DDR 2700 Question

[prismra]

Hey Guys!

Question....

I have bought a new mobo and processor. It is an athlon XP 2000 with a Gigabyte 7VAXP and 512 MB of Corsair PC2700 333mhz DDR ram.

Okay. So in the BIOS I have only one option for the memory timing ("top performence enabled/disabled"). This is quite a but annoying. I assume this is a very aggressive setting because if I run the ram at 333 with top performence enabled, the system crashes (3dmark just closes.) If I run it at 333 with top performence off, I get 6644 3dmarks. With it set at 266 with top performence ON, I get 6772 3dmarks. So, obviously, the memory timings are very important to performence. I would like to be running this at 333 with TP enabled but I am at a loss as to how to do it. Is it the memory module thats causing the trouble or is it my motherboard or what?

I read somewhere on this board about increasing the voltage for the memory but is that just for overclocking?

Can anyone point me in the right direction???

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bahumut]

Need a little info:
What timings is your ram rated for?
CAS/CL:
If the ram has a high CAS/CL value, then it can't handle aggressive settings at 333MHz, but lowering the clock decreases the latency. Perhaps you got DDR333 CL 2.5 ram, but underclocked it runs as DDR266 CL 2 ram.

Assuming you have ram that can support aggressive settings, either your ram or your board is faulty.

I'd say your board. Gigabyte has been in the habit of making unstable boards lately (they used to be on of my favorite brands).

While I believe the board is the problem, it is easier to get a replacement for your ram. Corsair is an excellent brand, but anything can happen. If the replacement does the same, get rid of the board or find a way to manually change the timings (if possible).

Pain is the realization of your own weakness.

 

[prismra]

This is the ram I have:

CMX512-2700C2
333 MHz
512MB
64Mx64
184 DIMM
CAS2
DDR
32Mx8

Thats from the manufacturer. The lame thing about this motherboard is that I have no idea what "top performence" sets the memory timings at. I assume it is CAS2 and some other aggressive timings. I'm a little upset considering that I paid extra for the CAS2 ram and I can't even use it to its fullest extent. I heard corsair and Gigabyte were good brands, this is pretty upsetting. I know the performentce increase will be marginal, but I like to have evrything finely-tuned. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jeff68005]

What is the timing of your CPU? 100 x 4 =400 OR 133 x 4 = 533 ?

I'm not informed about your specific board but my P4 Gigabyte board in the BIOS main menu has a feature that is NOT on the menu but is in the docs.
Go to your BIOS by leaning on the Delete key.
Hold down the control key and type the F1 key at the same time. Your menu should change and then you can see your timings, voltages, etc. IF Gigabyte did the same for you as they did for me.

Every working computer must be improved .... or replaced ...

 

[prismra]

Cool, man, I hope that ctrl-f1 trick lets me get into the memory timings on there, that would be cool. The bus multiplier is set to auto, the bus is @133 the cup is at 1667 mhz so thats...uhh...12X bus multiplier. So will imcreasing the power to the ram do anything here or what? What do you think?

 

[pr3st0]

I have a problem similar to yours. I have a Shuttle Ak35GT2 with Via KT333 and
my memory is a Kingston DDR333 512Mb CL 2.5. Even when its setting everything on my memory settings by speed I got blank screen on 3d mark and games. So I reduced my DRAM clock to 133mhz and put the memory settings to the most agressive. I got good results, but I still want be able to
run at DRAM 166mhz.
Good luck.

 

[prismra]

Thanks for the reply, guys.

Jeff--no such luck, ctrl-f1 does nothing on this board. how annoying. anyone have any more ideas?