slow RAM=underclocked CPU?

[ponti]

I just upgraded my CPU to Athlon XP 2700+ but the techie told me that because of my slow RAM (1Gig but at low Mhz) I can't set it to 2.17Ghz in the BIOS and it's now at 1.7
This, he tells me, is why it only registers in my system as an Athlon XP 2100+
Can/should I set my cpu to 2.17Ghz in the BIOS? Will I get better performance, or just instability?

Thanks all

 

[deadlypunk]

You should be able to set your ram speed and and your front side bus indpentendtly what is your mobo?

 

[ponti]

I've got an Asus A7V600. I have since set my cpu speed to 2.17Ghz, and I left the other things in the BIOS on auto. Should I set them to something specific in relation to the RAM? My ram is PC2100, I think that makes it 166mhz, but I'm not sure. I have two sticks of 512... should I adjust the BIOS somehow?

 

[pauldh]

If you set the cpu frequency already, you were looking at the memory frequency directly under it.

Look in the advanced menu in the bios and change the Memory Frquency (MHz) to 266MHz (PC2100 speed). You'll lose a little performance compared to having PC2700, but you should at least be able to set the CPU to it's correct 333 bus then.



ABIT IS7, P4 2.6C, 512MB Corsair TwinX PC3200LL, Radeon 9800 Pro, Santa Cruz, TruePower 430watt

 

[endyen]

Your techie isn't too bright. You set it the way he should have. It is possible to gain about .4% by adjusting the ram manually, but it's not worth the bother. You did great.