT (1=1).

Reports indicate that the ASRock mobo I want is rock-stable UP TO 275
MHZ FSB, but apparently there are long-term stability issues pushing
past that (333, 400). So, I may just decide to run the RAM synched
w/HTT @ 250 or 275, yielding DDR 500 or DDR 550 speeds synched.

BTW, anyone know where I could instead pick up an Abit UL8 PRO (w/PCIe)
or EpOX EP-9U1697-J? THOSE boards are ULi m1697 powered and can crank
all the way to 400 HTT without problems.
 
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