muz
Golden Master
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the stability issues aren't with the actual speed of the RAM, it's in the data transfer between the RAM and cpu, it's the very definition of bottlenecking, it's akin to having a stick of 800mhz RAM and a stick of 667mhz RAM running together at the same time, the 800mhz RAM will only run at 667mhz, the RAM speed is limited by it's slowest component, the data transfer between the cpu and RAM works on the same principal...
and from what i have read the instabilities are sometimes multiplied when overclocking and not running a FSB:RAM ratio of 1:1 as you are putting stress on the northbridge by overclocking the CPU and it then also has to translate the data flow from the CPU to the RAM this can lead to you not being able to overclock as far as the CPU can go
That makes more sense muz.
From what I have read though, it seems it would be more desirable to have a higher data flow though the memory for higher performance. I haven't read of any instabilities in tests involving DDR2 1200.
yes but you can have that higher data flow by not running FSB:RAM 1:1 but the northbridge has to translate the data flow from the CPU to the ram mainly this only increases the mobo temp by a few degrees which can increase the whole systems temp
also the memory timings cant be run and this has an impact on performance as well and so it comes down to the age old debate of memory timings vs memory clock speed