I am very confused here. On this link you gave me, the Corsair 512MB PC3200 RAM is listed at the bottom. Doesn't that mean its supported? Isn't this the link you gave me to check for supported ram by the motherboard we have selected? Its under the "DDR 400" category on the bottom half. Explain why your saying it isn't supported? Or is there more than one type of DDR Corsair 512MB PC3200 RAM? AHHH! I'm losing my mind here, I need some information fast....:swt:
They have some low-latency sticks of their RAM, but I really would not worry about that. I'd say it'd be worth it. The only thing I'd check is to make sure that the board's latest BIOS will support the Barton core CPU's, like the XP3000+. It's got 512kB of L2 cache, which only the Pentium 4 Northwoods have---at least as far as desktop CPU's go---others have 256kB. This is SRAM (Static RAM) which is fairly expensive to have, but is needed to supply the data fast enough to the CPU. It usually runs at the same speed as the CPU, which today is pretty fast.
sirdeity: for the review I think you may be right. but the way I see it, corsair costs more for these reasons: they are a well-known brand, known to be very stable and compatible and known for their overclockability. but speed-wise I don'T think there is a notable difference between samsung and corsair, I think corsair has a lifetime warranty though, samsung may have one too, I just don't know and didn't look for it. well I thought just as you did that a 512mb stick of corsair was just a 512mb stick of corsair. but apparently not. the memory you'Re looking at has a cas latency of 2 and the one supported by the board must have a cas latency of 2.5 . If you look at the motherboard compatibility list provided with the link you posted previously, you will see that the asus a7n8x deluxe is not on it. so like I said, take the model # I gave you : CMX512-3200C 2XMS3202 v1.1 and look for this exact one. The one you'Re looking at may still work, but as the review you read said, there is no standard in ddr400 memory, that is why mainboard companies recommend using certain types of memory. What you could do is buy the one you're looking at, try it and return it if it doesn't work or buy the one supported and overclock it to achieve the speed of the one you were thinking to buy. in my opinion, even if you don'T overclock it, your system will still be extremely performant, I wouldn'T worry about that a bit. and for the xp 3000+, like big b said, make sure asus has posted a bios upgrade that supports this cpu, because the fastest cpu your board can handle right now, when you buy it, is the xp 2800+.
Big B: "They have some low-latency sticks of their RAM, but I really would not worry about that." ---Big B What does this mean? What is low-latency sticks of RAM? Of their RAM? You mean of Corsair's RAM? "I'd say it'd be worth it. The only thing I'd check is to make sure that the board's latest BIOS will support the Barton core CPU's, like the XP3000+. " ---Big B How do I do that? Sorry, I have no idea where to look. I didn't see anything like that on the specs. If you've already looked, I'll just trust what you tell me. "It's got 512kB of L2 cache, which only the Pentium 4 Northwoods have---at least as far as desktop CPU's go---others have 256kB. This is SRAM (Static RAM) which is fairly expensive to have, but is needed to supply the data fast enough to the CPU. It usually runs at the same speed as the CPU, which today is pretty fast." ---Big B What is this? I'm not sure if we're talking about the motherboard or the RAM here. Your assuming I've already heard of all this stuff. I need the blanks filled in. So the Asus A7N8X Deluxe has 512kB of L2 cache? or is it the AMD 3000+ processor that has 512kB of L2 cache? Tell me more about Static RAM: When was it released? Where does it apply? Why is it expensive to have? You mean its just expensive to buy? Or do you mean it just needs to be replaced frequently? Is the Corsair XMS Extreme Memory 512MB PC3200 DDR 400MHz SRAM? I've heard of SDRAM, which I'm told is not as commonly used and is not as good as DDR RAM. Any connection here? P.S. I know I'm a pain in the ass right now, but the good news is I'm less ignorant today than I was yesterday --- thanks to you.
So which latency is better? Are there only two latencies for the Corsair 512MB PC3200 RAM? 2.0 and 2.5?? What does the latency effect? Does it effect performance or quality? Or is it stricly just to make finding a compatible motherboard a royal pain in the arse? Okay friends, I have an idea. Lets all search for a motherboard that has these 5 things: - nForce2 Chipset: NVIDIA nForce2 SPP, nForce2 MCP-T - At least: Slots:: 1x AGP (Pro/8X) - 128-bit memory controllers - AMD Athlon XP 3000+ compatible - CAS latency: 2.0 clock cycles (instead of the slower 2.5 latency) It must also be compatible with: - the GeForce4 Ti 4600/Radeon 9700 Pro Video card - 8MB Cache Hard Drive - Windows XP Pro - Vantec Nexus Multi-Functional Panel - Doom 3 game/Doom 3 based engines Is there a good motherboard out there that can do this? I'll pay up to $500 on the motherboard. I want to get this over with and make the order. I'd like to stick with the Corsair RAM listed above. This means I want a motherboard with all those features, but with a 2.0 latency instead of a 2.5 latency. I have no idea where to look, but I will. If you find one let me know what the differences are, especially if anything (features, etc...) is being sacrificed.
I'm taking the choice of answering the questions you'Re asking big b because I read the post and now the answers but you could wait for big b to answer if you want, anyways, here's what I have to say. basically, latency is a waiting state between data transfers, just like the lag when you play games on the net, lag is another word for latency, so lower latency means faster memory. the memory you are looking at has a latency of 2, the one which is supported a latency of 2.5 . I checked the website, they have a bios update, the say they support faster cpus and refers you to a link where you can check the supported list. But the list stops at the 2800+ and does not include cpus supported by the newer bios so I cannot tell you whether the 3000+ is supported or not. L2 cache is the ram inside the cpu, it is extremely fast(if the cpu runs at 2.5 ghz, the cache will run at 2.5ghz, compared to ddr400 which runs at 400mhz), much faster than any type of ram and much more expensive, that'S why there is only 512kb compared to the 512mb you're looking to buy. you cannot buy L2 cache, it comes with the cpu, xp cpus have 256kb of cache but the new 3000+ will have 512kb of cache. SRAM has been there for a long time, at least 10 years, but on the 486 dx/4 100s(the intel ones, amd had less cache) there was only 16kb of cache, now the max is 512kb. sdram has 172 pin compared to 184 for ddr, the maximum speed of sdram is 133mhz, the minimum speed of ddr ram is 200mhz, but you are buying 400mhz ddr ram(ddr400). but even at the same clock(if it existed) ddr would be faster because of the number of pins.
Personnaly, I do not see the point of changing a motherboard just because of memory latency. As I said, you can always buy 2.5 latency memory and set it to two in the bios. Plus, I cannot give you numbers on this, but I don't think it would make that much of a difference.
Harrack: "that'S why there is only 512kb compared to the 512mb you're looking to buy. SRAM has been there for a long time, at least 10 years, but on the 486 dx/4 100s(the intel ones, amd had less cache) there was only 16kb of cache, now the max is 512kb. sdram has 172 pin compared to 184 for ddr, the maximum speed of sdram is 133mhz, the minimum speed of ddr ram is 200mhz, but you are buying 400mhz ddr ram(ddr400). but even at the same clock(if it existed) ddr would be faster because of the number of pins." Your response is appreciated, but I'll need you to reword what you see above in the quotes. Its not very comprehendible. Which has L2 cache? You explained what it is, and that it comes as part of the processor, but I still don't know how to apply it. Is the new XP 3000+ the first AMD L2 cache or is it just the first 512KB of cache AMD processor to be released? Or is the L2 cache the same thing as saying 512KB of cache? Are you saying that if I want to buy the XP 3000+ I need to buy a different type of memory? Or are you saying I'll need to buy a different motherboard? Or are you saying both? SDRAM and SRAM are completely different, yes? SRAM has only previously been required on the Pentium 4 Northwoods? / This is the first AMD processor which requires SRAM? Is it possible that the XP 3000+ isn't listed on the supported list for the motherboard/BIOS just because it hasn't been released yet? Do motherboards/BIOS usually include unreleased CPU's under their support list? I can't afford to take any chances. Once I buy the motherboard/ram/CPU I can't take it back. If I mess up I'll have wasted a lot of money.
"Personnaly, I do not see the point of changing a motherboard just because of memory latency. As I said, you can always buy 2.5 latency memory and set it to two in the bios. Plus, I cannot give you numbers on this, but I don't think it would make that much of a difference." --Harrack The latency issue is mostly just a matter of my curiosity. If latency contributes in any way, no matter how small, to lagg, than I feel like I have to know more. Latency is perhaps the second most irritating thing when gaming. Especially when playing multilpayer games over the internet with a 26.4k connection speed because where you live you can't get cable or DSL. (Cable doesn't exist out here, DSL costs over $200 per month. Phone lines are so old, even with a 56K modem the best connection I can get is 28K.) I will most likely stick with the current motherboard, unless of course the XP 3000+ won't work on it either. In which case, I might strongly consider a different motherboard in hopes of having the option of the XP 3000+ and the Corsair PC3200/or PC3500 with 2.0 latency. For now, I'm requesting help finding a different motherboard that can use both the 2.0 latency DDR memory and the XP 3000+. (I'd also like to know for sure whether or not the current motherboard in question can handle either of those two items. I really don't want to resort to overclocking. I feel more comfortable with letting my hardware run at its intended and designed performance speeds.
L2 cache has been here for a long time (even before the pentiums) the 3000+ is the first amd processor to use 512kb of L2 cache the P4 Northwoods are the first P4 to use 512kb of L2 cache you do not need to buy a different type of memory to use the 3000+ and I have good news, the asus a7n8x deluxe supports(with the newest bios upgrade) the 3000+ processor, in fact, only the asus a7n8x and asus a7v8x are recommended for this processor, I have read this on amd's website. SRAM and SDRAM are different, SRAM is in the cpu itself, SDRAM is the memory that you buy at the store to put on your mainboard, ddr is actually DDR SDRAM for the latency, I have CL2.5 memory that I drive at CL2 and I do not see a difference in performance.
CAS 2.0 is better than CAS 2.5, but not by a significant amount. Either one works. 2 is slightly faster, but you can only tell via benchmarking the system. Every little bit helps, but don't expect to notice it. SRAM has been on all CPU's for quite awhile now, not just the P4 northwoods. Athlons, Duron's Celeron's, P3/2, K-6's, etc The amount has changed, but it's been there. SRAM doesn't need to be refreshed like SDRAM, and as long as it has power, it retains it's info.
What is the difference between the Asus A7N8X and the Asus A7V8X? I guess I'll just settle for this motherboard, which means I'll need to find the next best RAM since this motherboard doesn't support the 2.0 RAM I had selected. I'm open to suggestions. What is the next best ram? Is there a Corsair 512 DDR400 memory stick thats exactly the same except it has a latency of 2.5 instead of 2.0? or better yet, is there a Asus A7N8X or Asus A7V8X which can natively handle a latency of 2.0 instead of the 2.5? Its interesting to me, that the best motherboard on the market (since its the only one recommended for the newest AMD processors) can't handle the best latency on the market, 2.0 rather than 2.5. Once I buy this motherboard and CPU, and whatever RAM we decide I should have, I'll need to go in the BIOS and set the ratio appropriately so that the motherboard can natively run the memory at its normal speed of PC3200?? Let's elaborate on this so there won't be any surprises. P.S. Thank you for doing that research for me Harrack.
If any of you are on the forum tonight, and are willing, send me a private message. It might be more efficient. I'll give you my AOL screen name too.
the main differences between the two is that the a7n8x uses the nforce2 chipset and has dual channel ddr capability the a7v8x uses the via kt400 chipset and does not have dual channel ddr capability the model # of the supported ram I posted earlier is from Corsair. I don't know if the asus a7v8x can use CAS2 memory but it does not have dual channel ddr so regardless, it will be slower. there are 2 versions of the asus a7n8x, the asus a7n8x and the asus a7n8x deluxe, the difference between the two is that the deluxe version has more features, but there is no way that the "standard" version will support something more than the deluxe version. the reason it cannot use CAS2 memory is because there is no official standard for ddr400 memory, so memory manufacturers can work outside what the normal parameters would be if there was a standard, which means the memory they make won't be necessarily compatible with every ddr400 motherboard there is. yes that is it. The way my bios works, I can choose the speed of my ram(which is ddr333), I have two choices: 133mhz or 166mhz(133x2 = 266mhz, 166x2 = 332mhz), not all bioses function the same way, it could very well be a ratio that you have to set like big b said, something that would look like this : 1:1 or 5:6 (in the first case, the first number is the fsb and the second number is the memory so if you have a fsb of 333mhz, the memory will run at 333mhz, in the second case, the orders are the same, the first number is the fsb which is at 333mhz, the second number is the memory which will run at a fraction of the fsb, which is 6/5 : 6x333/5=399.6(or 400)) the default of the mainboard should be at 1:1 so you will have to change it in the bios. I will be on my computer tonight so if you have any questions I'll be there to answer them. But the reason it would be better to stick to the threads is that other users could benefit from the explanations and questions found in here, which is exactly the point of a forum
I would put my E-mail address/screen name on the forum (or on my profile), but I don't want to provide the means for an even larger abundance of spam mail. The reason why I suggested having the ability to talk via the more efficient method of IM or private messaging, is so that I can hopefully avoid a similar event from taking place like the one that took place today. Today is Monday, the day I was "supposed" to make the order. This morning just as I was about to leave (its an hour drive from here) to go make the order, it was brought to my attention that the memory I've been planning on getting all this time is not compatible. Therefore, the new deadline has been delayed until this Wednesday. I must have the final decision made by that time. While the forum is a very efficient way of obtaing information, a more direct approach might be a more appropriate solution. I'll attempt to IM one of you. Or, if you prefer, you can list your AOL screen name on the forum.
I think the only question now is: What memory is best fitted for this motherboard/hardware combination? Quality, overclockability, and performance are the key factors with which to decide.
This one : CMX512-3200C 2XMS3202 v1.1 it'S 512mb of ddr400 made by corsair, it'S compatible with the asus a7n8x deluxe Buy two of those and you will use the dual channel capability of the mainboard
When I typed that in at www.google.com this is what I got: http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?IO=twinbank Could you please post a link with the ram your referring to, on the forum. I need a link to a place with the specs and price... one I can print off. If you could help me find one similar to the below one, it would be perfect. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?sku=C13-4904
this is were I got the model number but there is no price, it's from the compatibility list http://www.asus.com/prog/spec.asp?m=A7N8X Deluxe I'll try to find a website that sells it
