RAM Timings

[Nothgrin]

I am currently running 4-4-4 DDR2-533 RAM and I just purchased 5-5-5 DDR2-667 RAM.

The 5-5-5 timing is for 667 speed. Would the timing be any lower when im running it at 533?

[sneekypeet]

sometimes in cpu-z under the memory tab , it will show timings for the lower speeds, sometimes not but a good place to start!

[Kursah]

you'd have to try it out...read reviews or google that 667 memory would be your best bet, especially since you haven't provided brand/model specifics. Not all memory is created equal...cheap memory get's cheap results generally.

[Paulieg]

If you're running a C2D system, I would say that you want to run at the higher speed, with loose timings. From my experience and research, C2D's respond best to higher frequencies and loose timings.

[bruins004]

Originally Posted by Paulieg

If you're running a C2D system, I would say that you want to run at the higher speed, with loose timings. From my experience and research, C2D's respond best to higher frequencies and loose timings.

That is correct.
Ironically, it is the opposite for AMD systems.

The tighter the timings and the lower the freq. the better an AMD system does.

[WarEagleAU]

It would probably default to running at the lower 533 speed. IT all depends on the memory, chips and motherboard.

Wow, I didnt know the slower the memory runs with tighter timings, the better it would perform on my AMD Opty system.

[Ketxxx]

Your CL4 memory is performing roughly as good as the CL5 memory @ 667.. so I'm not sure what exactly you want to know unless you just wanted faster memory to try edging your way to 800MHz

[Nothgrin]

I tested the 667 memory using CPU-Z and its running CL4 now so its all good and its running at lower 533 speed

[new_rez]

Originally Posted by Paulieg

If you're running a C2D system, I would say that you want to run at the higher speed, with loose timings. From my experience and research, C2D's respond best to higher frequencies and loose timings.

Did you do the research yourself or have you got a website to refer to? I would really like to read it

[ElXtronic]

Originally Posted by bruins004

That is correct.
Ironically, it is the opposite for AMD systems.

The tighter the timings and the lower the freq. the better an AMD system does.

This is because in AMD's the MCC is attached to the CPU since 2003. Not nessesarily better to have lower frequencies but as long as the RAM performs at a rate equal to the CPU's core clock it will make no difference if the mem freq is hightend. This is why the Mems cas lvls matter more in AMD boards. As for intel, at the moment the MCC is still attached to the NorthBridge causing the mem frequency to be rather important since the relay is set between 2 bus lines, CPU-vs-NB and NB-vs-MEM. Tranfer rate of course is effected by this due to the line between NB-vs-MEM is its own seperate from CPU bus. So he is correct, yet only reason i decided to post on this is because its not better if its lower freq if u pass out youre core clock, it still needs to match or be greater in freq to the cpu clock, timings matter signifigantly more in AMD boards.