Looking for proper BIOS configuration

AMD Athlon 64 3200+

MSI K8N NEO 2 Platinum

I will be installing 2 sets of: VS1GBKIT400.

I have been told that this motherboard does not accurately set settings for many ram modules if left to [AUTO] in the bios options. To prepare myself I would like to know what settings I should be prepared to enter.

Thankyou,

Meff

I would set the memory frequency at DDR333 at Cass 2.5-3-3-7 at 2.8 Volts for best stability and performance with this MB and CPU.

Thankyou very much for the prompt and complete answer.

New Question:

Though I do not have it sitting in front of me right now I recall a setting that I could vary between a number of whole numbers followed by a T; 1T 2T and so forth. Is this a setting you can offer some wisdom on as to what it is and how it should be configured?

Thankyou,

Meff

P.S. I realize now that my PSU may be of some importance in detirmining these settings. I have a true 450 by Antec. I do not remember the exact voltage on the rails but from my limited understanding it is more then enough to run my complete system.

Command Rate is not really a memory setting and would depend on your CPU and MB more so than the memory. But you can try it at 1T and test the system with http://www.memtest.org to be sure its stable. And you can get more info at http://www.rojakpot.com about bios settings.

Thankyou for the info and your prompt reply.

Thankyou for the info and your prompt reply.

As a matter of fact I do have another question. In your initial reply you stated that you "would set the memory frequency at DDR333 at Cass 2.5-3-3-7 at 2.8 Volts for best stability and performance with this MB and CPU."

It is my understanding that the VS1GBKIT400 is a DDR400 module. Is that statistic true and is it related to the reccommendation of a frequency of DDR333?

Thankyou,

Meff

Yes this is a chipset limitation.

If the FSB of your CPU is 400 For Intel and 100 MHz for AMD, the memory speed supports only DDR 266.

If the FSB of your CPU is 533 For Intel and 133/166 MHz for AMD, the memory speed supports DDR 266/333

If the FSB of your CPU is 800 MHz for Intel and 200 MHz for AMD, the memory speed supports DDR 333/400

I believe that my chip has a 200mhz FSB. I will try to confirm this when I have a little more time to look up the model number on the internet. If this is so then is there any reason I cannot run DDR400? If not is there a benefit associated with either setting that I should take into account when choosing a setting?

It is my understanding that DDR400 is faster then DDR333 which seems to make it preferrable to me.

Thankyou,

Meff

This is a limitation when you install more than 2 double sided modules with this platform. It will be default slow down to DDR333 in the memory controller.

Thankyou for the prompt answer. That seems to be precisely the answer to my question. You've been very helpful and I appreciate your time.

Thankyou,

Meff

Using the question posed in post #6 of the thread http://www.houseofhelp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40249 I have found another question.

While ideally more, faster is better if one had to choose, in my case, between more (2 sets of VS1GBKIT400, 4x512, at DDR333) and faster (1 set of VS1GBKIT400, 2x 512, at DDR400) which would be the better choice?

To recap:

AMD Athlon 64 3200+ (939)

MSI K8N NEO 2 Platinum

To elaborate:

Windows XP Pro

True 450w Antec PSU

GeForce 6800 Ultra

SB Audigy 2 PCI

I do love my games and they dominate my desktop's time but I also do a fair amount of web browsing and light development as well as some graphic design and digital art working primarily in Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and Flash.

I run a number of media applications, often at the same time as my games or work, such as Windows Media Player 9, Intervideo WinDVD. I also maintain an always on cable internet connection, routered, and it's a safe bet that an instance of Trillian is running whenever I have the computer on.

I manage two displays via digital conectons to my video card if that maks a difference at all. It does mean that I run many of these applications simultaneously.

Thankyou,

Meff

That would depend on what O.S. and what application you will use. If you need 2.0 Gig of memory though I would encourage you to go with VS2GBKit400C3 if you have a tight budget.

Thankyou for your prompt reply. Fair enough advice.

I think there's only a handful of questions I havn't asked you so far so here comes the last salvo:

Are you Santa?

If so, can I have a pony?

:D:

Thankyou,

Meff

Hi ramGuy I read your post with intrest.

I am about to build a pc, still looking at ram though

Asus A8N-SLI Premium - takes dual channel ddr400 ram

amd 64 4000

should I get

Corsair 2GB DDR Value Select PC3200 CAS3.0 Kit (2x1GB) (VS2GBKIT400C3)

that you recomended for tight budgets £135

GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC3200 Value Dual Channel Kit CAS3 (GE2GB3200BDC)

£147

Corsair 2GB DDR XMS3200C2PT TwinX (2x1GB) CAS2 £176 (This one is really pushing the boat out)

Thanks

Your my hero lol

LMAO!

 

Well no, I am not Santa, But I have been told I look like Elvis! :eek:

Hi ramGuy I read your post with intrest.

 

I am about to build a pc, still looking at ram though

 

Asus A8N-SLI Premium - takes dual channel ddr400 ram

amd 64 4000

 

should I get

 

Corsair 2GB DDR Value Select PC3200 CAS3.0 Kit (2x1GB) (VS2GBKIT400C3)

that you recomended for tight budgets £135

 

XXXX 2GB (2x1GB) PC3200 Value Dual Channel Kit CAS3 (GE2GB3200BDC)

£147

 

Corsair 2GB DDR XMS3200C2PT TwinX (2x1GB) CAS2 £176 (This one is really pushing the boat out)

 

Thanks

 

Your my hero lol

Recommended Modules for the Asus A8N-SLi Deluxe

TwinX2048-3200C2PT = 2(2.5)-3-3-6

VS2GBKIT400C3 = 3-4-4-8

GE2GB3200BDC = 3-4-4-8

The Corsair memory is definitely compatible according to their Compatibility site. Can't see a reason why the other memory wouldn't work, but since the Corsair VS mem is cheaper, go with it :) You'll see something like 1-8% performance difference between the VS and TwinX memory I think.

Also, yeah, competitor's names are blanked out, as they really aren't necessary for troubleshooting Corsair memory :) Nothing wrong with part #s though. Also, I tidied up this thread, and removed your post in the main section of the House of Help, as it was a repost of this one and was not needed. Only thing starred out in there though are swear words.

"You'll see something like 1-8% performance difference between the VS and TwinX memory I think."

Only 1 to 8%, thats quite surprising when you think it costs 30% more.

I think Ill go with your advice and buy a better psu or case...

well ill think of something.

thx a lot and boy that was a fast reply!!!

Sorry, its me again. I just checked out the link you gave me and its for

Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe

whereas Im talking about premium. I doubt that there would be any problem though but I just want to make sure. Im a student on a tight budget after all.

I checked the website and they dont currently have details on the premium mobo.

Thx for the help.

Its really hard to give an accurate guess with the performance as it will vary with the make and model of MB you use along with the platform, CPU and make and model of PSU as well as the Video card you use can impact over all performance.

so what do you recommend bearing in mind the price/performance ratio.

also if im running the

AMD Athlon 64 4000+ San Diego 90nm

with the 2 x 1gb value corsair ram

on Asus A8N-SLI Premium will I have any problems and will i be able to run it at full speed i.e. 400

Im a n00b when it comes to overclocking (we all got to start somewhere) but i really want it to run at 400.

finally is there a difference between the delux and premium mobo as i talked about above in terms of ram. Will the premium work with the value ram i talked about earlier.

Thanks

This is really hard to decipher, but in a nut shell you do not want to mix memory with this platform or it may not post. And if you can afford it I would hands down go with Twinx2048-3200C2 for best performance. If you can’t then I would go with VS2GBKit400C3 the difference will be somewhere between 200-1000 Mbs per second in a memory benchmark.

I think ill go with Twinx2048-3200C2 then. but you still havent answered whether this ram will work with Asus A8N-SLI Premium which is not listed on the corsair website. Only the Asus A8N-SLI Delux is lested.

and also if i will be able to run the two sticks of ram at ddr 400 without any problems.

Here's a link (same board+2gigs of Corsair successfully):

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17433332&goto=nextoldest

ps: see swampy's post.