The Beast

you're not interested in overclocking and yet you're getting ddr-2 800 memory? you have no idea what you're doing if that's the case.

What is wrong with the DDR2 800 memory, if I'm not interested in overclocking? I dont see a point in getting a higher speed memory when my mobo selection standard memory clock is 800.

Maybe offer advice if you think something is wrong instead of being smug about it?

i'm not being smug about it. you're obviously ignorant (no offense). on the one hand, you're saying that you're not interested in overclocking, but on the other hand, you get memory that is certified for a higher clock speed than a stock setup.

a perfectly stock non-overclocked core 2 duo system runs its memory at the speed of ddr2-533. it isn't UNTIL you overclock that the ddr2-800 helps.

in other words, you are spending money unnecessarily.

you're also getting a shitload of fans and an aftermarket heatsink for whatever reason. why? intel's retail stock cooler is more than sufficient and it's very quiet.

if you want advice, i'll give it to you but it's laready been said. get an e6600 and save some money, don't bother with an aftermarket heatsink either. once you get it, bump your memory speed up to 667 (333mhz) and leave the multiplier at 9. keep the cpu voltage to about 1.25-1.3V (force it to the lowest that you can that allows you to run stable). 9x333 = 3GHz, which is already faster than a stock e6700.

i'm not being smug about it. you're obviously ignorant (no offense). on the one hand, you're saying that you're not interested in overclocking, but on the other hand, you get memory that is certified for a higher clock speed than a stock setup.

a perfectly stock non-overclocked core 2 duo system runs its memory at the speed of ddr2-533. it isn't UNTIL you overclock that the ddr2-800 helps.

in other words, you are spending money unnecessarily.

you're also getting a shitload of fans and an aftermarket heatsink for whatever reason. why? intel's retail stock cooler is more than sufficient and it's very quiet.

if you want advice, i'll give it to you but it's laready been said. get an e6600 and save some money, don't bother with an aftermarket heatsink either. once you get it, bump your memory speed up to 667 (333mhz) and leave the multiplier at 9. keep the cpu voltage to about 1.25-1.3V (force it to the lowest that you can that allows you to run stable). 9x333 = 3GHz, which is already faster than a stock e6700.

Thank you. That was a much better answer, and I think I understand better. I haven't upgraded my computer in a long time, and I know at one point I knew a lot of this stuff, but I just don't have the time anymore to really care.

So if I get the E6600 and increase the memory speed should I then not look for DDR2 667 memory?

I'd get some OCZ memory/power supply, just my 2 cents ;o

good stuff, and I've used both for awhile now.

"bump your memory speed up to 667"

That would mean get 667 stuff :P

Newegg.com - OCZ Gold Series 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168 20227078)

edit- I don't know why you'd get 4GB of memory, nothing I use takes advantage of my 2GB both my systems have, including quake wars

like you yourself said, it doesn't really hurt to get the faster memory. you'd just be wasting some of your money unless you plan on OCing. to do what i said, yes, you will need ddr2-667 or better.

you should also realize that the memory you chose requires 2.2V, which guarantees that it will run hotter than normal DDR2 memory that operates at 1.8V. and also, some motherboards have problems with booting initially (first boot ever) with higher-than-normal voltage memory, so you might want to look into your motherboard choice.

you have to decide for yourself what you need to get, but make sure you're making an informed decision about your purchases. personally i think if you're not going to run your memory faster than ddr2-667 speeds, then don't get ddr2-800.

X-bit labs - Choosing the Right Memory for Core 2 Duo Platform - Part 3: DDR2-800 SDRAM Modules Roundup (http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/memory/display/ddr2-800.html)

You might not get as high of an overclock if you're on air (especially if you use the stock CPU cooler) yet I feel spending a little extra on high performance ram is always a good thing, by the time you have to loosen the memory timings you're probably pushing it on the heat thresh hold for your front side bus (again with most motherboards stock cooling setup for the northbridge/southbridge).

You might run into trouble with some ram that runs out of spec at a higher voltage but as long as it's not an old board thats been sitting somewhere and the BIOS hasn't been updated then I wouldn't worry about getting memory that has voltage requirement > 1.8 The same goes for micron chipped ram, it was a problem at first but that's been solved.

my stock cooler for the e6600 allows me to run at stock voltage (forced to 1.25V) doing 333x9 using my ddr2-667 at its rated speed. temperature of core never exceeds 60 under absolute full load. ;) normal speed of e6600 is 2.4GHz, i'm doing 3GHz.

It makes no sense to not overclock c2d chips, they are perfect for overclocking and its like getting a free performance boost. Also I think you should spend less on your parts now and save the money for future upgrades down the road like quad-core processors etc. Just my opinion

Thank you. That was a much better answer, and I think I understand better. I haven't upgraded my computer in a long time, and I know at one point I knew a lot of this stuff, but I just don't have the time anymore to really care.

So if I get the E6600 and increase the memory speed should I then not look for DDR2 667 memory?

I know that time is money and all that shit but damn if I was ever gonna drop 3k on a new box I would exhaust myself in research.

Thank you. That was a much better answer, and I think I understand better. I haven't upgraded my computer in a long time, and I know at one point I knew a lot of this stuff, but I just don't have the time anymore to really care.

So if I get the E6600 and increase the memory speed should I then not look for DDR2 667 memory?

The stock FSB of a E6600 runs at 266, x2= DDR2 533 ram to run the memory at 1:1.
With DDR 667 you can over clock the FSB to 9 x 333 = 3GHZ and run the memory at 1:1.

Clear enough?