I've noticed some memory advertised as having EPP. This seems to be some kind of automatic configuration for nVidia basd motherboards. How different is this to the normal automatic timing setup? Will it improve speeds? Is it worth the extra money?
Memory with EPP... eh?
- Thread starter Hades
- Start date
geepee said:
Automatic overclocking - yes.
Extra performance - no.
Gimmick to anyone who knows how to set up RAM speeds/timings/voltages correctly - probably.
"EPP extends the SPD concept, where the memory module contains readable configuration information so the memory controller can better work with it.
Whereas the SPD stores basic timing parameters and rated speeds, EPP goes some steps further, using the SPD ROM storage space and hijacking a 160 byte range in the ROM to store extra information. That information will include operating voltage, even more timing parameters and, most importantly for NVIDIA, what amounts to overclocking information."
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Dont quote me, but I'm almost certain EPP's are essential on ram that runs on high volts, so that it can default to slacker timings which run on less volts, so they will boot up? Therefore not that much of a gimmick afterall?nightic said:
Nelly said:
Not true. If that's a ram requirement, then the default SPD's can be set accordingly. If the "average" board boots at 1.8v, and the ram requires 2.2v to operate correctly then the timings can be increased in the SPD programming to get a reliable boot at 1.8v. Just requires user to manually set the timings/voltage in bios. Doesn't NEED EPP profiles to allow it.
All EPP does is load the ram's rated timings and voltages out of the box (may also contain a few other overclocked profiles, not sure). There's still a need if you want to overclock to increase the FSB/voltage/timings manually to facilitate this. Spose it's only real advantage is to stop people asking the question "why, if my rams rated to x timings/FSB, is it only running y timings/FSB)
Nelly said:Cool I've been owned! lol
How come some ram wont boot up, unless you put some basic ram in so you can get into the bios settings to change voltage etc? it's just that I've seen this in various forums.
Most likely the SPD timings programmed aren't sufficient to get the ram booting at the default voltage the board supplies. Some boards "run" ram better than others, some boards also run the alpha timings tighter/looser than others. It's probably a combo of lower voltage and tighter than average alpha timings.
Some boards just plain hate certain types of IC or a certain brand of memory.
It's cases like this where EPP can help.