RAM settings in "One Tough Cookie" article?

[BaconGreaseKid]

The last time I worked with PC hardware on a regular basis, DDR RAM basically didn't exist and I haven't really kept up-to-date.

From what I can tell, the RAM timings listed for the individual motherboards in the "One Tough Cookie..." 875P motherboard comparison are the fastest/optimum values for each board. Did the motherboards determine those automatically from the DIMMs, or did the testers determine these from trial-and-error?

 

[Scout]

Where's that article? I haven't seen it, but RAM timings are set by the memory manufacturer and can usually be read (with varying degrees of accuracy) by your motherboard if you set the BIOS to use the SPD settings.

Usually when reviewers test motherboards and RAM, they play with the timings manually in the BIOS to find out how far they can go with each setting at various memory bus speeds. Memory sticks can often perform beyond where the memory manufacturer spec them at...

Scout
700 Mflops in SETI!

 

[BaconGreaseKid]

This article is part of the Motherboard Guide. Specifically, <A HREF="http://www.tomshardware.com/motherboard/20030519/index.html" target="_new">http://www.tomshardware.com/motherboard/20030519/index.html</A>.

 

[Scout]

Yeah... I see your point. They are not very clear on how they are getting those timings. Only on the MSI board do they mention the SPD settings didn't work, so at least on that board they are getting these timings by manually setting the RAM. My guess is they did the same for all the boards in this comparison.

Scout
700 Mflops in SETI!