E7200 (2.53Ghz stock) pushed to 3.3 ghz stable.. want to push more but 1 issue

[stainer711]

I have my E7200 processor that is normally 2.53 ghz stock running at 3.3ghz stock with some headroom in terms of temperature. I have my ram running on a FSB:RAM multiplier to keep it running close to 800mhz. This is the ram I have:

Newegg.com - A-DATA 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

I want to overclock more but know that my ram might be an issue. In the reviews it says that it does not overclock well. Do I need to buy better ram before overclocking more? I don't really understand what having certain FSB:RAM ratios does to the operating conditions of the ram. I know that operating it at too high of a speed may not be possible, though. What should I be careful of when trying to overclock past 3.3ghz? How far should I be able to overclock before I need to start worrying about ram problems?

PS: I know i've had a lot of threads lately, but this is going to be my absolute last one. Promise. I have all other issues worked out. I recently upgraded my 480 watt psu to a 700watt one with fantastic amp ratings.

 

[advancedgeek]

i've had that ram before but it was a 667 and i got it up to like 880MHz on ram so i think you can go over that easily and make sure your fsb:ram ratio is 1:1 to maximize your overclock as most of the time ram is the factor that is stopping you from overclocking high.

 

[Peter.Cort]

it depends what the ram chips are on it. i doubt that their good ones, but A-Data is generally decent quality and a bit above value ram. As advanced said throw the multi on 1:1 and crank it up. run prime95 to stress the ram and see if it crashes. if it does drop it down a bit and run it stable until you can scrape the cash together to get some better stuff

 

[Baez]

The timings aren't great on them but it's expected. Try loosening them a little and then bring the CPU FSB up. Keep the CPU and RAM at independent speeds.

 

[stainer711]

I'm at 3.4Ghz with the a FSB:Ram ratio of 2.5. The ram is running at ~910mhz.

 

[stainer711]

I tired setting the FSB:RAM ratio to 1:1 @ 3.3 ghz 350FSB, and the ram couldn't handle it. I am currently clocked at 3.4ghz with a FSB:RAM ratio of 4:5. Would attaining a FSB:RAM ratio of 1:1 improve my system performance enough to warrant the purchase? I can easily fit this into my budget if so.

 

[Peter.Cort]

i'd say get some 1066mhz ram as it will give you more headroom to oc. and get a decent 2gb setup like some ocz reapers or golds.

 

[stainer711]

I'm not really interested in overclocking any more. I'm happy with a stable system at 3.4ghz. My temps are at a good range now. Will there be a difference in performance if I upgrade my ram if I don't plan on overclocking any more?

 

[tastegw]

i ran those a-data sticks for allmost a year, they ran fine (but i didnt oc my cpu)

was able to sell them for not much of a loss too.

i see very little improvement from my A-Data ram compaired to me OCZ ram with better timings.

(keep in mind that my cpu isnt OC'd, im fine with 3.2, but 3.35 is max i could go anyways)

 

[stainer711]

Ok, I just bought some DDR2 800 OCZ ram (the highest rated ram CompUSA had) at 4-4-4-15 timings, and I still have a FSB:RAM ratio of 4:5 with a total mhz of 910. In order to run at a 1:1 ratio and have it be 1088mhz do I need to loosen the timings?