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Thread: RAM speeds

  1. #1
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    Question RAM speeds

    I'm about to buy a new PC and I've sorted out most of the spec., but I have one burning question: am I likely to notice any difference in system performance if I buy 800MHz RAM versus 667MHz RAM? (1066MHz is probably out of my price range.) If so, how much should I be willing to spend? The supplier I have chosen charges £20/$37 extra for 2GB @800MHz as opposed to 2GB @667MHz. (As you can tell, I'm in the UK.)
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Garrison
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    Mod w/ an attitude Sterling_Aug's Avatar
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    It depends on what programs you use, but I tend to always buy the fastest of each item I can afford so it can last just a little bit longer.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sterling_Aug
    It depends on what programs you use, but I tend to always buy the fastest of each item I can afford so it can last just a little bit longer.
    Thanks. Do you know of any websites with benchmark results comparing systems that are identical apart from the RAM speed?
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Garrison
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    Ultimate Member Rocketmech's Avatar
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    If your going to run the system at stock speeds then match the ram with the cpu so they run in sync. I wouldn't deliberately match slower ram with a faster cpu . If your planning to overclock then you should look at higher rated ram anyways. Ram is usually the weakest link when OC'g , next to cooling that is.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rocketmech
    If your going to run the system at stock speeds then match the ram with the cpu so they run in sync. I wouldn't deliberately match slower ram with a faster cpu .
    Well, I'm looking at something like an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400, which uses a 1333MHz FSB - are you suggesting I buy 1333MHz RAM?!
    Quote Originally Posted by Rocketmech
    If your [sic] planning to overclock then you should look at higher rated ram anyways. Ram is usually the weakest link when OC'g , next to cooling that is.
    I'm aware of that, but I'm happy with "stock speeds", as you put it.
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    Ultimate Member Rocketmech's Avatar
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    I should rephrase , " I wouldn't , but you could " . I would go with DDR2 800 or 1066 if you can afford it . Every little bit helps with gaming and video intensive apps.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rocketmech
    I should rephrase , " I wouldn't , but you could " . I would go with DDR2 800 or 1066 if you can afford it . Every little bit helps with gaming and video intensive apps.
    So do you think I will notice the difference between 667 and 800 with an E8400 CPU and an otherwise "mid-range" spec.?
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    Stark Raving MOD Midknyte's Avatar
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    You may not notice a difference in day to day use. It depends on what applications you use. It's recommended that you get ram as close to your FSB as possible. Otherwise, you are bottlenecking your system from day 1.

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    Question

    Quote Originally Posted by Midknyte
    You may not notice a difference in day to day use. It depends on what applications you use. It's recommended that you get ram as close to your FSB as possible. Otherwise, you are bottlenecking your system from day 1.
    So you're saying that, all other things being equal, the difference between a system with 800MHz RAM and 1066MHz FSB, and a system with the same RAM but 1333MHz FSB, would be zero (or negligible)? In that case, why do many current motherboards (feel free to correct me here) support processors, like the E8400, with 1333MHz FSB, but limit themselves to 1066MHz (or even 800MHz) RAM?
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Garrison
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  10. #10
    Stark Raving MOD Midknyte's Avatar
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    I didn't say that there would be no difference. If you have apps that are memory intensive, you will notice a difference. It depends on what applications you are using. Stuff like MS Word, IE, etc, won't take advantage of the extra speed. If you play games like COD4, Crysis, etc. then every little bit helps.

    To run in sync with the 1333 FSB bus, you'd need DDR667 or DDR1333. Most boards can run async also. Some people say that there is a performance decrease using ram async, but I haven't seen definitive benchmarks to prove it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Midknyte
    I didn't say that there would be no difference. If you have apps that are memory intensive, you will notice a difference. It depends on what applications you are using. Stuff like MS Word, IE, etc, won't take advantage of the extra speed. If you play games like COD4, Crysis, etc. then every little bit helps.
    As I'm not a heavy gamer (I just like to have a gazillion things running at once), I don't think this applies to me.
    Quote Originally Posted by Midknyte
    To run in sync with the 1333 FSB bus, you'd need DDR667 or DDR1333. Most boards can run async also. Some people say that there is a performance decrease using ram async, but I haven't seen definitive benchmarks to prove it.
    Now, there's something I didn't know... So you're saying that having RAM running at a speed that is a multiple of the FSB speed is, theoretically, advantageous? Given the lack of benchmarks, I don't think this is something I need to worry about.

    Thanks for the advice.
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Garrison
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  12. #12
    Senior Member Lgbpop's Avatar
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    Now, there's something I didn't know... So you're saying that having RAM running at a speed that is a multiple of the FSB speed is, theoretically, advantageous? Given the lack of benchmarks, I don't think this is something I need to worry about.
    How on earth do you get that from this:
    Some people say that there is a performance decrease using ram async, but I haven't seen definitive benchmarks to prove it.
    You really need to start paying attention to what's said, and less to what you want to hear.
    Thank God we're not getting all of the government we're paying for!

  13. #13
    Hooya! Rabbitrunner51's Avatar
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    IMO. If hes got a board that supports 1066 ram and esp. with that CPU, i would definitely opt for the prescribed ram above. It does indeed depend upon what your processor is running and the board pre-set ram speed and power settings.

    If its trully a matter of monies, then get the DDR800 memory, of which prices are awfully good for either 2GB or 4GB. You can always upgrade that in the future sometime, and or when the prices drop for the 1066.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rabbitrunner51
    <snip>
    If its trully a matter of monies, then get the DDR800 memory, of which prices are awfully good for either 2GB or 4GB. You can always upgrade that in the future sometime, and or when the prices drop for the 1066.
    Thanks for the advice.
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Garrison
    There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.

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