Help me figure out newer laptops? Core 2 Duo TXXX, 667mhz on 800mhz FSB?

[Mysticle31]

I just bought a Toshiba M700 Tablet - 2.4ghz Core 2 Duo (T8300), 2 Gigs of PC2-5300 (667mhz) - to replace my Gateway M275- 1.5 1GB upgraded (barely ran Vista + Notepad)

Why would they put 667Mhz ram in something that is supposed to have an 800mhz FSB? I've read something about the memory controller not supporting 800mhz, but why do that? Does this mean it's really a 667mhz FSB?

Also, I'm not familiar with Core 2 Duo. In a couple years can I go put in the latest Core 2 Duo if I want? Am I limited to only the "T" series? How do I decode that TXXXX number?

I plan to use theis computer as a replacement for my desktop (which will become a media server though Myth or Orb or MPD+Icecast. Dual booting Ubuntu for desktop multi-monitor use when in the docking station and Vista for tablet PC out and about use.

[jdong]

Well 667MHz RAM is cheaper than 800MHz RAM. Yes, you're absolutely right that 800MHz RAM with an 800MHz FSB would "sync up" better but whether or not that actually leads to noticeable real-world performance difference is debatable. It's still an 800MHz FSB, just it might need to wait a bit longer for RAM access than if it had 800MHz RAM to work with. I wouldn't worry about this at all.

For decoding Intel core 2 model numbers, this is a good starting point: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_Core_2_microprocessors

The Intel site has the full specs on each chip but the tabular format in Wikipedia is easier as an overview. You are limited to CPUs with the same socket type that are also supported by your BIOS. Whether or not this is the case will be dependent on your particular computer, unfortunately.

[wolfen69]

Why would they put 667Mhz ram in something that is supposed to have an 800mhz FSB?
probably because it's cheaper. but i wouldn't sweat it. i run a dual core with 400mhz bus, and it moves pretty good.

In a couple years can I go put in the latest Core 2 Duo if I want?
i would imagine that you will be able to upgrade. but you won't have to worry about it for a while. you have a nice lappie, i'm jealous.

[Frak]

667 in an 800 just because it's cheap. You can, if you so want to, install 800Mhz RAM, you may. Though, you'd probably only see a difference in performance when doing RAM and CPU intensive tasks. Everything else would (or should) feel just the same.