corsair xms 3200 memory

[purplemohawkman]

any one know how high xms3200 will handle on the FSB??

[WinXP]

I have 2-256meg sticks Corsair XMS PC3200c2 v1.1, I think they are winbond bh-6 chips. Run them at 235fsb at 2.93v, mem timing 2-2-2-11 with a nf2 mobo. They max out at 238 fsb. These have been 2 very good sticks.

Just looked at your sig an seen mem you have is 3200LL. I had 4-256meg sticks of it but sold them. Not as good as the plain 3200c2 to me. Mine would max out around 220fsb.

[purplemohawkman]

right now im running @ 223x11.5 but was running @225x11.5 and when i tried 230x11 she wouldnt boot. any reason y c2 is better than the LL??? thought it was the other way around.

[Gizmo]

Originally Posted by purplemohawkman

right now im running @ 223x11.5 but was running @225x11.5 and when i tried 230x11 she wouldnt boot. any reason y c2 is better than the LL??? thought it was the other way around.

As I understand it, this is the deal:

LL is low latency, as you apparently already know. What this means is that the memory has a very low turn-around time on page misses. It is not uncommon to be able to run this type of memory at 2-2-2-5 timings at 200 Mhz. However, the tradeoff is that as you increase the clock speed you won't be able to keep these aggressive timings. Worse, as you increase the clock, you may actually end up with worse timings than with memory that is rated for slower settings.

The C2 memory, on the other hand, is rated at 2-3-3-8 or something like that, at 200 Mhz. However, you will note that WinXP is currently running them at 2-2-2-11 at 235 Mhz. Probably, even at 200 Mhz, he wouldn't be able to run them at less than about 2-2-2-7.

So, which memory is better for you? Well, that depends on what you are doing. If you are doing a lot of stuff that is really random in the way it accesses memory (like office apps or games), then the LL stuff is the better choice, even though you can't get as high a bus clock. Reason being, although you can't get the memory to run a blazingly fast bus clock, you CAN get to random addresses VERY quickly, which means that page misses in the DRAM don't cost you as much. On the other hand, if you are doing a lot of video encoding or something that is very sequential in the way it accesses memory, then the C2 stuff is the better way to go, because you very rarely have DRAM page misses, and so can take full advantage of the higher bus speed.

I believe ARS Technica did a good writeup on this a while back, as have some other web sites. Corsair or OCZ might also have something on their site.

Later,
Gizmo

[MercutioUK]

Originally Posted by gizmo

As I understand it, this is the deal:

LL is low latency, as you apparently already know. What this means is that the memory has a very low turn-around time on page misses. It is not uncommon to be able to run this type of memory at 2-2-2-5 timings at 200 Mhz. However, the tradeoff is that as you increase the clock speed you won't be able to keep these aggressive timings. Worse, as you increase the clock, you may actually end up with worse timings than with memory that is rated for slower settings.

The C2 memory, on the other hand, is rated at 2-3-3-8 or something like that, at 200 Mhz. However, you will note that WinXP is currently running them at 2-2-2-11 at 235 Mhz. Probably, even at 200 Mhz, he wouldn't be able to run them at less than about 2-2-2-7.

So, which memory is better for you? Well, that depends on what you are doing. If you are doing a lot of stuff that is really random in the way it accesses memory (like office apps or games), then the LL stuff is the better choice, even though you can't get as high a bus clock. Reason being, although you can't get the memory to run a blazingly fast bus clock, you CAN get to random addresses VERY quickly, which means that page misses in the DRAM don't cost you as much. On the other hand, if you are doing a lot of video encoding or something that is very sequential in the way it accesses memory, then the C2 stuff is the better way to go, because you very rarely have DRAM page misses, and so can take full advantage of the higher bus speed.

I believe ARS Technica did a good writeup on this a while back, as have some other web sites. Corsair or OCZ might also have something on their site.

Later,
Gizmo

Gizmo, if I understand you correctly the LL "works" better in spec but as you up the FSB it whacks the timings the stick are running to, to do this better performance at spec. The Cas2 is less finely tuned but because of this isnt so fussed about the bus speed?
Glad I spotted this cos if I saw some come along I might have traded from 2x512 3200 Cas2 (platinums with the silver coloured sinks) to the LL stuff. Sounds like you've done your research on these, glad I stuck with what ive got.

[Gizmo]

Originally Posted by MercutioUK

Gizmo, if I understand you correctly the LL "works" better in spec but as you up the FSB it whacks the timings the stick are running to, to do this better performance at spec. The Cas2 is less finely tuned but because of this isnt so fussed about the bus speed?
Glad I spotted this cos if I saw some come along I might have traded from 2x512 3200 Cas2 (platinums with the silver coloured sinks) to the LL stuff. Sounds like you've done your research on these, glad I stuck with what ive got.

That is my understanding. I did some research on this a while back and decided that I wanted to go with the 3200LL at the time. As I said, it depends on what you are trying to do. For what I have planned, the 3200LL will (theoretically) give me better performance. Compiling large programs would seem to be more in line with what the 3200LL gives you the benefits for. Since I don't do a lot of video and audio stuff, this makes more sense for me. However, at that time we didn't have the 4000 stuff available, much less the 4400. I will have to revisit this when I get to the point of buying some better RAM (right now I'm running a 256MB Corsair Value Memory stick at 2.5-3-3-8 at 200 Mhz). Ultimately, I want to have 2 512 MB 3200LL sticks (unless I decide that 4400 is better), but right now I'm still trying to get my WC system sorted.

[danrok]

I am currently getting 195mhz with timings of cas2,3,2,6 on one corsair XMS3200 512mb.

System is not stable at 200mhz with these timings. Should I stick with it at 195mhz or try different timings and go for 200+?

[WinXP]

I have tested a lot of ram over the last year. To get some good sticks. The Corsair 3200LL is good memoery just didn't run high fsb which I wanted. Even though the 3200LL is bh-5 memory it just didn't like high fsb on my systems. I have 4-256meg sticks Corsair XMS PC3500c2, 2-256meg sticks Corsair XMS PC3200c2, 2-256meg sticks Twinmos PC3200 with the winbond bh-5 chips, 2-256meg sticks Kingston HyperX PC3200 nonA version an they all run about the same to 238fsb with 2.93v at 2-2-2-11 on my NF7-S v2.0. The Twinmos maxs at 240fsb which is my best 2 sticks.

[MercutioUK]

Originally Posted by WinXP

I have tested a lot of ram over the last year. To get some good sticks. The Corsair 3200LL is good memoery just didn't run high fsb which I wanted. Even though the 3200LL is bh-5 memory it just didn't like high fsb on my systems. I have 4-256meg sticks Corsair XMS PC3500c2, 2-256meg sticks Corsair XMS PC3200c2, 2-256meg sticks Twinmos PC3200 with the winbond bh-5 chips, 2-256meg sticks Kingston HyperX PC3200 nonA version an they all run about the same to 238fsb with 2.93v at 2-2-2-11 on my NF7-S v2.0. The Twinmos maxs at 240fsb which is my best 2 sticks.

Is that twinmos the standard stuff or twister? And whats the timings? Will it do 2-2-2-11? I just got the one stick (256MB) for a second box but might get another and push it if its good stuff

[WinXP]

The twinmos I have has the winbond bh-5 chips. They don't make it anymore with the bh-5 chips. Twinmos now has the ch-5 chips, these run a loser timming to get a high fsb. The bh-5 will run a tighter timing at high fsb. The only way to get these mem sticks anymore is buy them from a person selling theres. But most people hang on to them.

[MercutioUK]

Originally Posted by WinXP

The twinmos I have has the winbond bh-5 chips. They don't make it anymore with the bh-5 chips. Twinmos now has the ch-5 chips, these run a loser timming to get a high fsb. The bh-5 will run a tighter timing at high fsb. The only way to get these mem sticks anymore is buy them from a person selling theres. But most people hang on to them.

There much difference tween twinmos bh-5`s and winbond`s own sticks with bh-5?

[tjf_diesel]

If it helps I got my Corsair TWINX512-3200LLPT to 225 FSB. I haven't tried past that, yet......

[purplemohawkman]

thats about the same w/ mine too