PCTech Forums

I got an a7n8x motherboard recently and have am not sure what to do with the bios. Ive gotten some of the options correct, but am unsure what to do with the RAM speed. the highest i can set it on so it still works is 200mhz, although my ram is 400mhz. Is this because the speed is multiplied by 2? Also if anyone knows any tricks or recomendations with the bios options please tell me.

It's best that you use the same speed as your processor's FSB.
That way they are synchronized.
The 'optimal' setting will do this for you.

In 'Advanced Chipset Features', set 'CPU Interface' and 'Memory Timings' to Optimal.

You can further tweak this for even better performance, but for the most stable settings, choose optimal.

DDR is "Double Data Rate". The actuall frequency is 200mhz, but it works on both the rise and the fall of a cycle, so it's condidered 400mhz equivalent.

If you have DDR400 (PC3200) ram, then you will also get timing benefits when using it at DDR200 or DDR333 speeds. So, your money has not gone to waste.

I have read heard many ideas about dual channel, and i am still not sure how to use it the right way. Right now im using one stick of corsair 256mb pc3200 ram. To use dual channel, what does the second stick need to be? Does it need to be the same brand?speed?size? Which way would work best?