different FSB on memory and cpu

I know theres a question like mine a few pages back but that thread doesn't answer what i want to know

alright,here's my problem

i'm looking at dell's 6400 series and they only have ram that run at 533

however, they offer cpus that have fsb at 667

i'm wondering if the $100cnd price difference is worth getting the t2400(1.8ghz) or the cheaper t2050(1.6ghz)

i wonder because if the cpu FSB is higher then the ram, then the cpu would constantly be waiting for the ram

so i'm thinking how much more performace would the t2400 give me over the t2050?

also, is t2050 enough to run the new games at low-mid quality (since i bought a 6400, it's obvious i won't be running *** at high)?

Thanks a lot

 

THe CPU never waits for RAM, its always the reverse. I think that if your CPU runs 677 FSB, better to get 677 RAM for maximum performance.

 

they don't offer 667 ram for the 6400 model :-(

do you know how much difference a t2050 and t2400 would make in my case?

also, as long as dell comes up with a bios upgrade, i can upgrade to core 2 duo right (just asking for confirmation)?

Thanks for the fast reply

 

well if your RAM runs at 533Mhz, then the CPU FSB would run at 533Mhz, Right?

Or am I wrong?

Dell will very soon offer the Inspiron 6400 with the Core 2 Duo. Wait a few weeks for the new CPU.

 

Er, the CPU does wait for RAM, and it's never the reverse.
The best you can hope for is that the CPU doesn't have to wait *much* for RAM.

But the FSB vs memory clock speed doesn't really matter there. If your FSB is higher than memory speed, you get somewhat better performance than if both run at the same low speed, but not a huge improvement. (While the FSB is faster, which helps when transferring lots of data, it still occasionally have to wait a moment to get back in sync with the memory)

But it's no big deal, really

 

They're apparently running the memory bus asyncrhonously from the CPU/FSB bus, so no. The CPU would talk to the northbridge at 667MHz if that's what the CPU is set to do, and the northbridge will talk to the memory at 667 or 533, whichever the memory is capable of.

 

ok

so from people's replies, i'm guessing there won't be a big performance gain by getting the t2400

Thanks to all who replied

note: i should wait for the core 2 duo, but it'll probably kill my wallet so i think i'll just buy one off their site and upgrade it 1 year later when their warrenty runs out


Thanks for the help

 

Your best and cheapest option is to go with the lowest RAM and then upgrade with cheaper RAM online. The T2400 is a powerful CPU, but it depends on your needs and some would suffice with the T2050.

 

dell gave a free upgrade of 2gb ram from 512

:-(

man, going to university makes you so broke

:-( i mean 800 just for books?! WTF?!!??! ARGGGGggg

 

hmmmmm: I've paid $120 for ONE book It is a rip-off, though. See if there's a book co-op on campus, buy from amazon or barnes & noble, and always get used. That'll save you a couple hundred a semester.