DDR @ 333 or 400

[BluesMan1]

I have a pair of Kingston Hyper X 256 Meg (total 512) in Dual Channel Mode on an Asus A7N8X Deluxe and i believe that it's running @ 333 MHz same as the processor.

Now is it possible to make it work @ 400 MHz or is it not really necessary ?

Also is it true that the ram won't work @ 400 if the processor (Barton 2800+) is only running @ 333 ?

Is there anyway that i can make both running @ 400 ?

3 questions that will set me up about this so thanks for the replies in advance.

[Shawn711]

First, yes, you could have the ram running at 400 Mhz with the processor running at 333 Mhz but you wouldn't want to as AMD systems run better with the ram and the processor bus speeds synched. Second, you might be able to get both running at 400 Mhz bus, but not definitely. That would be overclocking the processor, which someone else might be able to direct you better than I if that is the way you want to go....... but if you don't want to overclock the processor, having them both running at 333 Mhz bus is the way to go as your system performance will benefit most from that rather than having the ram running faster than the processor bus speed....... Hope that tells ya what ya need to know.

Shawn

[Buzioid]

The ram might be able to run at 400mhz, but you would have to test it to see if it is stable or not.

When you cange your Bus Speed, your RAM and CPU changes, so they are the same speed.

Becareful! Don't overclock too much, and you might have to raise the voltage if it doesn't work at that speed.

[stroyal]

In general Nforce boards like to run mem same speed as the procesor.
Your 2800+ might reach 400, my 2500+ can, but I don't.
Your mem timing will be lower @ 400 also.
The only big gain you are going to get is if you overclock your CPU.

[BluesMan1]

Thanks for the replies, i don't want to overclock, my system is stable and working fine.

I wanted to satisfy my curiosity about this and also see if it was possible to do it.

I don't have much knowledge on overclocking so i'll leave it the way it is.

Thanks again

[Xtreeme]

Know this then. Your ram is just running that much cooler and stable. DDR typically gets hot. I run some build underclocked mem wise for two reasons. #1 that much stabler for hot enviroments. Mem is touchy and BSOD's are annoying. LOL. I do stress test though at full speed. #2 they run cooler, last longer (prolly) and make less case heat etc. Not huge diff. But hey its usually only a few$ more and allows faster cpu's later. All good.

[Jeordiewhite]

Well he is running the hyperX, so his memory has heat spreaders and that would reduce any hot spots, I have the same, except 512MB, it runs generally cool with them even if at 400Mhz.
You wont have a problem running at 400mhz, however you will get a slightly higher score on benchmarks if it is at 333Mhz.
However most people still run at 400Mhz anyhow. Not a huge reason not to except for a slight increase that you wont notice really anyhow.
Just change it to 400Mhz and set the memory to be set by SPD, it is a little chip on the upper right hand corner of the memory chip and it will set it's timings from what it reads off of it and will be set ok. That way you dont have to worry about changing them as it will put it on the right ones so they are stable.
That way you dont have to worry about making a wrong setting or having to set them down as your sticks have low timings anyway, the lower they are the better.

[BluesMan1]

Thank you very much for the replies.

I'm not going to change anything for now but i'll keep gathering information for later on, maybe i'll do something about it sometime

[Xtreeme]

Heat spreaders on DDR do next to nill but look flashy. RDRAM is another story. My samsung ddr400 runs nice and (warm) but not hot. WITHOUT fancy useless hunks of metal. Seriously though its a HUGE gimmick. If its stable at 400mhz it needs no heat spreader. Now 333 being pushed to ddr400 it might help a very itty bitty little bit.

[Jeordiewhite]

That isn't true at all and i'm supprised you even posted that. That falls under do not post false information, i'm guessing you hadn't even tried them yourself?
They do great for cooling, I have recently bought some for my other computer that doesn't have kingston hyperX, the memory runs cool rather than hot like it normally does.
It works great, that's the idea of placing a heat sink on anything.
The memory runs much cooler at 400Mhz which is a plus and they aren't all that big either.
Don't bash something till you try and test it