RAM Performance

[essenbe]

The SPD tab does not show what your memory is actually running at. It's a preconfigured list of settings that the manufacturer has included which explain settings that your RAM "COULD" run at. It should not be read as to what it's potential IS, or what it's currently running at.

I think In my post I said that the spd tabs showed what they could run at. The memory tab shows what they are running at.

 

[pparks1]

I think In my post I said that the spd tabs showed what they could run at. The memory tab shows what they are running at.

You did. You and I were typing at the same time, you just hit enter a minute or 2 before I did. I was intending my comment to seekermeister...not you.

 

[seekermeister]

If that is the case, then why doesn't it show options for setting everything at PC-12800 and at 1.7v as the RAM is designed for?

 

[pparks1]

If that is the case, then why doesn't it show options for setting everything at PC-12800 and at 1.7v as the RAM is designed for?

Unsure of that. It definitely seems to be missing. Perhaps it's just something that it's reading from your mobo, CPU, firmware version, etc...and then limiting the choices that it's showing to you.

I don't use Patriot RAM sticks myself, I usually use Corsair and G.Skill. Not saying Patriot is bad, just not experienced with it.

 

[seekermeister]

It particularly bothers me that it shows PC-8500 as the MAXIMUM bandwidth, rather than PC12800. If this is due to an issue with one of the components, or some setting, how would I determine which? If I understood that, then I would know what to do, or which manufacturer to seek a solution from.

 

[essenbe]

I have had the same issue before. It is probably showing the speed the dram controller set it at and not the speed it actually is. The more important thing is what it is actually running at.

 

[pparks1]

It particularly bothers me that it shows PC-8500 as the MAXIMUM bandwidth, rather than PC12800. If this is due to an issue with one of the components, or some setting, how would I determine which? If I understood that, then I would know what to do, or which manufacturer to seek a solution from.

The SPD tab can be, and often is "incorrect". Here is a thread;
Why is CPU-Z showing different ram bandwidth? - Hardware Canucks

See the #4 response in the above, it backs up what I just said.

Here is another post on another forum with the same type of concern;
http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f210/ddr3-1600-ram-not-performing-at-full-speed-565626.html

And finally, one more;
http://gskill.us/forum/archive/index.php?t-7103.html

I think you are chasing a RED HERRING.

 

[seekermeister]

Red herring or not, one thing that all of the diagnostic programs that I have tried agreed on, is that the actual RAM frequency is running at 1333, not 1600. I know that it has been mentioned that it would be necessary to "tighten the timings", but what does that mean exactly, since I do have it set at 7-7-7-20 as the RAM is designed for?

 

[Thorsen]

THe SPD tells the CPU what RAM is installed and the CPU uses these settings at startup.

also the RAM has to run at the same speeds and the SPD's on that tab read diff. things.

Have you tried using just one stick at a time? I have not seen that in the discussion yet.

 

[Thorsen]

Here is info on tightening/loosening timings and pretty much what the timings are

Info: Ram Timings For Dummies. - Overclock.net - Overclocking.net

 

[sygnus21]

Seekermeister it seems to me that the issue is with the motherboard and not the RAM, not the CPU. I don't think you're going to get anywhere until you address or elininate the motherboard as trying to figure out what's going on without doing that is fruitless. I know you keep fighting that thought but that's honestly where you need to start. Sorry

I have not yet posted on the ASRock forum, because I don't think that it is an ASRock problem, nor do I think that it is a Patriot problem. Yet, I probably will, because I will take an answer wherever I can get it.

Just trying to help.

BTW.....

- http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/138554-new-rig-radeon-6950-trouble-2.html#post1191297
- http://www.sevenforums.com/overcloc...k-vantage-benchmark-scores-6.html#post1410163

 

[essenbe]

An AMD board will not spec the memory any higher than 1333 9-9-9-24. None of them because that is set by the memory controller on the CPU. To run it faster you have to manipulate the timings and OC the FSB to increase the frequency. That has been an issue with AMD chips for a long time. That is why so many people were happy about the AM3+ chips. They have natural memory controller up to 1866. When you go in to manually set your timings, check. My AMD board you had to set the timings for each module. I have no earthly idea why, but that's the way it worked.

 

[seekermeister]

Okay, so if 1333 is max without timing otherwise, what do I change to get to 1600? I decided to change the Command Rate from 2T to 1T in the BIOS, but found that Overdrive still showed it set to 2T. I reset it in Overdrive, and it seems now to keep that setting. This seems to indicate what I said previously, that the BIOS settings are being ignored. I would try to reset the frequency in Overdrive, but the window for that is grayed out.

EDIT: I had thought that the only reason to buy a motherboard with a 990 chipset was for compatibility with Bull Dozer processor, and had no idea about this timing issue. Had I understood that, I would have spent more on the motherboard.

 

[essenbe]

Like I said kast night about the 990 chipset, I don't know how it interacts with the AM3 chips. If you had a 990 board, you would still have the same memory controller because it is on the chip. How the new boards deal with that I don't know. The new chips' memory controller are on the chip also, but they allow up to 1866 memory.

The guide I used to increase my ram freq. is the post I posted last night from g skill. All AMD boards work the same way because they have to because of the limitations put on them by the CPU memory controller. I didn't have a black chip, but I believe your FSB is 200. If you are running at 1333 you have to increase the FSB to 240. That will raise your ram speed to 1600. Then run memtest and prime95, to make sure you are stable. that's the only way I know to do it.

It will also overclock your CPU. You can control how much OC by the multiplier.

 

[seekermeister]

Okay, I guess that I misunderstood, and it wasn't the motherboard chip that you were speaking of, but that of the CPU. I'm curious, had I chosen the 1100T, rather than the 1090T, would I still have this problem?

 

[essenbe]

Yes. It has the same memory controller on the CPU as do all AM3 chips. That is one of the things people are looking forward to in Bulldozer, it will have a different memory controller allowing up to 1866.

 

[seekermeister]

essenbe,

...I believe your FSB is 200. If you are running at 1333 you have to increase the FSB to 240. That will raise your ram speed to 1600.

The only thing I found in the BIOS that appears to be the FSB speed is called HT Bus Speed. If that is the right one, then it still won't work as you described, because the settings double on each step, after 200 comes 400. 400 sounds like a big change to make...am I looking in the right place?

 

[essenbe]

No. It should be around the multiplier. I don't remember what it's called, but it is called different things. It controlls your CPU speed. FSB X Multiplier = CPU speed. Your multiplier should be around 16-16.5. It should be called the multiplier. I just don't know what your FSB is called.

 

[Thorsen]

Should be a voltage like 200Mhz

Should look something like this:

How To Overclock Using Advanced Chipset Features : BIOS for Beginners

 

[essenbe]

On my board it was in the section called "Cell Menu" it was under 'adjust CPU FSB frequency'. It will be in the section of your bios for overclocking or for advanced users. It should be in your manual.