Memory does WHAT?????

[GreatYogota]

Hey guys, I have built a couple of systems in the past, but I have been out of the loop for a while. I want to overclock a P4 1.6A (Like everone I guess???) But I am totally lost on all the types of memory out there, and I am not even going to talk about the prices... I have looked through the boards all day and still have not found a clear explination....
I alway thought that RAMBUS was better than DDR...Which one offers better performance with a P4 1.6A?
Which one is more likely to let me overclock my chip..?
And finally...what KIND of memory (brands, speeds, ddr2700, pc800???) should I get....
Please guys, any feed back or options would help, not only me but a lot of people out there...
Thanxs a lot....:|
MB

 

[AndyHui]

RDRAM provides the best performance on the Pentium 4, but usually DDR SDRAM can overclock further.

 

[GreatYogota]

But how does of a diffrence does that make?

 

[dullard]

<< But how does of a diffrence does that make? >>



Look here for some benchmark examples. The RDRAM P4 overclocked to 2600 MHz (video card wouldn't let it go higher - otherwise he would have clocked higher). The DDR P4 overclocked to 3000 MHz.

Quick summary
Quake 3: 2600 RDRAM outperforms 3000 DDR by about 8%
3DMark 2000: tied
3DMark 2001: RDRAM wins by .5%
Lame MP3: RDRAM wins by 14%
Flask MPEG and divx: RDRAM wins by 2%
There are more, but that site is a bit laggy, check it out yourself.

There are some people that disagree with the way the DDR was overclocked in that example, however I've yet to see any other site with many benchmarks that put DDR ahead. This is true even if the DDR P4 overclocked higher.

 

[GreatYogota]

Dullard..Thanks a lot for the info...
I am looking to over clock a P4 1.6A...
I am not wanting to set speed records here...so If I DO go with RDRAM and get a board with the right timing chips and good quailty memory, I should be ok...?
What kinds of speeds can I expect..?

 

[dullard]

I don't overclock myself, but I do try to watch what improvements that others get. Everyone I've seen can get at least a 30% overclock with that chip - I think 40% is common. I'm sure there is someone out there that didn't do as well, but you should expect at least 30%.

Since I don't overclock, I cannot help you with the best boards/memory. Good luck.

 

[ShadowWolf]

I'm just going to inform you that DRD is not all that great.

Granted, it tends to perform better on the P4, but what's missing is the raw & real performance during the time.

DRD suffers from a lot of latency in between transfers that niether SDR or DDR have. This may seem to mean nothing, but it causes things like memory buffer underruns/overruns which cause windows to freeze up for a while & slow down loading times often. They also are sometimes detrimental to the system itself.

Besides, AMD's chipset is far better ( and cheaper! ) than Intel's

The Athlon 1.33Gz outperforms the P4 1.7 in most every test.

Also realize those tests aren't necessarily accurate as per RAM.

P4 is designed from the ground up to use DRD, NOT DDR.

 

[GreatYogota]

Thanks for the info Shadow..But I think I want to stay with an intel system....Just worried about useing Rambus Memory

 

[SexyK]

Rambus is faster, and you should be able to hit 533MHz FSB (PC1066 memory) with a Abit TH7-II (my board) or a Asus P4T-E (if it has the right clock gen chip). Just be sure to get single sided Samsund RDRAM RIMMS and you should be okay. Otherwise, you can always clock back to PC800 speeds and have a 2.133GHz system. RDRAM is faster, just cut through all the negative publicity and you'll be a happy camper.

Kramer

ps- this all changes if you already have a ton of high quality DDR sitting around, then obviously save the cash and just get a i845-D board.

 

[GreatYogota]

Thanks SexyK...
So if I can clock a 1.6A to 533 FSB, what clock speed should that give me..
I know you have th abit board...do you like it or would you go with the Asus board...? And where, or how do I make sure that I have a board with the right timing chips?
Thanks for all the help guys!!!!!!!

 

[ElFenix]

1.6A on a 133MHz FSB is running just over 2.1GHz. if you don't want to have any problems with getting the right clock generator just get the abit.

 

[GreatYogota]

Is 2.1 at a FSB of 133mhz as far as you can go with that chip? Has anyone gotten there machine to go faster?

 

[Nate420]

2.1 is probably right at or slightly below average for the 1.6A. Many....many people, including myself, reach 2.2 with no voltage increase and stock cooling totaly stable. I've seen lots of people hitting 2.4 with no problems. I ran mine at 2.4, but it wasn't completely stable at default voltage and I don't want to raise it, so I backed down to 2.25. I'm pretty happy with a 625Mhz overclock

Even though the vast majority of 1.6A overclockers have great success, nothing is guaranteed.

 

[GreatYogota]

I am getting the feeling that a lot of people are wondering about what type of memory to use DDR or Rambus. Check this article out and let me know what you think
link
Has any one out there gotten a 1.6A up to 2.4 with Rambus?

 

[adamone11]

See... I'm still confused with all this. I think I can stick with DDR, because prices are a little more sane in general, but it's kinda a paradox:

1) Go with the 1.6a to save money, use it to buy better RAM.
2) Go with the 1.8a and spend a little more, but the RAM is basically not even overclocked (133)
3) Go with RDRAM and bust chops with even a small overclock

Right?

 

[GreatYogota]

See, from what I can tell, RDRAM Is just the same, or even cheaper right now than the good ddr stuff...That is why I am thinking of using it. I wonder how many people out there just choose DDR because they thought RDRAM was just way to expensive? I mean from what I am seeing , if theh cost the same go with the better preformer and that seems to be RDRAM. But will that be what holds me back over clocking...I have read a lot of people getting 2.4Ghz ot of a 1.6A with DDR. Why can't we do that with Rambus?