400 vs 533 CPU with PC800 RDRAM?

[jeff_bdn]

I already have two 256 MB sticks of Kingston PC800 RDRAM, and I'm looking to build an inexpensive PC for less $500 using this spare ram.

I'm looking at an Intel D850EMV2 motherboard, and I see that if I go with a Retail P4 2.4 Ghz I can get either a 400 or a 533 version for $198. Since the PC800 RDRAM is the one thing I already have, which will work better with it - the 400 or the 533 bus processor?

 

[leedz]

Generally,the 533 version will work better.Because higher FSB can offer more bandwidth of memory.But your memories are just the PC800 RDRAM and they dont attain the requiement of bandwidth.Nevertheless I think your should choose the 533 version.

 

[jeff_bdn]

Thanks leedz,

And I paid so much for those sticks of PC800 RDRAM that I don't want to replace them any time soon either (even though they've come down since

I just wasn't sure if the two being out of sync (CPU=>533=>Chipset=>400=>Memory) would cause any problems, performance or otherwise compared to keeping everything at 400.

 

[leedz]

I think there's no problem about that.CPU will work at 533 FSB(the mainboard must support 533 FSB)while memory at 400.Just as PIII CPU(133FSB) works with PC100 SDRAM.

 

[Crashman]

The 533 bus processor works faster than the 400 bus even with the slower memory, because not all instructions go to RAM (look at AGP Fastwrites as an example).

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[jeff_bdn]

Thanks Crashman - much appreciated. Just placed an order with newegg

 

[jeff_bdn]

Thanks very much for the advice leedz - just placed an order. Needed the reassurance