AMD, RAM, and Motherboard Question

I currently have an MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum motherboard.

I have two sticks of 512mb of PC3200 ram running in dual channel @400mhz.

I've ordered two more sticks of 512 to make 2gb. This is when I learned a fun piece of info.

When 4 sticks of ram are installed on this board, the speed drops to 333mhz for the ram. The brand of ram doesn't matter, unless its single sided...

Reading up, I found that according to AMD reccomendations/specifications/whatever you want to call them, the memory controller on the cpu drops the speed of PC3200 to 333 when 4 sticks are installed for stability and compatbility reasons. Apprently MSI paid attention to AMD on this one and played it safe. I've read that quite a few other motherboards have this same issue.

Now that I've gotten over being extremely ticked off, I've also read that this 'limitation' has been resolved for AMD64s running the Venice core. I have a newcastle 3800+. Now, my question is:

1. Is it true that the Venice core has improved upon this?
2. What motherboards out there allow you to run all slots dual channel and at full speed?

If anything is incorrect here, please let me know.

 

From what I've heard and read off the internet, you need a venice core (revision E) CPU in order to get DDR 400 on all four memory slots.

Also, from what I heard, this issue is with all motherboards. You just need the newer cpu.

 

Here is one website talking about the issue.

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=127

Also, according to Anandtech, DDR 500 is also available:

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2469

 

I read this link a while back on the venice core. If you read through their benchmark test adding another 1gig of ram decreased the performance.. X-bit labs - Articles - AMD Athlon 64 Processors on E Core: Memory Controller Peculiarities in Detail (page 2)

 

Hmmm, thanks to both of you for the info.


theefool, Im concerned in only buying a Venice cpu because my motherboard specifically states it will not work with all 4 slots filled at full speed. If I was to do this, and I might, are there any real performance gains going from the Newcastle core to the Venice core?

I'm eyeing a decked out Dell XPS Gen5 system too. I can sell this rig and for a few hundred more and buy one, get my 2gb of DDR 667, a dual core P4, and an ATI X850pe. I'm still tossing around the idea.

 

If I remeber correctly the venice is a 90nm chip and they are using the stained silicon on the 90nm chips so the voltage is lower on the venice than the newcastle which is a 130nm chip Your temps should be lower and the venice has th SS3 which I think is good for office apps. but as far as speed if they are the same ghz probably not much, or if you overclock I have read the some venice chips get good results. There is also the dd500 . Ihave got a feeling you will see more programs that use the dual cores real soon that will make any single core begg for mercy. Those new dell xps are supposeed to be top notch, only thing is the heat on intels dual cores.

 

What about the machester core (X2)? Did it also fix the memory controller issue? Seems to me its better to get one of those for the small price difference.

 

I am pretty sure all the dual cores are spin offs of eaither venice or sandeigo cores

no problem

 

Ok

Thanks for the info!

 

Also the amd dual cores have a more efficent core