Optimal PCI Latency Timer Setting?

[TDQuiksilver]

Never seen this setting on my P4-board before.. but it's now included in the latest BIOS revision for my Intel D850MV motherboard. I've read up on it on some sites.. but was wondering what would be the best performance setting for this option? I have 5 PCI slots.. the only slot that is being used is for my NIC. The default setting is 32. Should I lower it or heighten it? What effects will take place for certain settings? Thanks in advance!

[sailgreg]

I would leave it at 32 if you NIC works fine :)

[Initial 2k2]

Optimal PCI Latency Timer Setting is basically another term for "mhz". The PCI slots have 32 mhz, and the AGP has.. 66 something.

[TDQuiksilver]

Well.. the setting is adjustable to basically anything you want.. why would somebody want to change this setting is my question? Any performance gains involved by changing it to some other setting?

[Initial 2k2]

well having a higher pci/agp slot can give u less stability

[tmorris1]

The PCI latency timer has nothing to do with MHz.

It is how long a PCI device can have control of the PCI bus. The bigger the count the longer a device can have the bus. I would leave the setting at 32. If you make the count to long it will create problems with other devices trying to compete for time on the PCI bus. In other words it would allow one device to hog too much time on the bus and not allow other cards a chance to send or receive data. An example of this is the stuttering sound blaster live sound cards.