Intel PAT (Performance Acceleration Technology) doesn't work at higher than 200FSB with 4 sticks RAM

Greetings all:

I have a ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe Motherboard and it seems like with my
memory at 1:1 ratio (400 on the ASUS), and Performance Acceleration
Mode set to Enabled, the FSB at 200 will show PAT Enabled under the
Memory tab in CPU-Z 1.19 and SiSoft Sandra MAX. However, at
230-233FSB, it will show PAT as disabled, is this the way it's
supposed to work because I have it enabled in the BIOS. This is a
P4C-3.2Ghz CPU at stock voltages. The RAM is 4 sticks of matched Hynix
PC3200 DDR400 512MB CL3 running at 3-3-3-8-8 at stock voltages which
came from a Dell Dimension XPS. It seems that with PAT, at 233FSB,
with one set of dual channel 512MB Memory, the PAT is enabled and the
memory bandwidth benchmark in SiSoft Sandra MAX works but when I place
both sets (all 4) of the same batch memory, PAT is disabled and then
SiSoft Sandra MAX's memory bandwidth benchmark just flashes through
the part where it usually does the test and shows 0MB/sec bandwidth.
Does PAT work only on one set of RAM and not two sets?
Thanks!

Cheers,
Vince

 

well, on an IC7-G running at 244 FSB, NB @ 800 and Ram at 5:4, I see that
PAT is enabled. DDR is running at around 195.2 so I am a little slower than
you for the ram when you are running the FSB at 200 but I have a hard time
believing that you do not have to change the ratio for FSB's up in the 230
range. You would be running at 460 if still at 1:1...

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I'm actually running at 466 according to SiSoft Sandra and stuff. Remember
that Hynix is the PC3200 DDR400 ram that Intel originally approved first.
Also, the PC4000 RAM are all using Hynix chips, this includes Corsair and
OCZ. I'm at 1:1 ratio as the DDR is set at 400. 5:4 is called 320 on the
ASUS boards and 3:2 is called 266. 5:4 doesn't do anything for me since I
can't get it higher than 234FSB which would bring the ram slower than
400DDR. Are you using 4 sticks of ram or 2 sticks?

Cheers,
Vince

 

two sticks of 512 with a 2.8c. real surprised you can't get it higher then
234! My ram is Corsair XMS3500 but it won't do 466, I can tell you that.

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Yeah, with Two sticks, the PAT is enabled. When I have 4 sticks, that's
when PAT starts to get disabled. I wonder if it could be a BIOS issue.
All 4 sticks are identical. Since anytime I have 4 sticks, even SiSoft
Sandra MAX's Memory Bandwidth Test breaks as it skips the test without even
doing the test and shows 0MB/sec bandwidth. The Corsair XMS3500 is Winbond
BH or CH chips if I remembered correctly. I'm running a P4 3.2c Costa Rica
so approximately 3.7Ghz may be the limit of the chip.

Cheers,
Vince

 

some testing has shown better performance with 4 sticks and some has shown
higher latency from what I have read.

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Hmmm, but with 4 sticks, is PAT only possible when the ram runs at 400 and
nothing higher? That's what I can't figure out. It seems with 4 sticks at
200FSB 1:1 ratio, PAT works but SiSoft Sandra Max Memory Bandwidth test
breaks as the test section skips without testing which happens at any FSB
rate with 4 sticks. At a higher FSB, like 230 for example, the Sandra
problem still exists but PAT is disabled. I wonder could it just be a flaw
in the bios.

Cheers,
Vince

 

yeah, I don't know. sounds like something is going on if Sandra cannot even
test the memory bandwidth.

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Yeah, everything else in Sandra works except that. Hynix only specifies
the CAS as being 3 at PC3200 but not the RAS# Precharge, RAS# to CAS#
Delay, Precharge Delay but the last 3, 3-3-8 seems to work even though it
might be 4-4-8 from all the Corsair, OCZ, and others I see with relaxed
timings which is really CL3.

Cheers,
Vince

 

Here's what CPU-Z 1.19 reports.

http://www.dnalogic.net/~vince/cpuz.html

Someone else with the same board confirmed that with 4 sticks, PAT is off.
I noticed that with 2 sticks, I get Dual Channel Linear Mode on the POST
screen but with 4 sticks, it doesn't show anything besides 2048MB OK.

Got a question for you. I noticed when I first put in the Zalman CNPS-
7000Cu with Arctic Silver 3, the temps were 33C but after a week, the temps
changed to 38C. Is the temps supposed to stay the same or lower as
initially or is it supposed to rise? Thanks.

Cheers,
Vince

 

The bandwidth test in Sandra works fine on my IC7 and an IS7 that I have...

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the only reason I can imagine that the temps would rise is if the ambient
temperature and, as a result, the case temperature, went up OR if whatever
thermal grease you used migrated out. I did not experience any temperature
rise with my Zalman 7000Cu and it has been on there for well over a month
now.

--

Thomas Geery
Network+ certified

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^^^^^^^