Is DDR3 worth it?

[UrBaN]

Oh, yeah, of course, going from AMD to Intel would be a different story. I was reffering to performance between AMD DDR2/3 in keeping to the link I supplied. You can't exactly compare DDR3 on Intel since it uses Core i7 (if Core2 can run DDR3 then I'm still unaware of this )

Even so, the AM3 boards are only just becoming stable, nevermind fast. In time they will be brilliant, right now they're in tech demo phase, basically.

And yes, I'm running an E6400 with 4GB DDR3-1333.

[VoodooProphetII]

My personal experience going from DDR2 to DDR3 in an Intel system was that the system felt more snappy. This could be due to the chipset, but I used a Asus P5K Deluxe (Brilliant P35 chipset) and Gigabyte EX38 DS4 with DDR2 and then moved to an Asus P5Q Deluxe (P45) and later an Asus Rampage Extreme with both the last moves with DDR3 memory.

Benching every now and then, the DDR3 helped for 3d benching in some benchmarks, and improved superpi efficiency IF you get your DDR3 memory timings right. The gains might not be a lot, but it is there. Does it justify moving to DDR3 when bringing the price into the equation? No I don't think so, specially not for everyday use.

As for AMD's AM2+ and AM3 cpu's and DDR2 vs DDR3 I can't comment on the difference from experience, but I do like what I see when looking at the 3dmark06 record, and AMD's 3dmark05 record done with a 945....

[DreamStar]

for those that have and still want to use a core 2 duo but want to use ddr3 ram why not going asus with the strike 2 extreme. good solution with a great board

[rustypup]

just for the hell of prodding a dead horse, i'm stuck arguing with myself and winning, which is always a bad sign...

given the choice, would you go:
i) OCZ DDR3-1600 Plat Triple Channel (3 x 2GB)
or
ii) Super Talent DDR3-1333 4GB (2x2GB) X 2, (8GB).

my failing argument revolves around pairing and longevity... my bakelite-age knowledge banks say paired ram is always better, which makes the 3xstick kit the loser, but the 3xstick also supports both lower latency and higher bandwidth... :/

i get that the latency point is moot if the FSB is clamping everything, so an addendum to this query would be: any decent mobos out there which support both the higher frequency ram as well as providing more than 2 pci expansion slots?

[Firestrm_ZA]

erm rustypup, if you are running an i7 rig then get a triple channel kit..... otherwise stick to dual channel. You could of course get the triple channel then keep one stick free for the inevitable upgrade at a later stage.

Im feeling lazy so ill let another answer your motherboard question

[rustypup]

thanks muchly!... i'm actually throwing a new rig together, and i7 is probably were i'll end up..

ill let another answer your motherboard question

this is actually proving to be an absolute sod... :/

[UrBaN]

rustypup, Are you not simply looking for a decent i7 board? It's slow-Monday for me so I may be missing something, but if you're going i7, you're going tri-channel, which means either 3 x 2GB modules, or 6 x 2GB modules. You can run i7 on dual channel, but that would be about as intelligent as putting runflats on a Maybach.

The Super Talent modules you mentioned are theones I have (assuming you get the ones with the heatspreaders) and they're pure magic. If 1333 is sufficiant for you then I would recommend those as a fast, stable solution which happens to be dirt cheap.

[rustypup]

thanks for that.

i get the tri-channel bit, but i'm not seeing a decent mobo actually running RAM above 1333 native, which says blowing the extra 400/500 bob for it isn't money well spent...

the P6T appeared to fit the bill, but it suffers the same tripe as the rest of the bunch, (1600+ only supported with O/C, 1333 is the max native support), hence my hesitation...

[UrBaN]

rustypup, Are you averse to a little fiddling? Assuming you get decent cooling, the temp and volt differences between 1333 and 1600 are very little.

[rustypup]

Are you averse to a little fiddling?

i'm completely anal around stability, hence my aversion to fiddling - i gather, then, that mobo fabrication is lagging a little behind in the memory stakes?

(seeing as how the i7 is pegged with an onboard 1333 controller, i'm thinking admitting defeat at this point is the sensible option... )

[UrBaN]

rustypup, It would indeed appear that 1333 is the defacto standard for mobo/RAM. That said, I run my 1333 at 1560 24/7 with nary a wobble nor snicker. Hell, get the 1333 and OC if you like, else don't.