Memory speed vs. video quality?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Frank Weston
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Frank Weston

ASUS P4P Deluxe
P4 2.8 at 240 FSB
2 sticks, 512K OCZ PC 3700 memory, 1:1 divider, 2.5,4,4,7
Radeon 9800 Pro
Samsung 172T LCD monitor

In this configuration, the system runs fine, except for random vertical
lines in some games and in some parts of 3DMk2003. Some examples: Video is
good in BF1942 and Counter-Strike(Open GL and DirectX), but poor in Ghost
Recon, and America's Army.

I have tried all sorts of adjustments to the video card, Direct-X, and every
other setting I can think of and still the vertical lines persist. I've run
the Catalyst drivers and the Omega Drivers and no change. I've tried over
and underclocking the video card, and no change.

BUT.....When I change the memory divider to 4:5, the video problems go away.
Everything looks fine and runs smoothly. Why should slowing the memory down
have an affect on video quality in some applications? Is the problem with
the games or with my system? Is it the LCD monitor (tried different refresh
rates, vsync on and off)?

Any ideas? I'd really like to run the memory at 1:1, and I'm hoping there's
something I've overlooked or a setting I can tweak.

Thanks
 
when you overclocked your sys it probly upped the pci and agp bus speed
also. see if it has a setting to lower the pci and agp back to normal
 
Thanks for the idea, but no. The AGP/PCI frequency is set at 66.66/33.33.
Also, I'm not sure how a change in DDR operating frequency would be related
to AGP/PCI frequency.

Any other thoughts?
 
have your tryed it with one stick of ram? one may be not holding up at the
speed your runing it at. test both sticks of ram.
i dont use intell cpu's so when i saw 240 fsb i thought you were
overclocking.
something dont sound right with the ram and cpu speed DDR3700 is 2 x 233mhz
to get 466mhz right?
so at 1:1 the ram is trying to run at what? 480mhz thats overclocking the
ram. no wonder it runs better at 4:5
and your cpu is at 240mhz x 11.5 or is it 12 multiplyer?
im still not getting it i thought intell p4 2.8 cpu was a 533 or 800mhz
fsb.

You got me how that cpu is setup in bios.
but im willing to bet that its not right. some intel expert needs to step in
and answer this one.
to me its looking like your overclocking the ram and underclocking the cpu.
sorry i cant help with the cpu.
 
You miss the point:

Yes, the computer is overclocked.
Yes the memory is overclocked.

The point is that even with overclocked CPU and memory, everything runs and
tests fine except for the fact that I have visual artifacts in some portions
of 3DMk2003 and in some games.

If I keep the same FSB and lower the memory speed, the visual artifacts
disappear; however, I have to set the memory speed to much lower than spec
(PC3500 or below) to get these artifacts to disappear. I suspect there is
some glitch with the CPU portion of video processing, or maybe my LCD
monitor can't keep up.
 
Here's another clue. In America's Army, I can turn off "projectors" in the
display detail setup. When I do this, America's Army runs without any video
distortion. With "projectors" on, lots of problems.

What in hell are "projectors" and how do I control them in other
applications?
 
yep i missed the point totaly.
like i said i dont mess with intell cpu's now days.

but your forgetting one of the basic rules of overclocking.
after you reach a point where you are haveing stability problems or video
problems you have to back it down a
notch or 2.
you already know its your ram that is not holding up at that overclock
speed.
i know it dont seam right that your ram is makeing you have video problems
but its all conected one dont work with out the other.
just like my sys i was messing around with overclocking and underclocking,
i set my 2500+ @3200+ then i underclocked my ram DDR3200 to DDR2100 speed
and my sound is laged in games lol figure that one out.
why would i set ram at that speed well to see what timeings i could get it
stable at then i would bump it up slowly till ram failed in tests and up the
timeing.
somthing you probly have not tryed yet is more relaxed timeing on the ram.
interesting reading check it out on ram timeing
http://www.amdforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=237991 i know its for
nforce board's but cant hurt to try it, it may help your ram out some
 
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