Ram/FSB Confusion

[OutlawCore]

Hi,

I'm having some issues with comprehending the relation between the RAM speed, and FSB speed frequencies. I'm aware that the FSB speed dictates the overall flow and speed of data, power, and communication signaling between the CPU, RAM and other components inside the computer case, but when it comes to understanding the significance of the speed factors between the CPU and RAM I'm lost; Am I to make sure for maximum transfer/efficiency of data from the CPU to RAM, that the RAM speed should be synced with the FSB speed? Or is it possible to make them both operate at different speeds and not suffer the drawbacks of bottlenecking regarding the slower source?

Thanks in advanced guys! Much appreciated!

[DaveLembke]

I have run 800Mhz FSB CPU's on 667Mhz Ram before, but you dont get the full performance.

I have also run 800Mhz FSB CPU's on 1066Mhz Ram and the Ram either fails to post in the motherboard in which black screen on power up, or the 1066Mhz Ram down clocks to 800Mhz to match that of the CPU. I have yet to see a benefit in putting Ram into a system that can operate faster than the FSB of the CPU.

Hope this info helps... Basically its best to pair up matching FSB speed of CPU and RAM, and if one is slower than the other, it can lead to degraded performance, failure to boot, or in my example above the Ram slowing to match the FSB speed of the CPU in which the faster Ram acts like regular slower 800Mhz Ram.

[OutlawCore]

This helps. I suppose from now on making sure the RAM is at a speed that doesn't out perform the FSB will provide optimum performance, then?because anything else will inevitably fail in supplying the system access to it's full performance, be it from either the RAM's excessively high speeds causing the RAM to fail to POST;  At any rate, the RAM will step it's performance down to match that of the CPU/FSB speed. Either way  like you said DaveLembke, no benefit is shown from placing RAM that operates at a high speed into a system with a slower FSB speed. The FSB couldn't keep up.

The FSB speed is from what I gather the dominant function that dictactes the speed of the system and it's ability to communicate effectively between the RAM and various other components around the motherboard.