Memory for Asus A7N8X

[Lankhoss]

Hello, I am building a computer for the first time. I do not know a whole lot about this, and there are still a few things I am unsure of. I actually have several questions about the memory I want to use.

First, the mobo I am buying is the Asus A7N8X deluxe, and I will be pairing that up with an AMD Athalon XP2700+.

From what I have read, it seems I want DDR 333 to match the bus speed of the processor. The question I have, is would PC2700 work better, or can I buy PC3200 and slow it down to 166MHz? Although I doubt I will do much over clocking, if any, I'd like to at least have that option available to me and I think the DDR 400 would work better if I OC.

Secondly, everything I read says "Get C2 RAM!!" The model of RAM I am looking at is actually LLPT (I think it's LL, with the "PT" standing for "Platinum heatsink"). This has a CAS of 2-2-2-5, as opposed to 2-3-3-7 (I think) to the "C2" models. The LL series IS better than the C2 series, correct?

And thirdly, I was going to buy 2 sticks of 512MB DDR. Would buying a third 512 stick help me out quite a bit? Or does having an odd number actually thwart the performance? I know this is rather lengthy, but I appreciate any help I can get, thanks!

If it wasn't for my house, I would have never made it through that first year of college

 

[DReborn]

OK...well since this is my exact setup, here we go:
I assume you are talking about the Corsair mem chips (the best btw) and their top of the line right now and what I would recommend for your board is the PC3200LL TwinX series. It will last you the longest and work the best with your setup. The LL just means low latency, ie: why they don't have a PC3500LL yet. Stick with the 3200LL--more than enough. Lastly, and most importantly, get TWO 512 sticks. No more. 1 gig is plenty first of all and secondly, you get the most out your dual channel board with two equal sticks (ergo, TwinX). A third stick would throw things off and hinder any OC'ing you would do. Hmm...I think that covers it. =) Good luck!

"Do or do not. There is no try."

-Who else but Yoda could utter such wisdom?

 

[pitsi]

Getting two Corsair PC3200LL 512MB sticks is the best choice for your system. A third stick would actually slow down your system so keep with the two sticks.

Yes, it will be possible for you to slow down the memory to 166MHz and that would also be the best choice, since if you try to use the memory at 400MHz (2 x 200MHz) it will make your system slower and not faster. Later on, you can upgrade to a processor that will have 400MHz FSB and then you will be able to use the full bandwith of the PC3200LL. Also, the "LL" means low latency and it IS cas 2. CAS is the first number you are reading at "2-2-2-5". Everything else is other settings for your RAM.

Anyway, to sum up, simply buy Corsair's memory part #TWINX1024-3200LL (2x512 = 1GB PC3200) and you can rest assure that you have the best possible memory for your system.

 

[fastingsetiman]

Hi. I'm basically a copy and paste guy.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Corsair Announces TWINXTM Memory Kits

Fremont, CA, January 13, 2003: Corsair Memory, Inc., an industry leader in ultra-performance DDR DRAM modules for gaming and overclocking applications, has announced that it is now offering a new product family designed for use in motherboards with two memory channels. Such motherboards include those based on Nvidia's Nforce2 chip set and Intel's E7205 ("Granite Bay") chip set.

The TWINXTM memory kits are composed of two low latency memory modules that have been tested as a pair in an Asus A7N8X dual channel motherboard. The matched pair of modules are then physically packaged together, guaranteeing that the customer receives a product that has been verified in the dual channel environment. These memory kits are available in sizes of both 512 MByte (two 256 MByte modules) and 1 GByte (two 512 MByte modules), at speeds of either 333 MHz (also known as PC2700) or 400 MHz (also known as PC3200). These configurations are summarized below:

TWINX512-2700LL: 512 Mbytes, 333 MHz, low latency module pair, kit consists of two matched CMX256A-2700LL DIMMs
TWINX512-3200LL: 512 Mbytes, 400 MHz, low latency module pair, kit consists of two matched CMX256A-3200LL DIMMs
TWINX1024-2700LL: 1 Gbyte, 333 MHz, low latency module pair, kit consists of two matched CMX512-2700LL DIMMs
TWINX1024-3200LL: 1 Gbyte, 400 MHz, low latency module pair, kit consists of two matched CMX512-3200LL DIMMs
"TWINX memory kits take the guesswork out of dual channel motherboards," stated John Beekley, Vice President of Marketing at Corsair. "By using modules that have been 100 tested, as a pair, in this environment, the user can be confident in the performance and stability of his or her dual channel system."

Further information and specifications on this product and other XMS products can be found at Corsair's web site (www.corsairmemory.com/xms/). These modules can be purchased through Corsair’s authorized sales channels listed at http://www.corsairmemory.com/xms/xms_sales.html.

About Corsair Memory
Corsair Memory, a member of JEDEC, has been a leader in the design and manufacture of high speed modules since 1994. We have earned our reputation as being the first to market with leading-edge products supporting new computing platforms and technologies. Corsair supplies memory for applications ranging from mission-critical servers to ultra-high performance gaming systems. The performance and reliability of Corsair memory products makes them ideal for the high bandwidth internet infrastructure.

More information on Corsair is available at www.corsairmemory.com.

Contact Information:
John Beekley
Corsair Memory Inc.
510-657-8747
johnb@corsairmemory.com

 

[Lankhoss]

Hey guys, thanks a lot for your posts! I am going to get the Corsair Twin PC3200LL set of 512 sticks. I know that the Asus board is color-coded for dual channel, I think it's two blue slots, and one black one. For dual channel, do I put them both in the same color slots, or in opposite colored slots right next to each other? Thanks again!

If it wasn't for my horse, I would have never made it through that first year of college

 

[umheint0]

For dual mode, you put them both next to each other. It explains it in the manual. As you can see, I also have the same setup.

Just an FYI, but getting a third stick would disable Twinbank mode, and would then slow down your computer immensely.

Also, run it at 400Mhz. It will be faster. At least, that's how I've seen it.

XP 2500+ Barton
A7N8X Dlx
2x512MB Corsair PC3200
MSI GF3 Ti500 w/64MB DDR
16x DVD-ROM
2x80GB 7200RPM Maxtor
Onboard audio

My computer is bigger than your computer....

 

[Crashman]

All the test I've seen have shown that it would only slow down his computer ever so slightly.

<font color=blue>Watts mean squat if you don't have quality!</font color=blue>

 

[umheint0]

That's the case with a 266FSB, but I'm not so sure about the 333FSB.

XP 2500+ Barton
A7N8X Dlx
2x512MB Corsair PC3200
MSI GF3 Ti500 w/64MB DDR
16x DVD-ROM
2x80GB 7200RPM Maxtor
Onboard audio

My computer is bigger than your computer....