Comp Upgrade

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2003-05-17 10:08pm

Vertigo1 wrote:The only thing Rambus has over DDR is available bandwith. Thing is, it also has a higher latency rate because of this, therefore its slower than DDR in many cases.

But don't most benchmarks show that this latency generally doesn't really matter in the face of RDRAM's greater bandwidth?

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-05-17 10:21pm

Vertigo1 wrote:The only thing Rambus has over DDR is available bandwith. Thing is, it also has a higher latency rate because of this, therefore its slower than DDR in many cases.

PC1066 is owned by dual-channel DDR400.

Ypoknons · Post by **Ypoknons** » 2003-05-17 10:30pm

Phongn is right, I think. How about waiting until the Springdale (865PE/GE) motherboards come out for Intel? You'll have to spend a bit more on DDR400 and if you decide to go for a 800mhz FSB processor, but they are fast.
Alternatively, there is 2400+ (or 2500+ barton) with nforce2. They are a bit cheaper and just grab, say, a Coolermaster heatsink and you should be fine.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-05-17 10:42pm

The choice between DDR and RDRAM depends more on what your local retailer has in supply and which motherboards are most suitable than raw performance. We're talking about a few percentage points difference either way, and while geekboys may obsess over stuff like that, you simply won't notice it in any practical sense.

In order to upgrade a computer in a manner that you will definitely notice, you need at least a 50-100% speed increase, not 3-5%. You're better off getting the cheaper RAM and either saving the money or using it for a better video card, bigger HD, etc.

Stuart Mackey · Post by **Stuart Mackey** » 2003-05-20 04:04am

Darth Wong wrote:The choice between DDR and RDRAM depends more on what your local retailer has in supply and which motherboards are most suitable than raw performance. We're talking about a few percentage points difference either way, and while geekboys may obsess over stuff like that, you simply won't notice it in any practical sense.

In order to upgrade a computer in a manner that you will definitely notice, you need at least a 50-100% speed increase, not 3-5%. You're better off getting the cheaper RAM and either saving the money or using it for a better video card, bigger HD, etc.

Indeed. I have found, when at work or sorting out most peoples computer needs, most of this geeky stuff is a complete waste of time and money. Some people like to do it, but even for average run of the mill gaming, it just aint worth it.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2003-05-20 11:29am

Oh by the way, I hear that PC1200 RDRAM is out or has been out.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-05-20 01:00pm

AFAIK, PC1200 RDRAM still can't compete with dual-channel DDR400.

The P4 takes good advantage of lots of bandwidth based on its design, whether from RDRAM or DDR SDRAM.