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Thursday December 13, 2007
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This question from reader Alfred came in for PC Magazine's lead analyst for laptops, Cisco Cheng:
With the whole mobile Intel platform moving to an 800-Mhz Front Side Bus (FSB), when will I be able to purchase a laptop that will support 800-Mhz SODIMMs? Right now, there's a mismatch between the FSB and memory speeds (667 Mhz). Also, would that account for the lackluster performance numbers I've been seeing with the newer Intel chips?
Cisco's answer after the jump.
Cisco Cheng: You're referring to the Santa Rosa Platform in laptops. Even if manufacturers made RAM sticks that support 800 Mhz, the current platform will not support it. I asked the same question when I met up with Intel earlier this year.
You're right in the sense that faster RAM will boost performance, so it's not all about capacity. Furthermore, there will be a mismatch with the next platform (codename Montevina), which will support a 1066-MHz FSB--and memory speeds may or may not hit retail at 800 Mhz.
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January 4, 2008 11:20 PM
memory speed 667 MHz DDR2
FSB speed 800 MHz
This does not mean a mismatch.
memory speeds use to be 400 DDR2 and then went to 500 DDR2, and 667 and lately 800 MHz DDR2 in the desktop world.
Also in the desktop world FSB speeds have been 800 MHz for about 5 years, and lately FSB speeds have reached 1333 MHz. But memory speeds are still at 667 or 800 for DDR2 in the desktop world.
If the FSB is 800 MHz this does not mean the memory speed should be 800 DDR2 to have a match in speeds and therefore the CPU not wait for memory. This thinking means wrong understanding or memory speeds and how they relate to Front Side Buss speeds.
JKA