• Ask the community now
  • Publish
Ad

News

Analysis: AMD Asset Lite Strategy Will Create MAD AMD

To what end is AMD's corporate culture contributing to its decline? We contacted several current and former staffers along with partners in and around AMD's ecosystem to ask just that question. Read more

Larrabee, CUDA And The Quest For The Free Lunch

Opinion - Intel unveiled some key details about its upcoming Larrabee accelerator/discrete graphics architecture earlier this week, sparking speculation how this new technology will stack up to what is already out there in the market. Read more

Vista computers to have five performance tiers, not two, says ATI executive

In an interview with TG Daily, ATI's director of technical marketing, Alexis Mather, revealed that a previously innocuous feature of Windows Vista's upcoming "Game Explorer" will probably be elevated to a principal role in the marketing of PCs and the software that runs on them. Prepare to find out whether your computer is a "3" or a "5." Read more

Five Reasons Why An Apple Tablet Makes Sense Now

Chicago (IL) - With WWDC just around the corner, the stage is set for Steve Jobs' keynote and the unveiling of the iPhone. Read more

Latest Reviews & Articles

Reader's Voice: An Introduction To Home Automation

Reader's Voice: An Introduction To Home Automation

Perhaps you've heard about Bill Gates' remote-controlled home and thought to yourself that the technology to automate your own home was decidedly out of reach. Today, Tom's Hardware reader John Knutson walks us through what it took to get his home wired. Read more

Perfect Notebook Storage: Seven 2.5” 500 GB Drives

Perfect Notebook Storage: Seven 2.5” 500 GB Drives

We compare the latest 500 GB notebook drives from Fujitsu, Hitachi, Samsung, Seagate, Toshiba and WD. Seagate is first manufacturer to reach 500 GB at 7,200 RPM, but which is really the best drive? We loaded up our updated test system to find out. Read more

Mainstream Graphics Card Roundup

Mainstream Graphics Card Roundup

You don’t always need the fastest graphics card around. For somewhere between $135 and $235, you can game like crazy in DirectX 10 without a problem at 1920x1200. We test and compare five graphics cards from this mid-range price segment. Read more

USB 3.0 Ups Peripheral Bandwidth

USB 3.0 Ups Peripheral Bandwidth

The new USB 3.0 interface is just about ready. It'll accelerate throughput from the 480 Mbit/s of today's USB 2.0 to 5 Gbit/s, which is important for storage and peripheral devices. But USB 3.0 also introduces power saving options. Read on for more. Read more

All the Reviews & Articles
Tom's Hardware > Forum > Homebuilt Systems > General Homebuilt > Help me understand CPU/Memory/FSB

Help me understand CPU/Memory/FSB

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!
Word :    Username :           
 

I'm in the planning stages of building a new system. I began first by researching all the recent technologies, etc in order to make sure everything is compatible and what not. I found this site http://www.directron.com/fsbguide.html explaining how to choose components. I am a bit confused with that guide, specifically with "Generally you want to keep the system clock of your memory matching with the root clock of your memory or one step above. So the system clock on a 800MHz FSB P4 is 200 (quad pumped) so that matches DDR2 400 (essentially 200 unimproved) or is good with 1 step up DDR2 533MHz (essentially 266 unimproved). Note however that if you only had a 800MHz FSB processor then DDR2 667 really probably isn't going to help much. Once you pass the 1 step above mark on the memory you have diminishing returns unless you can get to double (DDR2 800MHz)." So from my understanding, you should try to keep the CPU, memory, and FSB at a 1:1 ratio. But reading the above, it says going past the 1:1 ratio will have diminishing returns unless you reach a 2:1 ratio, what is the benefit of a 2:1 ratio?

Now for more specific questions regarding what I learned from the above guide. I'd like to use the Intel core 2 extreme CPU rated at 1333FSB. Would I divide the FSB by 4 (quad pumped) to get 333Mhz and find a motherboard that has 400FSB along with DDR2 memory at 800 (400FSB) to reach a balanced 1:1 ratio?

I'm assuming my understanding is a bit flawed so any advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.

Sponsored Links
Register or log in to remove.
- 0 +

The 1:1 balance would be DDR2 667(333 double pumped). By getting the DDR2 800 ram, you could OC the processor FSB to 400 to match the ram. Combined with the multiplier of the CPU, your processor would run at "9 x 400 FSB - 3.6 Ghz". This assumes the processor was the 3ghz model to begin with. This also assumes a quality MB from ASUS, Gigabyte, etc...

Additionally, the DDR2 800 would allow a 1:1 FSB match for a newer 1600 FSB 45nm Penryn processor upgrade, or an overclock on the 1333 FSB model..

------------------------------ I know what I know, and I don't know what I don't know.
Reply to tlmck

For motherboard selection would I match the CPU FSB rating after quad pumping? So an Intel core 2 extreme rated at 1333FSB would need a motherboard that supports 1333FSB or 333FSB?

Reply to needhelp1
- 0 +

needhelp1 wrote :

For motherboard selection would I match the CPU FSB rating after quad pumping? So an Intel core 2 extreme rated at 1333FSB would need a motherboard that supports 1333FSB or 333FSB?


1333. You might also look at some of the new boards that support 1600 FSB to allow for more upgrade room. The x38 boards are one such example. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] %2f1333MHz

------------------------------ I know what I know, and I don't know what I don't know.
Reply to tlmck
- 0 +

Here is also another guide, in case you have not seen it. http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/10/03/pc_memory/

------------------------------ I know what I know, and I don't know what I don't know.
Reply to tlmck
Tom's Hardware > Forum > Homebuilt Systems > General Homebuilt > Help me understand CPU/Memory/FSB
Go to:

There are 852 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

You are about to answer a thread that has been inactive for more than 6 months. If you still wish to proceed, please ensure that your posting is original and does not duplicate or overlap any prior responses to this thread. Add a reply Cancel
Sponsored links