[wesbroadway]

asus p4p800se
P4 3.0ghtz prescott
generic ram (AllComponents brand) 2x256 pc2100/266 single-chan
vid GeForce FX5200 128MB
Maxtor SATA 200G

Bios>Advanced>Chipset>Config DRAM timing SPD>Enabled
switch to disabled and i got 4-4-8-8
...Chipset>Graphics Aperture Size>64MB
-----
TIA... can't seem to find a thorough "idiot's guide" to RAM timing. also looking to add 1G (2x512 pc3200 dual-chan) sometime soon. main reason i want to increase performance is for gaming, video-crunching, and audio-recording/crunching. system works a+ for basic stuff (web/media player/etc...)

1.) should i anticipate any conflicts, specifically with dual/single-chan combo?
2.) if i changed my ram timings would i notice any significant improvement?
3.) would changing the RAM voltage help/hinder any efforts at increasing performance?
4.) does the graphics ap size in bios have anything to do with my vid RAM size? (sorry i'm a bit weak on this stuff, i suspect that this is a loaded Q)

dead-horse issue: proc runs way hot (vcore default 1.3875; 50-60C). upon boot/login/AiBooster i crank vcore down to 1.25, and it runs between 40C-50C. system is stable in all apps/full load. vcore settings are not retained if l login as diff user, or reboot.

5.) any danger to dropping vcore this low?
6.) is there a way to set this in BIOS so it will retain that vcore setting?

Thanks again, kind regards.......

 

[please]

@ wesbroadway
You will get a very nice performance increase going with the PC3200 RAM. You can't mix the PC3200 with your current PC2100 stuff, though, as the PC3200 will underclock to the PC2100 speed or may not work at all. Just run the PC3200 by itself.

You can test your memory performance with the 3 'benchmark' utilities in Everest Home edition , a neat little free diagnostic program.

Tightening your timings will increase memory performance, but only by 10-15% at most. With your current RAM, I am surprised the SPD timings aren't much lower. You can try to lower them a bit, to like 3-3-3-7 and see if your system will boot. Then try 2.5-3-3-7, then 2-3-2-6 and maybe 2-2-2-5. Jumping to 2-2-2-5 doesn't usually work.

Turning up the voltage on your RAM(Vdimm) can be helpful in maintaining stability with tight timings, but the RAM must be good stuff to be able to handle the extra voltage. I think your current generic RAM, like most generic or 'value' RAM, probably won't be helped by upping the Vdimm and most like will get fried.

Your AGP Aperture is fine, according to Rojak's BIOS guide .

Your processor DOES run hot. You might want to consider an aftermarket HeatSinkFan like a Zalman 7000(best value) or 7700. The Scythe Ninja and Arctic Cooling Freezer4, Thermalright XP90 or XP120 are also good choices for the hot-running Prescott P4 you have. If you are getting fairly hot case temps in the range of 35C+(or anything more than 10C above room temp), then you may need better ventilation thru your case. A front-to-back airflow is usually a good way to approach your system air management. Add an extra fan in front or back if needed. Side fans if any should blow in and top fans if any should blow out.

Dropping the voltage on your CPU(Vcore) will make your CPU scale back in speed and possibly be unstable. You can set your Vcore in the BIOS under Advanced>AIOverclockTuner[manual]>CPU Vcore Voltage[xxx].

This X-bit Labs review has a lot of good info on your MB. Another good article is this one from ABXZone to see what others are doing.

Keep us posted on your progress.