Faster cpu speed vs lowered ram speeds

[cschuele]

Backround:Hey guys I got 2 question about my OC. If I set my i3 540 at 3.9GHz the RAM runs at about 1700MHz (the RAMs max stable setting) but of course I wanted to break 4GHz barrier, however, when I bump it up a lil more to 4.1Ghz the RAM dosent run so I need to drop the memory multiplier which means the RAM only runs at 1450 MHz.

My questions are twofold.

1, Which is a faster system 3.9ghz with ram at 17000mhz or 4.1ghz with 1450mhz ram? (to me it seems faster at 4.1ghz, I have faster loading time in almost everything)

2 If I speed up the CPU a bit I could probally get the RAM to run at its max 1700 at this lower multipler, but the chip would prob need to get to 4.4ghz+, is that stable 24x7, I have a coolermaster v8 cpu cooler, temps currently run at about 45C under load and 30C at idle (at 4.1ghz, slightly less for 3.9ghz)

Thanks for any advice

 

[skater44surf]

i know this wont answer your question, but i have a similar problem, i have a intel core i5 750 @ 4ghz but only lets my ram at 1000mhz , anyways to fix it, all the timings are set correctly, 1.65volts on ram, everything is set in place, for some reason it wont boot past windows bootscreen when i set my ram higher than 1k mhz at 4ghz cpu...

 

[mrsav25]

Same question here (so a free bump from me)

I can get a better cpu overclock with slower ram.

From searches I have done, it seems CPU power will always outweigh RAM speed

 

[jitpublisher]

RAM speed has little impact on system performance, even at slower speeds, RAM is still the "fastest" part in your system, it is not a bottleneck, nothing is waiting on your RAM to perform any better. The main thing you want from your memory, 1. you simply have enough, and 2. that is really what the higher rated RAM is good for, it allows you to overclock your processor without having to mess with the buss divider.

 

[Scanlia]

CPU overclocking is the main performance boost compared to RAM overclocking. Underclocking the RAM a bit will hep with stability.

 

[simon12]

+1 to both the above, go for CPU performance at the expense of RAM every time. You may be able to get some of the RAM performance back buy lowering the timings but get the CPU sorted 1st as a priority.

 

[cschuele]

Thanks for the advice. It's hard to belive that 3.9ghz with 1700mhz ram is slower then 4.01ghz with 1300mhz ram but it's true. Are there any ram intensive apps that would reverse this?

 

[jrhii]

It would seem that as the rams speed gets high, the differences are more negligible after all the other components get involved. There have been some articles showing that 1300 at 7CL (I believe) timing is quicker than 1600 at 8CL, and I think it would still be ahead of an 8CL 1700. Its just so much faster than everything else in your computer that it is hard to notice.

 

[simon12]

I remember reading something similar as well I think on Toms that showed 1333MHz with good timings was as good as anything (I am not sure if anything over 1600 was around at the time).

 

[cschuele]

Best answer selected by cschuele.