how to determine ram timing and size

[billyc]

I've personally never used Geil. I have used G.Skill, however, and will not be using anything else from now on.

Plus, Newegg is having a sale on G.Skill 2x2Gb kit, for $120, and it has a $40 MIR.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

This will be the kit I'm buying whenever I get my next paycheck.

Today, 11/26 is last day for MIR.

 

[jedimasterben]

Today, 11/26 is last day for MIR.

Nooo!!!!! I don't get paid for another 4 days!!!

 

[monste4321]

actually the ram for me from ocz 2x2 would only be 95
and i meant 2x2 for the above post

 

[The_OGS]

My OCZ PC2-6400 (Platinum Rev.2) quit on me. The 2 x 1GB kit cost big $$ when purchased ~15 months ago.
The OCZ 'honeycomb' heat-spreaders are terrible, and they warp & curl, pulling away from the memchips. They are like tinfoil.
OCZ was very difficult with me regarding lifetime warranty, and making claim as hard as possible.
I will buy Corsair from now on! Only Corsair - the price is good, and you can't go wrong.
Good heat-spreaders too (metal).

(edit)
@ jedimasterben
Those are the strangest DDR2 timings I've ever seen! I would love to see a CPU-Z screenshot of your SPD.
I just read a review (on Neoseeker). They said:

About the only negative aspect of these modules was the need to boost the memory voltage to at least 2.2V in order to have them run stable at their rated 800MHz 4-4-3-5 timing. Mind you, this could just as easily be explained if the motherboard was not supplying as much voltage to the modules as is configured in the BIOS; and in reality, there was no significant difference in speed between 4-4-3-5 and 4-4-4-12.

http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/gskill_pc6400/

They noted that an AMD memory controller would go crazy for those very low timings! But that Core2 was not hugely impressed (there's that large shared cache again).
GSkill is good too. But I'm down on OCZ,
L8R

 

[monste4321]

aww but ocz is so inexpensive, and im going for a computer with some looks here, and gskill ram always is in weird colors, ill check out corsair, but they dont have anything for 2x2 that i can find

 

[monste4321]

anyone know if brands patriot, geil, or muskin are reliable, and if you can lower the timeings at all on them safely

 

[jedimasterben]

http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=273862

 

[monste4321]

quick question should you always set cpu bus speeds to your dram frequency setting, even if it means that youll have to change the multiplier on your cpu and making it higher mhz and doesnt higher mhz lower mulitplier make a cpu run hotter?

 

[jedimasterben]

You don't have to set them on a 1:1 ratio. This is usually the most compatible with higher overclocks, but if you have really amazing, expensive RAM that runs at like DDR2-1200 or something, then it would be good to not have the 1:1.

About the multiplier, no it does mean that your CPU will run hotter. The heat output of a CPU is determined by the clock frequency and the amount of voltage applied to it.

So if you had a Core 2 with a FSB of 500, and voltage of 1.6v, lowering the multiplier would result in a lower heat output.


If you were referring to my CPU's multiplier, it had SpeedStep enabled, so it lowers the multiplier to it's lowest value to save energy and produce less heat. (2700MHz is still a lot more than 1860MHz, though haha)

 

[jedimasterben]

My OCZ PC2-6400 (Platinum Rev.2) quit on me. The 2 x 1GB kit cost big $$ when purchased ~15 months ago.
The OCZ 'honeycomb' heat-spreaders are terrible, and they warp & curl, pulling away from the memchips. They are like tinfoil.
OCZ was very difficult with me regarding lifetime warranty, and making claim as hard as possible.
I will buy Corsair from now on! Only Corsair - the price is good, and you can't go wrong.
Good heat-spreaders too (metal).

(edit)
@ jedimasterben
Those are the strangest DDR2 timings I've ever seen! I would love to see a CPU-Z screenshot of your SPD.
I just read a review (on Neoseeker). They said:

About the only negative aspect of these modules was the need to boost the memory voltage to at least 2.2V in order to have them run stable at their rated 800MHz 4-4-3-5 timing. Mind you, this could just as easily be explained if the motherboard was not supplying as much voltage to the modules as is configured in the BIOS; and in reality, there was no significant difference in speed between 4-4-3-5 and 4-4-4-12.

http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/gskill_pc6400/

They noted that an AMD memory controller would go crazy for those very low timings! But that Core2 was not hugely impressed (there's that large shared cache again).
GSkill is good too. But I'm down on OCZ,
L8R

Actually, I've run them at 1.8v with 4-4-3-5 and they passed Memtest, when they're rated at 2.1v. G.Skill really got it right with these modules!! Now if only they could apply the same ingenuity to DDR3! Just think of what DDR31800 at 4-4-3-5 would do!!!!

 

[The_OGS]

Yes - nice memchips.
It is that unique SPD ext. EPP I wanted to see in CPU-Z, very unusual
And of course SpeedStep still works with even the gnarlyest OC (providing the fullspeed voltage is high enough)...
Yours shows as 1.424v (throttled). Ack! What is the fullspeed voltage!?
L8R

 

[jedimasterben]

Yes - nice memchips.
It is that unique SPD ext. EPP I wanted to see in CPU-Z, very unusual
And of course SpeedStep still works with even the gnarlyest OC (providing the fullspeed voltage is high enough)...
Yours shows as 1.424v (throttled). Ack! What is the fullspeed voltage!?
L8R

I can't remember off hand (I'm not on my computer) but the fullspeed voltage is like 1.375 thanks to the voltage droop

I can't get a pencil mod to work, and I don't have a sharp enough soldering iron to do a permanent job.

For some reason, C1E doesn't work for me. Even at stock everything, it never lowers the voltage at all. *shrugs*

It's odd, but I've never heard my CPU fan spin up other than when running Orthos. I have a Thermaltake MaxOrb, and it always stays a constant RPM. (I'm not complaining, because full speed is REALLY loud)
I guess at however fast it is going is enough to keep it plenty cool enough. That big fan on it, in conjuction with the 250mm I have on the side of my case (the Enermax Chakra), must really be doing their jobs!