Machination Level 2: A Work Log *56K Safe*

[gvblake22]

Overclocking and tweaking takes time...
Just keep picking away at it and eventually you will find a good speed/setting you are happy with :)

[fps justin]

though i'm sure it isn't my RAM. My ram is good. and its already got a very high 3.0 DRAM voltage.

[fps justin]

so whats up with changing the ram settings. y do it? whats it good for. i keep all of mine on auto.

[gvblake22]

Originally Posted by fps justin

so wahts up with changing hte ram settings. y do it? whats it good for. i keep all of mine on auto.

When you start changing the speed (fsb) the speed of the RAM changes. And if you keep a 1:1 CPU:RAM divider your RAM gets faster (overclocked) and depending on what IC chips are on your RAM sticks will depend on what speeds they can run and at what voltages and timings. And certain chips run better with certain speed/timing/voltage combinations and those combinations need to be actively changed as the speed changes in order to maintain stability and overclocking headroom.

[Tyreal]

if your curious on what types of chips are out there:

Information on memory ICs

an extremely comprehensive guide on just about all the chips out there.

[gvblake22]

Originally Posted by Tyreal

if your curious on what types of chips are out there:

Information on memory ICs

an extremely comprehensive guide on just about all the chips out there.

Yes, that's a great resource indeed! :D

[fps justin]

well my ram is OCZ Gold VX EL PC3200 1GB 2X512MB DDR400 CL-2-3-3-8 184PIN DIMM Dual Channel Memory Kit. Could you tell me what 2-3-3-8 means?

[Tyreal]

those are the timings.

[gvblake22]

The "2" is CAS latency
The "3"'s are tRCD and tRP
The "8" is tRAS

Those are the most basic 4 RAM timings. There are also many more (including CMD or Command Rate. Which is either 1T or 2T).

Usually, the lower the number (tighter the timings) the better performance.

In your case, 2-3-3-8 are the stock timings for your RAM (seen here...)at 200mhz (DDR400) speed and the stock 2.6v.
But the selling point for that RAM that you have is the fact that it can handle really high voltages (up to 3.2v).

Originally Posted by OCZ Technology

OCZ Gold Series EL PC-3200 with Voltage eXtreme technology is a revolutionary line of memory designed to pursue a new level of DDR performance. The PC-3200 Gold VX is made to operate above the traditional memory voltage to increase speed and stability to ultimately allow the memory to thrive under high voltage. Memory performance increases with voltage, but unfortunately with many traditional modules this can significantly reduce stability and increase the potential for module damage. Unlike typical memory, VX DDR performs best at an above average voltage, and better and better as voltage is increased, all without any adverse affects to stability. At 3.2 volts, the PC-3200 Gold VX is capable of blistering timings of 2-2-2!

So if you can give your RAM 3.2v, you can lower the timings to 2-2-2-8 and get even better performance. These particular modules won't hit amazing speeds, but they are more engineered to run moderate speeds with really low latency.

More info on OCZ's webiste:
http://www.ocztechnology.com/product...hannel_gold_vx

[fps justin]

yeah. I run my ram at 3.0v. Its got a 92mm panaflo on top of it blowing down so i dont think its gonna burn up too fast.