confused about ram MHz

[lenzz]

Hi
I’m a little confused about ram MHz. I was under the impression that if your cpu is 1066 then your ram needs to match that in order to fun at full capacity. But from what I have been reading on these forums I now believe that if I am using a Q6600 that I could be using PC6400, and that I do not require pC8500 which runs at 1066 MHz.

Am in correct in this assumption.

 

[lenzz]

No thats completly wrong. a 1066fsb CPU has a default fsb of 266 (quad-pumped). Really you would need RAM that can run at least 266mhz because the lowest speed you can run the memory is 1:1 to the FSB

so you are saying that i do need pc8500 ram.

 

[lenzz]

With pc6400 you could overclock that CPU to 3.6ghz before you would have to start overclocking the memory aswell. Which would be:

400*9 = 3600 MHz, RAM 1:1 (FSB to MHZ) 400mhz

Any higher and the memory has to run faster

ok so i am currently using 2gb of pc 8500 witch is 1066mhz. so if i am understanding this right i could set the ram to run at 800mhz and overclock the cpu without any performance hits from the ram.

 

[lenzz]

depending on your mobo u can have the fsb of the cpu and ram split.

im running a 7;10 divider, my ram @ 1000 and my cpu at 350 which is 700, (which is 1400 quadpumped)
n

thanx. ok so as long as my ram is between 800 and 1066 and i dont overclock above 3.6 then i shouldnt need to worry about my ram underperforming.