Conroe & RAM?

[Fionavar]

Okay I need some Geckling know how ... here's the skinny ...

 

The SFF SD37P2 is on the Intel 975X platform that is supposed to be able to use 533/667/800 mhz DDR2. the SFF is capable - at the moment - of only 533/667. Long story short, I know they may be releasing a future BIOS for 800. I want to go ahead and purchase the rig this week (my partner and I have been sharing the notebook and we need our space now ). So ... there's no guarantee the 800 will run on the SFF ... so should I go with the 667 or get the 800 and down-clock it? Thoughts on Conroe and performance levels when not doing excessive o/c?

 

A current discussion I have going for background:

 

[H]ard|Forum

[metadigital]

I don't know of any problems with under-clocking (you'll need to mess with the BIOS on the mobo, of coures, just like over-clocking, and probably lower the voltage across the RAM, too) ... though I'm not an expert. You definitely will be paying a premium for faster DDR2 RAM, though.

[Fionavar]

Yep - the premium would be 40$ more. The reality is I just do not know if I'll evermake use of the 800. The timings would be the same - 4-4-4(5400)/3(6400)-12(5400)/15(6400). From what I understand though is the only advantage with the 800 (@ 800 and not timeclocked) would be the faster timing, not bandwidth usage. Apparently Conroe does not take full advantage of the bandwidth (due to the north brdige being of the CPU die). Or so my readings seem to imply ...

[Kaftan Barlast]

Im just wondering why you want a Shuttlebox? Will you be moving the computer around a lot? I have a Shuttle that I used as a LAN computer because it was so tiny and easy to carry around but it got so hot it fried my hardrive and I had to run it with the casing off or the GFX couldnt get any air for cooling.

[Fionavar]

Reasons for a SFF: Smaller footprint, sound level. If gaming notebooks were still not at a 1000$ premium for still slower components then that's what I would have gone with. Really I do not upgrade units, as much as replace them every 2-3 years. So this is the logical route for me at least.

[LostStraw]

For not over clocking anything, I'd go with DDR533 (I like having a 1:1 ratio between my FSB and ram).

 

For mild overclocking I'd go with DDR667.

 

It'll get you from (in GHz):

E6300 1.86 > 2.33

E6400 2.13 > 2.66

E6600 2.40 > 3.00

 

While maintining a 1:1 ratio between the FSB and ram. How important is it to maintain that 1:1 ratio? I really don't know (but it gives me warm fuzzies inside).

 

You wouldn't get any noticible benefit of going with DDR800 and underclocking it -- but at only 40$ more, it might be nice for the assurance that in the future you could have the possibility of being able to overclock it more and still have that 1:1 magic (that really didn't sound reassuring). It would also be a little more future proof when upgrading at a later date (with DDR3 coming though... ).

[Fionavar]

Thanks LostStraw - you have hit o two things of import for me. 1) The 1:1 ratio is apparently quite important for the Conroe, and; 2) The o/c you outline is pretty much what I was thinking of doing with the E6600. And if, as you say, for the extra 40$ I may have a little bit more flexibility/band-width access than it does seem a small extra at this point.

 

What I would really like to know - and it's all rumour until they show it - is whether that BIOS will have to wait for a Rev 2 of the SFF architecture ...

[metadigital]

I still think that $40 would be better spent somewhere else ... like on the graphics card. Buying technology for the future is FRAUGHT with jeopardy. You will probably upgrade your mobo in the meantime, and that will lead to ... anything.

 

Buy the best equipment, that you can afford, RIGHT NOW.