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ballistix memory

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  • 27-03-2007 2:20am
    #1
    Tivoli
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,008 ✭✭✭


    built a pc with an x6800 cpu, i bought a pack with 2 ddr2 800 balistix 512mb modules.


    anyway do i have to make tweaks in the bios to get extra speed from them, or are their speeds/settings autodetected, vista is rating it at 2.0 for memory

    i got 5.7 for cpu at stock speed :D


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    #2
    po0k
    Registered Users Posts: 15,815 ✭✭✭✭po0k


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overclock


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    #3
    d_advocatus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37 ✭d_advocatus


    Set the timings yourself. The BIOS will always use relaxed timings on auto. My DDR-667 Ballistix was running at 533 with 5-5-5-15 when I bought it and hadn't oc'd yet (Auto Settings). I now have it running at 880MHz with 4-4-4-12 completely stable.


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    #4
    d_advocatus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37 ✭d_advocatus


    Tivoli wrote:
    i got 5.7 for cpu at stock speed :D

    5.7?


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    #5
    Tivoli
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,008 ✭✭✭Tivoli


    d_advocatus wrote:
    5.7?

    yeah i'll check again, but i think thats what it was, i'll post up a screen shot so you can laugh at me if i exagerated (i am at work now)


    and thanks for the advice d_advocatus

    nice link syxpak, sadly i couldnt find the right timings for ballistix ram on it though


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    #6
    Tivoli
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,008 ✭✭✭Tivoli


    yeah its 5.7 for cpu, i was though its rating the memory at 4.5, it wont let me attach


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    #7
    d_advocatus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37 ✭d_advocatus


    Tivoli wrote:
    yeah its 5.7 for cpu, i was though its rating the memory at 4.5, it wont let me attach

    :rolleyes: The reason I asked about 5.7 was 'cos I thought you meant 5.7GHz and I was about to call bs! Ha!


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    #8
    po0k
    Registered Users Posts: 15,815 ✭✭✭✭po0k


    I think he means the Windows Vista performance 'test'.
    Tiv, it means nothing.
    Tivoli wrote:
    nice link syxpak, sadly i couldnt find the right timings for ballistix ram on it though

    Nor should you.
    It's a wiki entry on overclocking, not specifics to your precise hardware.
    Do some research (ie google, reading other enthusiast forums) about what the stock settings are.
    Prepare a LiveCD/bootable CD with some benchmark tools on it, preferably something that can also read temperatures. Get a refil pad and a pencil/pen.

    Maybe make some tea.

    Power down, disconnect your hard-drive and settle in for some tweaking, benching and plenty of reboots.

    Enter the BIOS.
    Don't change a single thing.
    Note down what you currently have set on each page. This is what you fall back to when it all goes up in tears and flayed skin.

    Pick a reasonable target (ie. 10% increase in CPU or memory clock speed).
    Work out the timings/FSBclk/MEMclk that you'd need for this. A rough [simplified] example is below. Your motherboard's BIOS may only have a "turbo" option, or it may allow you to tinker with things you really shouldn't be able to. Or it could be a Dell. If you don't understand a term, google it from a spare machine.

    When that's done, start fiddling.
    Change one thing at a time. Benchmark (minimum of 3 in sequence to arrive at an average). Note your results.

    MemoryClock (clock cycles per second) and timings (number of clock cycles allowed for different stanges of read/write) are balanced by the physical limits of your memory modules, memory controller, power quality etc.
    These physical limits are primarily how much real time it takes to strobe a row or column, refresh a cell etc. Things don't work right if you don't allow the ram enough time to finish what it's doing before the next operation comes screaming down the bus.
    As clock gets pushed up, you have to loosen the timings.



    I'm making a guess that this is your ram.

    I'm going to just use effective clock here. Pedants be damned.
    800Mhz DDR2 @ 4-4-4-12 ( == CAS/tRCD/tRP/tRAS/CMD)
    1sec/8x10^8cycles = 1.25nanoseconds per cycle.

    So CAS, tRCD, tRP each need 5ns, with tRAS taking 15ns.

    So if you run your ram at 1000Mhz, each clock cycle take 1ns.
    So your timings are now 5clks-5clks-5clks-15clks.
    This will possibly be stable.
    But I doubt you'll see much tangible improvement. If it's stable, try tightening the timings to 4-5-5-15 or even back down to 4-4-4-12 @ 1000Mhz. Now you're pushing the kit.

    Who makes your motherboard?
    Find their site, see if they have a community forum.
    See if new BIOSes are out, see if anyone with the same ram has posted their timings.
    Check the crucial site - it probably has a forum somewhere. Again, check for timings.

    Or just google your mobo model + ram name + "memory timings".


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