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PC100 or PC133 for 124MHz Bus?

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vwR32

Registered
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Hi,
I have a system with 448MB RAM. The system is overclocked to 124MHz FSB from 100MHz. My current memory configuration is: 64MB Samsung PC100, 128MB Micron PC100, and 256MB PNY PC133. Since I am running at 124MHz FSB, would I see a difference in making all my memory modules PC133?

Also, what is CL2 and CL3? And what's the best PC100 or PC133 memory (crucial, kingston, pny, kingmax, samsung, corsair, nanya...)?
 
It wouldn't be worth the price of SRAM today to change anything. You wouldn't really see any difference. Save your money for a new system some day. If you are using a 9X Operating system, take everything out except the 256MB stick, '98 can't really use much more than that efficiently, and the rest is most likely slowing you down.
 
GreyFalcon said:
Save your money for a new system some day.

Actually, my brother has already has a good system. Since I don't play games like Doom III or the upcoming Half-Life 2, I don't need a super good computer. My brother's into that stuff. I'm currently saving my money for other things (mostly my future car and it's modifications. You may not have noticed but my name is vwR32. VW Golf R32)
 
Windows 98/98SE & ME can address up to 768 MB's of RAM before running into issues.

DO NOT remove any of your memory. The more the merrier for your system.

It was only on the old Intel Triton-III 430TX that there was the 256 MB caching limit, after which performance was negatively impacted. That chipset, an old Socket 7 66 MHz EDO & PC66 SDRAM chipset, is incredibly outdated and used by nobody.

For a 124 MHz FSB, chances are pretty good that you'll need PC133 memory, as there aren't many PC100 modules that will run at that speed.

However, SDR SDRAM is old technology and isn't worth being upgraded right now. A better investment is for you to save towards a newer system. Nothing insanely fast, as you've said you don't game or "punish" your PC like most gamers/overclockers do, but something that's speedy in it's own way to you. :)

You would see no difference in changing from PC100 modules to PC133 modules.

CL2 & CL3 are the Column Address Select (CAS) Latency. The numbers 2 & 3 refer to the number of clock cycles required to perform the operation. CAS2-rated modules perform better than CAS3 modules, but only marginally. There is little to no real-world noticable difference that the mainstream customer can detect between those modules.

Corsair, Mushkin & Kingston make good overclocking RAM (yes, even PC133/PC150 SDR SDRAM) with Crucial, Spamsung and PNY being great price-oriented purchases.
 
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