RAM Frequency question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Larry Hodges
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Larry Hodges

Sorry guys...there is no RAM or memory specific ng out there that I can
find. So if you don't mind, I'll ask it here since I've been lurking here a
lot lately.

I just built a new system, but when I run Everest or CPU-Z, it says my
memory timing frequency is 200MHz. However, the RAM is 400MHz. It is
running as dual channel, so maybe between the two channels, it's 400?

My system
Abit KN8 mobo
AMD dual core 3800+
RAM is Patriot PC3200. Here's a link to the kit I got:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220040

The other numbers are right on. 2.0-3-2-5.

Thanks in advance,
-Larry
 
Sorry guys...there is no RAM or memory specific ng out there that I can
find. So if you don't mind, I'll ask it here since I've been lurking here a
lot lately.

I just built a new system, but when I run Everest or CPU-Z, it says my
memory timing frequency is 200MHz. However, the RAM is 400MHz. It is
running as dual channel, so maybe between the two channels, it's 400?

My system
Abit KN8 mobo
AMD dual core 3800+
RAM is Patriot PC3200. Here's a link to the kit I got:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220040

The other numbers are right on. 2.0-3-2-5.

Thanks in advance,
-Larry
Click to expand...

It's 200MHz DDR (double data rate) which is a 400MHz transfer rate. To be
more specific 200MHz is the clock frequency. Double data rate means that
two words are transfered every clock cycle, thus it's equivalent to a
Single Data Rate system running off of a 400MHz clock. Your system is
running at the right speed.
 
Larry Hodges said:
I just built a new system, but when I run Everest or CPU-Z, it says my
memory timing frequency is 200MHz. However, the RAM is 400MHz. It is
running as dual channel, so maybe between the two channels, it's 400?
Click to expand...

OK, with DDR (Double data rate) memory, there are 3 ways of defining it.
The clock that drive the memory (200MHz), the data rate tied to that clock
(200MHz x 2 = 400 (where double rate comes from)) or the total data
bandwidth (3200MB/sec). This can then be called 200MHz for the clock rate,
400MHz for the data speed, or PC3200 for the data rate. Different programs
show different things, and I think the 2 programs are showing the clock,
not the data rate.


Hope this helps.


--
____________________________________________
/ David Simpson \
| City of Heroes, Basic Stamp, RPGs, War Games |
| (e-mail address removed) |
| http://www.nyx.net/~dsimpson |
\____________________________________________/
 
Larry Hodges said:
Sorry guys...there is no RAM or memory specific ng out there that I can
find. So if you don't mind, I'll ask it here since I've been lurking here
a lot lately.

I just built a new system, but when I run Everest or CPU-Z, it says my
memory timing frequency is 200MHz. However, the RAM is 400MHz. It is
running as dual channel, so maybe between the two channels, it's 400?

My system
Abit KN8 mobo
AMD dual core 3800+
RAM is Patriot PC3200. Here's a link to the kit I got:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220040

The other numbers are right on. 2.0-3-2-5.

Thanks in advance,
-Larry
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input guys. :)

-Larry
 
I just built a new system, but when I run Everest or CPU-Z, it says my
memory timing frequency is 200MHz. However, the RAM is 400MHz. It is
running as dual channel, so maybe between the two channels, it's 400?

RAM is Patriot PC3200. Here's a link to the kit I got:
Click to expand...
You've bought into marketing BS. PC3200 ram runs at 200MHz clock, not
400MHz as the marketeers would have you believe. They erroneously use the
data rate of 400Mbps (DDR) as MHz.
 
Wes Newell said:
You've bought into marketing BS. PC3200 ram runs at 200MHz clock, not
400MHz as the marketeers would have you believe. They erroneously use the
data rate of 400Mbps (DDR) as MHz.
Click to expand...

Not to start a flame war, but that is about as far off base of an
explanation as I have ever read.
 
OK, with DDR (Double data rate) memory, there are 3 ways of defining it.
The clock that drive the memory (200MHz), the data rate tied to that clock
(200MHz x 2 = 400 (where double rate comes from)) or the total data
bandwidth (3200MB/sec). This can then be called 200MHz for the clock rate,
400MHz for the data speed, or PC3200 for the data rate. Different programs
show different things, and I think the 2 programs are showing the clock,
not the data rate.


Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Nice. Can you add the FSB information too, so we've got the full
package ?
 
Not to start a flame war, but that is about as far off base of an
explanation as I have ever read.
Click to expand...

Then everything else you've read is BS too. What is it you think that's
wrong? It's a pure fact that PC3200 ram runs on a 200MHz clock. It's also
pure fact that 200MHz DDR is a 400Mbps per signal line. Add the total
bandwidth up and it comes to 3200MBps. Thus the designation PC3200.
Anyone advertising PC3200 ram as 400MHz is just flat out feeding you crap.
Bus speeds are measured in MHz of the clock. The data rate is not measured
in MHz, but in bps (bits per second), or Bps (bytes per second). The data
rate of a 200MHz DDR bus is 400Mbps and the bandwidth of that bus is 400
times the number of signal lines, be it 1 or 64.

Now, Name one thing here that's not correct or go away. Then go try and
run your PC3200 ram with a 400Mhz clock.:-)
 
Amen, Brother...

Wes Newell said:
Then everything else you've read is BS too. What is it you think that's
wrong? It's a pure fact that PC3200 ram runs on a 200MHz clock. It's also
pure fact that 200MHz DDR is a 400Mbps per signal line. Add the total
bandwidth up and it comes to 3200MBps. Thus the designation PC3200.
Anyone advertising PC3200 ram as 400MHz is just flat out feeding you crap.
Bus speeds are measured in MHz of the clock. The data rate is not measured
in MHz, but in bps (bits per second), or Bps (bytes per second). The data
rate of a 200MHz DDR bus is 400Mbps and the bandwidth of that bus is 400
times the number of signal lines, be it 1 or 64.

Now, Name one thing here that's not correct or go away. Then go try and
run your PC3200 ram with a 400Mhz clock.:-)



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Need good help? Provide all system info with question.
My server http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/cpu.php
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Click to expand...
 
Not to start a flame war, but that is about as far off base of an
explanation as I have ever read.
Click to expand...

I see your lack of electronics knowledge is excedded only by your
hubris.

Bill
 
Wes Newell said:
Then everything else you've read is BS too. What is it you think that's
wrong? It's a pure fact that PC3200 ram runs on a 200MHz clock. It's also
pure fact that 200MHz DDR is a 400Mbps per signal line. Add the total
bandwidth up and it comes to 3200MBps. Thus the designation PC3200.
Anyone advertising PC3200 ram as 400MHz is just flat out feeding you crap.
Bus speeds are measured in MHz of the clock. The data rate is not measured
in MHz, but in bps (bits per second), or Bps (bytes per second). The data
rate of a 200MHz DDR bus is 400Mbps and the bandwidth of that bus is 400
times the number of signal lines, be it 1 or 64.

Now, Name one thing here that's not correct or go away. Then go try and
run your PC3200 ram with a 400Mhz clock.:-)
Click to expand...

PC3200 is not 400Mbps. Yes it is 200MHz providing 2 words per cycle (making
it effectively like older RAM at 400MHz), but it is 3200MBps max bandwidth.
no where near 400Mbps. Hell even a shoddy firewire connection is capable of
400Mbps.
 
Bill said:
I see your lack of electronics knowledge is excedded only by your
hubris.
Click to expand...

I should have known better than to correct anyone. The ignorant flamers
start coming out in droves.
 
PC3200 is not 400Mbps. Yes it is 200MHz providing 2 words per cycle (making
it effectively like older RAM at 400MHz), but it is 3200MBps max bandwidth.
no where near 400Mbps. Hell even a shoddy firewire connection is capable of
400Mbps.
Click to expand...

Wes obviously meant 400Mbps per pin.
 
General Schvantzkoph said:
Wes obviously meant 400Mbps per pin.
Click to expand...
He did specifically say in the second reply 400Mbps per line, but that is
not why it is called 400DDR. It is called 400DDR because it is doing two
words per cycle, compared to older RAM that does one word, making the
comparable speed equivalent to what an older 400MHz DIMM would be. To simply
call it marekting BS, is to call AMD's naming scheme marketing BS also. It's
apples and apples. a 3200+ is named based on a perofrmance scale, as is
DDR400.
 
PC3200 is not 400Mbps. Yes it is 200MHz providing 2 words per cycle
(making it effectively like older RAM at 400MHz), but it is 3200MBps max
bandwidth. no where near 400Mbps. Hell even a shoddy firewire connection
is capable of 400Mbps.
Click to expand...

Please re-read my post. The 400Mbps IS the data rate of a single line.
That's what I wrote. That's what I meant. And it IS the facts. Actually, I
even wrote "per signal line" to make sure it it wasn't interpreted some
other way. I thought it was very clear.
 
He did specifically say in the second reply 400Mbps per line, but that is
not why it is called 400DDR. It is called 400DDR because it is doing two
words per cycle, compared to older RAM that does one word, making the
comparable speed equivalent to what an older 400MHz DIMM would be. To
simply call it marekting BS, is to call AMD's naming scheme marketing BS
also. It's apples and apples. a 3200+ is named based on a perofrmance
scale, as is DDR400.
Click to expand...

There are no older 400MHz diimms. You've got yourself confused. I never
stated any objection to 400DDR or DDR400. What I object to is them calling
PC3200 ram 400MHz, when it's really 200MHz 400DDR (but not 400Mhz) And
calling PC3200 ram 400Mhz is marketing BS since it's really 200MHz 400DDR.
Again, not 400MHz. Same goes for the FSB of the P4 and The Athlon. It
should be obvious to anyone that's actaully set up many systems when they
set PC3200 ram to 200MHz and not 400MHz. Same for the 400FSB when you set
the FSB to 200MHz and not 400MHz. Anyone that can't tell the diference in
this is just an idiot.
 
Yadayada said:
He did specifically say in the second reply 400Mbps per line, but that is
not why it is called 400DDR. It is called 400DDR because it is doing two
words per cycle, compared to older RAM that does one word, making the
comparable speed equivalent to what an older 400MHz DIMM would be. To
simply call it marekting BS, is to call AMD's naming scheme marketing BS
also. It's apples and apples. a 3200+ is named based on a perofrmance
scale, as is DDR400.
Click to expand...
Guys,
please read "Page 9" (including the comment under the "*") of this document
from JEDEC.
http://www.jedec.org/DOWNLOAD/search/JESD79D.pdf
That should clear it up once for all. (at least for the matter of explaining
the meaning of the term "DDR400")
 
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