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Ram Speeds and nforce2 mobo



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 19th 03, 01:10 PM
Chris-John Turner
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Default Ram Speeds and nforce2 mobo

Hi all,

I have decide to increase the amount of ram in my system from 512mb to
1024mb. I thought I would also change the memory type. My current system
is:

AMD Xp2500+ @ 2.3ghz (XP3200+)
2x256mb TwinMos (Winbond) pc3200 DDR
Epox 8rda+ (rev 1.1)

Fsb is 200x11 rock solid.

I've noticed that my mobo is resticted upto pc3200 DDR - are there any
mobo's that support higher - or - can I use above pc3200 ddr in my current
system?

Can anyone recommend decent DDR ram?

I've looked at buying Corsair XMS pc3700 2x512.

Cheers and tia

Chris




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  #2  
Old October 19th 03, 04:53 PM
Skid
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Posts: n/a
Default


"Chris-John Turner" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I have decide to increase the amount of ram in my system from 512mb to
1024mb. I thought I would also change the memory type. My current system
is:

AMD Xp2500+ @ 2.3ghz (XP3200+)
2x256mb TwinMos (Winbond) pc3200 DDR
Epox 8rda+ (rev 1.1)

Fsb is 200x11 rock solid.

I've noticed that my mobo is resticted upto pc3200 DDR - are there any
mobo's that support higher - or - can I use above pc3200 ddr in my current
system?

Can anyone recommend decent DDR ram?

I've looked at buying Corsair XMS pc3700 2x512.

Cheers and tia

Chris


Your mobo is not "restricted." There is no official standard or
certification procedure for anything faster than PC3200, and most
PC3500-3700 uses the same modules, overclocked by the manufacturer.

Not that many NForce 2 boards can run an fsb high enough to use PC3700,
which would be 233 mhz.

I can't speak from experience, but early revisions of the Epox 8rda+
reportedly had problems with higher bus speeds.

Have you tried raising the fsb with the ram you have now? A lot of PC3200 is
good up to 210 or so, and some can hit 220 or better.

There are lots of reviews of your TwinMos he
http://www.amdboard.com/ddr400.html and some people have been able to
overclock it reasonably well.

Why not experiment? Lower the multiplier to 10x to make sure the cpu isn't
the limiting factor in your overclock. Then raise the fsb by a few mhz at a
time, testing in between with MemTest86 and Prime95 (freeware you can find
with a simple search.)

If you can get to 210, raise the multiplier to 10.5. The cpu will be running
a little faster than before, the ram noticeably faster.

If you can get to 220x10, the cpu will be the same as before, the ram a good
bit faster.

Timings are extremely important on NF2 boards. Sometimes, but not always, it
is better to run a lower fsb with tighter timings (200 at CAS 2) than a
higher fsb with looser timings (210 at CAS 2.5.) Benchmarks like Sandra Max
can tell you what works best in your system.

If you are happy with the ram you have, it would be cheaper to add more of
the same.

If you do decide to swap, see if you can find a shop that will let you test
it in your system and return it if it doesn't work at its rated speed. No
sense paying extra for PC3700 you can't run it faster than 200 mhz.


  #3  
Old October 19th 03, 05:15 PM
nightic
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Posts: n/a
Default


"Chris-John Turner" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I have decide to increase the amount of ram in my system from 512mb to
1024mb. I thought I would also change the memory type. My current system
is:

AMD Xp2500+ @ 2.3ghz (XP3200+)
2x256mb TwinMos (Winbond) pc3200 DDR
Epox 8rda+ (rev 1.1)

Fsb is 200x11 rock solid.

I've noticed that my mobo is resticted upto pc3200 DDR - are there any
mobo's that support higher - or - can I use above pc3200 ddr in my current
system?

Can anyone recommend decent DDR ram?

I've looked at buying Corsair XMS pc3700 2x512.



Don't bother with the Corsair PC3700 - it's hopeless on NForce 2 platforms
having been designed primarily for P4-based systems (faster timings
sacrificed for higher all-out MHz - and not even posting at faster timings
at just 200MHz).

I highly recommend OCZ Platinum PC3200 - in 1GB kit guise (2 x 512MB sticks)
this runs faster than anything else I've tried (220MHz at 2-2-3-5 timings at
default 2.6v, completely Prime95 stable on an Abit NF7-S v.2 w/ XP2500+).
Mushkin PC3500 Level II is also exceptional but typically more expensive.

One other note; when reading reviews be aware that it is usually 256MB
sticks that are tested (it's no coincidence that the RAM manufacturers
invariably send modules of this size out) - these generally allow for higher
attainable maximum speeds and hence are rarely indicative of performance for
512Mb sticks of the same type.

Having said all that, your problem may well be your board or CPU as I've had
multiple 256MB sticks of the Twinmos Winbond (CH5) PC3200 RAM up to 217Mhz
(2-2-3-5, 2.6v) on an Asus A7N8X-D rev.2 (217 being where IMO the board
reached it's limit).


  #4  
Old October 19th 03, 06:16 PM
Skid
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Posts: n/a
Default


"nightic" wrote in message
...
I highly recommend OCZ Platinum PC3200 - in 1GB kit guise (2 x 512MB

sticks)
this runs faster than anything else I've tried (220MHz at 2-2-3-5 timings

at
default 2.6v, completely Prime95 stable on an Abit NF7-S v.2 w/ XP2500+).
Mushkin PC3500 Level II is also exceptional but typically more expensive.


I found a low-cost alternative I'm very happy with. The Buffalo Technology
PC3700 uses the same Winbond BH-5 modules as the Mushkin PC3500 Level II
Black. NewEgg used to sell the 512-meg sticks for $99, but now they only
offer the 256-meg sticks for $55. (I just ordered two more of the latter.)

On my Abit IC7, an Intel 875 chipset, these run 2,3,2,6 at 220 mhz, which
allows me to OC my P4C 2.4g to 3.3g at 5:4. The ram will go higher with more
relaxed timings, but I'm happy with the stability and speed I have now.


  #5  
Old October 19th 03, 06:23 PM
nightic
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Skid" wrote in message
news:3Gzkb.829544$uu5.145953@sccrnsc04...

"nightic" wrote in message
...
I highly recommend OCZ Platinum PC3200 - in 1GB kit guise (2 x 512MB

sticks)
this runs faster than anything else I've tried (220MHz at 2-2-3-5

timings
at
default 2.6v, completely Prime95 stable on an Abit NF7-S v.2 w/

XP2500+).
Mushkin PC3500 Level II is also exceptional but typically more

expensive.

I found a low-cost alternative I'm very happy with. The Buffalo Technology
PC3700 uses the same Winbond BH-5 modules as the Mushkin PC3500 Level II
Black. NewEgg used to sell the 512-meg sticks for $99, but now they only
offer the 256-meg sticks for $55. (I just ordered two more of the latter.)

On my Abit IC7, an Intel 875 chipset, these run 2,3,2,6 at 220 mhz, which
allows me to OC my P4C 2.4g to 3.3g at 5:4. The ram will go higher with

more
relaxed timings, but I'm happy with the stability and speed I have now.



Aye, that Buffalo stuff's a bit of a dark horse, for the money it's gotta be
worth a try.


  #6  
Old October 19th 03, 07:22 PM
Skid
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Posts: n/a
Default


"nightic" wrote in message
...
Aye, that Buffalo stuff's a bit of a dark horse, for the money it's gotta

be
worth a try.


That's what I thought when I heard about it, and it definitely WAS worth a
try. It has all the characteristics of BH-5, tight timings at low fsb and
the ability to OC reasonably well with relaxed timings.

In that respect, it was a better choice for what I wanted to do, OC a P4
2.4, than the more expensive stuff.

PC4000 is CAS 2.5-3 and most can barely top 260 mhz at 1:1. At 5:4 it's a
waste because you can't run tighter timings and you'll never get any current
Intel system stable at an fsb of 312+. (It's also a waste on an AMD system,
IMHO, because few of them will run at 250+ fsb.)

The Buffalo Tech, though it uses 5 ns modules only certified for 200 mhz,
can hit 220 or better at CAS 2, making it perfect for overclocking at a 5:4
cpu/ram ratio.

With my cpu at 275 and the ram at 220, I get benchmarks better than any
stock 3.2 and memory scores higher than most high-latency PC4000 at 250 mhz.


  #7  
Old October 20th 03, 09:54 AM
David Schumann
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Posts: n/a
Default

try the GA-7N400 PRO 2 love this board
and i taked DDR 400 dual channel
nFORCE 2 chipset


 




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