Indeed I've forgotten much about RAM speeds and so on... to top it off I've never used DDR2 before. Now I'm building an AM2 system for a friend and I don't know what speed of DDR2 would be needed.
So I guess I'm basically asking what DDR2 speed is what divider? Also what are good memory timings for DDR2 and what are the standard?
Need help on choosing DDR2 RAM
Moderator: General Mods
AM2 is designed for DDR2-800 (PC2-6400), although if you have a processor that uses an odd multiplier the actual memory clock will end up slightly lower. The platform is also compatible with DDR2-667 (PC2-5300/5400) and DDR2-533 (PC2-4200/4300), although you'll get lower performance with those slower grades of RAM.
For those who don't know what the multiplier is...
The CPU multiplier is part of what determines the final clock frequency of the processor. Host clock X multiplier = clock speed. In the case of AM2 processors, the host clock is 200. The multiplier is then the clock speed in MHz divided by 200. e.g. Athlon 64 X2 3800+ @ 2.0GHz has a multiplier of 10.
For those who don't know what the multiplier is...
The CPU multiplier is part of what determines the final clock frequency of the processor. Host clock X multiplier = clock speed. In the case of AM2 processors, the host clock is 200. The multiplier is then the clock speed in MHz divided by 200. e.g. Athlon 64 X2 3800+ @ 2.0GHz has a multiplier of 10.
I wouldn't worry, most places don't list DDR2-800 as a supported speed on the 4200+ - the controller is officially a PC2-5300.
Using faster memory isn't going to hurt anything, its that the memory won't be running anywhere near 800mhz unless you set it asynchronously.
Memory timings are a tad more important than memory freq - the lower ,the better, the more expensive. I've had no issues with memory from OCZ.
Over-clocking A64 is a bit complicated than simply upping a multiplier, however.
Using faster memory isn't going to hurt anything, its that the memory won't be running anywhere near 800mhz unless you set it asynchronously.
Memory timings are a tad more important than memory freq - the lower ,the better, the more expensive. I've had no issues with memory from OCZ.
Over-clocking A64 is a bit complicated than simply upping a multiplier, however.
Does [Kevin] Smith masturbate with steel wool too?
- Yes, but don’t change the subject.
- Yes, but don’t change the subject.
Yes my own computer is an AMD64 but everything I've dealt with up to this point has been in DDR1 speeds. With that said my BIOS isn't exactly the clearest thing in the universe. At DDR400 it has a 10 times divider, at 333 12, at 266 12 again and at 200 14. I don't know if that's how it would specifically for this processor or is always like that.funkyass wrote:I wouldn't worry, most places don't list DDR2-800 as a supported speed on the 4200+ - the controller is officially a PC2-5300.
Using faster memory isn't going to hurt anything, its that the memory won't be running anywhere near 800mhz unless you set it asynchronously.
Memory timings are a tad more important than memory freq - the lower ,the better, the more expensive. I've had no issues with memory from OCZ.
Over-clocking A64 is a bit complicated than simply upping a multiplier, however.
What I'm saying is that I'm unsure what speeds are what divider or how it works completely. That's why I asked what DDR2 speeds are what divider, for a clear explanation if possible of what speed of RAM would be needed to properly run and over clock an X2 4200+.
you can safely ignore them.
The speed the memory operates at is independent of what the FSB is.
you an have your FSB(the speed at which the CPU talks to the rest of the system) at 200, and your Memory running 166. the dividers are just how the system deals with the difference.
read this before attempting to overclock.
The speed the memory operates at is independent of what the FSB is.
you an have your FSB(the speed at which the CPU talks to the rest of the system) at 200, and your Memory running 166. the dividers are just how the system deals with the difference.
read this before attempting to overclock.
Does [Kevin] Smith masturbate with steel wool too?
- Yes, but don’t change the subject.
- Yes, but don’t change the subject.
According to AMD, it's PC2-6400. Also, I've put together two systems with the AM2 X2 4200+ and they quite readily will run memory properly at that speed.funkyass wrote:I wouldn't worry, most places don't list DDR2-800 as a supported speed on the 4200+ - the controller is officially a PC2-5300.
-
casualsax3
- Veteran
- Posts: 743
- Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2004 4:38 pm