Slow memory throughput

I recently assembled a system for a family member and everything appears to
be working flawlessly... except that the memory throughput is very slow
compared to my (comparable) Pentium 4 system.

The new system has an ASROCK K7S41GX
(http://www.asrockamerica.com/Products/K7S41GX.htm), an Athlon 2400+ CPU,
and 512 Mushkin Blue PC2100 memory (tweaked to highest CAS etc. timings
allowed in BIOS). The CPU is the 266MHz CPU FSB version, and I've verified
that the memory is running at 133(266) MHz. I even cranked it up to 166(333)
because the Mushkin memory can handle it without barfing, but even that
didn't help much.

The system's PCMark2002 memory benchmark score is only about 2600, whereas
my Pentium 4 system with a 2.4-GHz P4 at 400 MHz FSB and 512MB PC2100 scores
about 5300. That's disappointing, because I thought that the two systems
would at least be in the same solar system WRT performance.

Is the SiS chipset to blame? Is there any other setting that I should try
in the BIOS. Any help would be appreciated.

Hackworth wrote:

I recently assembled a system for a family member and everything appears to
be working flawlessly... except that the memory throughput is very slow
compared to my (comparable) Pentium 4 system.

The new system has an ASROCK K7S41GX
(http://www.asrockamerica.com/Products/K7S41GX.htm), an Athlon 2400+ CPU,
and 512 Mushkin Blue PC2100 memory (tweaked to highest CAS etc. timings
allowed in BIOS). The CPU is the 266MHz CPU FSB version, and I've verified
that the memory is running at 133(266) MHz. I even cranked it up to 166(333)
because the Mushkin memory can handle it without barfing, but even that
didn't help much.

The system's PCMark2002 memory benchmark score is only about 2600, whereas
my Pentium 4 system with a 2.4-GHz P4 at 400 MHz FSB and 512MB PC2100 scores
about 5300. That's disappointing, because I thought that the two systems
would at least be in the same solar system WRT performance.

Is the SiS chipset to blame? Is there any other setting that I should try
in the BIOS. Any help would be appreciated.




Memory data goes through the FSB and the P4 system is running it 1.5 times
faster. That alone would account for about 4000 vs 2600. The rest is
probably different due to memory timing/variation and chipset performance.

Btw, if by "highest CAS" you mean the 'largest' number then you're working
backwards. Those numbers are DELAY and you'd want the lowest that is stable.

"David Maynard" wrote in message
...
Hackworth wrote:

I recently assembled a system for a family member and everything appears
to
be working flawlessly... except that the memory throughput is very slow
compared to my (comparable) Pentium 4 system.

The new system has an ASROCK K7S41GX
(http://www.asrockamerica.com/Products/K7S41GX.htm), an Athlon 2400+
CPU,
and 512 Mushkin Blue PC2100 memory (tweaked to highest CAS etc. timings
allowed in BIOS). The CPU is the 266MHz CPU FSB version, and I've
verified
that the memory is running at 133(266) MHz. I even cranked it up to
166(333)
because the Mushkin memory can handle it without barfing, but even that
didn't help much.

The system's PCMark2002 memory benchmark score is only about 2600,
whereas
my Pentium 4 system with a 2.4-GHz P4 at 400 MHz FSB and 512MB PC2100
scores
about 5300. That's disappointing, because I thought that the two systems
would at least be in the same solar system WRT performance.

Is the SiS chipset to blame? Is there any other setting that I should
try
in the BIOS. Any help would be appreciated.




Memory data goes through the FSB and the P4 system is running it 1.5 times
faster. That alone would account for about 4000 vs 2600. The rest is
probably different due to memory timing/variation and chipset performance.

Btw, if by "highest CAS" you mean the 'largest' number then you're working
backwards. Those numbers are DELAY and you'd want the lowest that is
stable.

Ah... that's true. And the rest is probably due to the relatively crappy
chipset.

And yes, I meant "fastest" (i.e., lowest) CAS timings. Mea culpa.

Hackworth wrote:

"David Maynard" wrote in message
...

Hackworth wrote:


I recently assembled a system for a family member and everything appears

to

be working flawlessly... except that the memory throughput is very slow
compared to my (comparable) Pentium 4 system.

The new system has an ASROCK K7S41GX
(http://www.asrockamerica.com/Products/K7S41GX.htm), an Athlon 2400+

CPU,

and 512 Mushkin Blue PC2100 memory (tweaked to highest CAS etc. timings
allowed in BIOS). The CPU is the 266MHz CPU FSB version, and I've

verified

that the memory is running at 133(266) MHz. I even cranked it up to

166(333)

because the Mushkin memory can handle it without barfing, but even that
didn't help much.

The system's PCMark2002 memory benchmark score is only about 2600,

whereas

my Pentium 4 system with a 2.4-GHz P4 at 400 MHz FSB and 512MB PC2100

scores

about 5300. That's disappointing, because I thought that the two systems
would at least be in the same solar system WRT performance.

Is the SiS chipset to blame? Is there any other setting that I should

try

in the BIOS. Any help would be appreciated.




Memory data goes through the FSB and the P4 system is running it 1.5 times
faster. That alone would account for about 4000 vs 2600. The rest is
probably different due to memory timing/variation and chipset performance.

Btw, if by "highest CAS" you mean the 'largest' number then you're working
backwards. Those numbers are DELAY and you'd want the lowest that is

stable.

Ah... that's true. And the rest is probably due to the relatively crappy
chipset.

Holy Toledo. Well, I didn't look before and the 'GX' just now hit me. It's
the built-in shared memory display that's sucking the rest.


And yes, I meant "fastest" (i.e., lowest) CAS timings. Mea culpa.

Ok. Just checking.