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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2001 7:53 pm Post subject:

I'm confused....
What is the difference between the FSB and DRAM clock frequency?
On bootup the POST screen says:
Duron 700 (7*100) -- DRAM clk 133
How the hell can it be at 100 FSB and also at 133?!

In the BIOS this 'clk' option lives with the CL2 or CL3 option. I can turn off an auto-detect to change both this clock setting and the CL level. Clock setting can be either 100 or 133.

I'm not fussed about overclocking my CPU but it seems silly to only have my machine sitting at 100MHz FSB if it can do more.

Just trying to make sure all my components are working to full potential - any ideas?

System spec: 700 Duron, Epox EP-8KTA2 mobo, 128MB PC133

"Pay peanuts, get monkeys"
- Chris G

Moderator Joined: 05 Dec 2000 Posts: 5941 Location: USA

Quote:
I'm confused....
What is the difference between the FSB and DRAM clock frequency?
On bootup the POST screen says:
Duron 700 (7*100) -- DRAM clk 133
How the hell can it be at 100 FSB and also at 133?!

In the BIOS this 'clk' option lives with the CL2 or CL3 option. I can turn off an auto-detect to change both this clock setting and the CL level. Clock setting can be either 100 or 133.

I'm not fussed about overclocking my CPU but it seems silly to only have my machine sitting at 100MHz FSB if it can do more.

Just trying to make sure all my components are working to full potential - any ideas?

System spec: 700 Duron, Epox EP-8KTA2 mobo, 128MB PC133

"Pay peanuts, get monkeys"
- Chris G

There's a setting in the BIOS ( I don't know what it's called ) that allows the CPU to run a 100MHz and the memory to run at 133MHz ... it's a VIA chipset feature ...

If I can’t face the consequences of my actions ...
I’ll find somebody else to blame ... Wink Smile

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2001 8:33 am Post subject:

Thanks.
Sandra reports that my memory is rated at CL2 100MHz and CL3 133MHz. I think I know the answer already but what would be best, 100/CL2 or 133/CL3??

Thats some weird shit from VIA, I thought the idea of SDRAM was that its clock was synchronised with the CPU!
I'm gonna have to learn more about this hardware malarky!!

Quote:
There's a setting in the BIOS ( I don't know what it's called ) that allows the CPU to run a 100MHz and the memory to run at 133MHz ... it's a VIA chipset feature ...

If I can’t face the consequences of my actions ...
I’ll find somebody else to blame ...

"Pay peanuts, get monkeys"
- Chris G

Moderator Joined: 05 Dec 2000 Posts: 5941 Location: USA

Quote:
Thanks.
Sandra reports that my memory is rated at CL2 100MHz and CL3 133MHz. I think I know the answer already but what would be best, 100/CL2 or 133/CL3??

Thats some weird shit from VIA, I thought the idea of SDRAM was that its clock was synchronised with the CPU!
I'm gonna have to learn more about this hardware malarky!!

"Pay peanuts, get monkeys"
- Chris G

CL2 and CL3 are CAS Lantency ratings ... me thinks there's not much performance difference between 100/CL2 and 133/CL3 ... you gain 33MHz but the lantency goes up ... and I'm lost on that synchronised stuff ...

If I can’t face the consequences of my actions ...
I’ll find somebody else to blame ... Wink Smile

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2001 9:31 am Post subject:

Traditionally the memory bus and the front side bus were synchronized simply becuase making the memory bus faster wouldn't have helped performance at all because the fsb would have been the bottle neck. When AMD introduced the EV6 fsb which runs at 100MHz DDR, they removed the bottle neck of the fsb. Running your RAM at 133MHz while the fsb is 100MHz will net you a nice little performance increase, not as much as if your fsb was 133MHz, but better than RAM at 100MHz.

With regards to the CAS latency question, have you tried to run your RAM at 133MHz CAS2?? In my experience just about all PC133 RAM is capable of CAS2 at 133. I have a stick of the cheapest no name brand PC133 RAM I could find, and it will even run CAS2 at 133MHz.

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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2001 10:23 am Post subject:

I've now got my DRAM running at 133 CL2.
Seems steady enough. 24hrs of seti crunching should see if its gonna choke!!
Guess this is as quick as I go without overclocking my lil' Duron!!
Thanks for all the help.

"Pay peanuts, get monkeys"
- Chris G