Ocz Pc3200 Vs Pc4000

[rosieboy]

OK, so i admit it, i AM confused.
So, here's the deal. I am going to get a

DFI LanParty UT nF4 Ultra-D Motherboard.
OCZ 520W Modstream
Opteron 146 processor (Now here's the thing. im going to overclock this badboy. hopefully up to 270-280 x 10. Now im new to overclocking, so if im mistaken anywhere let me know. This would run my cpu at 2.7-2.8 ghz. So, in that case i would like to run my memories at 270-280 mhz, right?

(choice between OCZ 2048MB PC4000 Dual Channel Platinum Edition and OCZ PC3200 EL Dual Channel Platinum 2x1024Mb where the PC3200 has the nicer timings 2-3-2-5 vs pc4000's 3-3-2-8, and ofc the 3200 is much cheaper)

The PC3200 is 200..
The PC4000 is 250..

I would think the PC4000 would be easier to get up to these speeds, but i was told that "heck no, go with PC3200 and use dividers!"
Now, im not gonna make this a benchmarking system, just a big ol piece of GAMING-DELIGHT.
Im prepared to chunk out the cash for the more expensive PC4000, but i need to know if i really gain any performance with it over the PC3200 with lower timings + dividers. (or will i have to use dividers with the pc4000 too perhaps? overclocking to 280 is not a guarantee..)

So the final question is, which is better?
PC4000 with more loose timings, or PC3200 with tighter timings and using a divider?

(Or perhaps i'll have to use divider on the PC4000 aswell, getting that upto 280 might be real tricky? I dont know. this is where you guys come in :D)

Thx in advance, hope there's someone out there with the knowledge to answer my confusing questions.

/Pelle

[viccyran]

Well..

2gb is a good buy as it is for gaming nowadays with bigger and badder games such as bf2, fear and such. I don't think your memory bandwidth will affect your gaming (yeah maybe like 3-4 fps). If you want to spend a lot of money on 2gb just to have a good set, i'd suggest the ballistix memroy, as with loose timings (3-3-3-8?) it's hitting 270 usually.

[xtrempinoy]

umm, i would probably just save yourself some money and pick up the PC3200, and use the dividers. but the good thing about getting some PC4000, is the fact that you can overclock for more preformance, in the future. check this review out

http://www.anandtech.com/memory/showdoc.aspx?i=2560&p=7

it shows the difference's @ PC3200 speeds and PC4000 speeds. pretty good review for dual channel 2gig sticks

[l3ored]

i vote 3200 with dividers, i think that will give you the best price/performance since you dont gain a huge ammount stepping up to 4000.

[Kelldor]

If you're planning on buying a 2gb kit, I'd go with Crucial Ballistix PC400 as mentioned above. If only buying a 1gb kit, I'd go with the OCZ PC3200 Platinum Rev. 2 over the PC4000. The 3200 will offer better gaming performance and clock higher than the 4000, according to the Anandtech review linked above. Don't let the bigger number fool ya :)

[rosieboy]

Now i really dont understand this whole business with dividers, i've studied up on my overclocking and things are starting to get clear, dividers is a chapter i need to read again though :D Through email, i was told that since my processor is locked to x10 i wouldn't be able to find/use dividers if i manage to oc my processor to 2.6ghz-3.0ghz and im just not understanding this.. Is this so? Or should i just try to OC a pair of pc4000 to say 275, and do the same with the processor? These are speeds that i would be satisfied with, but if there isn't a performance gain from this, then ofc i'd rather get the cheaper OCZ pc3200 instead. Gah, im confused :D

[Pipi]

A divider means that if the CPU runs at 300 MHz, with a 166 MHz (6/5) divider the RAM will run at 250 MHz. And about the PC4k vs. PC3200; PC4000 has looser timings, yes, but they would probably run at 200 MHz 5-2-2-2 too. Now i don't know how well PC3200 OC, but i'd guess that they can do 250 MHz at 8-3-3-3 too. I confess, i haven't got a clue when it comes to 2x1 GB OCing. I only know how things stand in the 512 and 256 MB turf.

[Kunaak]

your Multiplier is locked on Opterons, not the Mem divider.

[iboomalot]

If only buying a 1gb kit, I'd go with the OCZ PC3200 Platinum Rev. 2 over the PC4000. The 3200 will offer better gaming performance and clock higher than the 4000, according to the Anandtech review linked above. Don't let the bigger number fool ya :)


I would run redline or OCZ VX both run over PC4000 speeds at 2-2-2-5 timings

[rosieboy]

A 1GB kit is not an option here, im pretty set on getting a 2GB kit.

It just seems hard to justify getting pc4000 over pc3200, when people tell me that the only thing that benefits from running a system synced is benchmarks.
I've been told that i might aswell get a pair of pc3200, and only OC my processor, it wont be noticable in games anyways.

(and let's make that clear, this system is not for benchmarking, but for my own personal use. *cough* GAMES *cough*)

I've been having trouble finding a review that points out how much difference there is in running a system with cpu + memory in sync vs NOT in sync.. If anyone can help me out, i would be real glad, cause im going nuts over here :P

Im not far from getting a pair of OCZ PC4000 though, to run my system in sync, i know i would be happy with it, and to heck with the whole question if it's good value or not :slobber:

Either way, im sure im gonna be a happy dancing banana after i've finished building this system of heavenly battlefield smoothness. :banana:

[high5]

I've been having trouble finding a review that points out how much difference there is in running a system with cpu + memory in sync vs NOT in sync.. If anyone can help me out, i would be real glad, cause im going nuts over here :P
http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&articID=325

[rosieboy]

THANK you high5, finally some concrete tests.. I've been looking hard for these kinds of tests. Now perhaps i can get the OCZ pc3200 with a happy face and spend the extra bucks on.. hmm.. tough one! booze..? Now it's stongly leaning towards pc3200 anyhow.. Well well, time for me to fuddle around with my rig and see what i can get for the few extra $ :D

[Pyr0]

You do know that the OCZ EB PC4000 Platinum kit will run at 2-3-2-5 at DDR400 speeds as well don't you?
it's just guaranteed to run at DDR500 as well with a lower cas
i like em :woot:

[rosieboy]

Well that would just be plain silly to run them at those speeds with tight timings when i can get pc3200 specced for that purpose much cheaper? =/

[high5]

well, i'm glad you found answers you were looking for. :)

pc3200 & divider would be my choice also. this whole flexibility thing is what i like the most on k8 systems.

but also bear in mind that this is xtreme forum and many ppl here don't actually mind spending the extra bucks.

[rosieboy]

Yes, i realized the fact that most people here dont really care about 'good bang for the buck' but rather just tell me to go with pc4000 because that's what benches the best :P

But thank you all for your feedback, i think i've found the system im looking for finally :P

(All i gotta do now is wait 2 days for my money, then im gonna start ordering like crazy.. everything i want is in stock besides the 146 Opteron processor, but im sure it will find its way to sweden shortly aswell.)

[uOpt]

Yes, i realized the fact that most people here dont really care about 'good bang for the buck' but rather just tell me to go with pc4000 because that's what benches the best :P


Well, this forum is xtremesystems, after all :)

However, there are several people who benchmarked 250 MHz versus 200 MHz memory and came up with it being useless. There's one sticky thread at anandtech, several at dfi-street and the Unix benchmarks in my signature also have special runs of memory timings and frequencies. All make it clear that memory fiddling is mostly useless from an application performance standpoint.

Note that some people have gaming benchmarks showing good FPS increases when memory frequency goes up. However, these runs usually use older games and FPS numbers are way above 100 or even 200 FPS. That is nonsense and doesn't buy you anything. At that rate an old game turns into a memory bandwidth benchmark because it shuffels textures around, but it's useless. Newer games are back to do actual CPU work and even if you like older games there is no reason to spend a hundred bucks on getting 180 instead of 160 FPS.

Bottom line is that the AMD64 CPUs have damn effective caches and that currently applications are written to live with these caches. And the 512 KB cache at that.

[rosieboy]

I just realized though.. That test stated that the difference in real life gaming performance for AMD64 was about zilch, when comparing pc3200 vs pc4000.

(this one: http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&articID=325 )

Does this mean that this the same for the Opteron processor? They are based on the same cores etc, so there shouldn't be any difference right?

Thx in advance, maybe a silly question, but i want to be sure =]

[uOpt]

Does this mean that this the same for the Opteron processor? They are based on the same cores etc, so there shouldn't be any difference right?


With a bigger cache memory bandwidth becomes even less important.

(Unless you totally trash the cache which is rare, certainly doesn't happen in retail hobby software).