CPU's FSB & RAM

[Apollo1020]

I've seen many configurations in our local PC magazine, where RAM has a higher frequency, than CPU's FSB (for example FSB is 800MHz and RAM is 1000~1066MHz)... what are the advantages of that?

Thanks. :)

Edite: By the way - what is the role of GPU's core clock in all that?

 

[RHochstenbach]

I've seen many configurations in our local PC magazine, where RAM has a higher frequency, than CPU's FSB (for example FSB is 800MHz and RAM is 1000~1066MHz)... what are the advantages of that?

If a CPU supports a maximum FSB of 800 MHz, and your RAM up to 1066 MHz then it would be a waste of speed, because the RAM would run at 800 MHz. So these days you can use the maximum FSB of your RAM and run your CPU at its maximum FSB.

This is also useful for overclocking. You can overclock your CPU with a higher FSB, without needing to increase the FSB of your RAM (because that RAM might not be good for overclocking or doesn't reach that high FSB)

what is the role of GPU's core clock in all that?

From what I know, the GPU is only used to render graphics on the screen.

 

[Addis]

Edite: By the way - what is the role of GPU's core clock in all that?

The clock speed of the video card's processor and memory is independent of the CPU and RAM.

 

[Ashton]

Listen

The speed of an FSB is often multiplied by four times, a "800mhz" fsb is only 200mhz, and DDR, which is double date rate, is actually 200mhz.

E.g a 200mhz fsb and a 10x multiplyer for a 2ghz cpu

The only thing that matters is that the ram data rate is the same as the fsb, or higher. If it is lower, the cpu will not be able to communicate to the ram as fast as it is running, reducing performance the same way it would be reduced if the fsb was reduced and not the ram.

So multiplying it back again, an "800mhz" fsb would only need DDR 400. Increasing the speed of the ram would barely improve performance at all, mabye 1 frame per second when gaming.

The only reason to get faster ram than the fsb, is that if you overclock the cpu, increasing the fsb to say 300, than you would need ram running at 300mhz or faster (so you would need to choose DDR2 667).

This is why DDR3 and shit is completely ridiculously unnescesary. All people need is DDR2 667, mabye 800 if they overclock. DDR2 1066 would probably only be needed for EXTREME overclocking or the new FSB 1600 Core 2 extreme