Ram speed question

[nitram100]

Hey guys,

I've just picked up an MSI K9N SLI Platinum with this ram...

http://www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop/index.pl?origin=gbase11.3&prodID=B94175

I'm a bit of a memory noob, so bear with me As i understand it, this ram is 800mhz, but in my BIOS, under "memclock value" it is set to 400mhz, with options 533mhz, 667mhz or 800mhz.

My question is, should i set this value at 800mhz? As opposed to the 400mhz it currently is set at?

Thanks for any help!

 

[festerovic]

Some BIOS makers will show the real speed of the RAM (400MHz) and some will show the DDR2-xxx speed. In your case, I think they are showing the DDR2 speed, in which case you want it to be at 800MHz.

The other settings are there in case you overclock. Technically, the speeds they list are not really speeds, but math equations. The 400mhz is "run at half the speed (.5 x FSB)" and the 800MHz is "run full speed (1 x FSB). Since you say you're a newb, this is called a memory divider, in case you want to look it up.

 

[Scotteq]

Hey guys,

I've just picked up an MSI K9N SLI Platinum with this ram...

http://www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop/index.pl?origin=gbase11.3&prodID=B94175

I'm a bit of a memory noob, so bear with me As i understand it, this ram is 800mhz, but in my BIOS, under "memclock value" it is set to 400mhz, with options 533mhz, 667mhz or 800mhz.

My question is, should i set this value at 800mhz? As opposed to the 400mhz it currently is set at?

Thanks for any help!

"DDR" in the memory designation stands for "Double Data Rate". The 400 you are looking at is the base clock - Twice that is 800. Therefore your memory is running at it's rated speed.

 

[knotknut]

There are many monitoring programs available that will give you actual readouts of real time data.
Here is a link to one of them:
http://www.cpuid.com/pcwizard.php

 

[nitram100]

Thanks guys, i think i understand now.

Does this picture of my BIOS look like everything is in order?

Thanks again,

http://img79.imageshack.us/my.php?image=photo0148rp4.jpg

ps. I'm not trying to overclock, just making sure that my ram is running at the speed that it should be.

 

[festerovic]

looks good to me. I always double check by using CPUZ-ID and seeing what it says for RAM speed.

 

[nitram100]

Thanks mate. On CPUZ-ID it says that my DRAM frequency is 371.4mhz, which sounds about right. The timing are at 5-5-5-18 at the moment, do you think lowering them to 4-4-4-12 would make much difference?

 

[wacky7]

it will go faster at a tighter timing but it might heat the memory up or cause some blue screen of death, BSOD, try 4-5-5-16-26 at voltage 2.0 or 2.1 and can u set your CPU frequency at (200.5) beside (200.0) ? play around with it and see if what best for u and the clock for stability