Memory Reccomendations for Vista, Gaming, SLI & CAD

[SavageImpulse]

I am planning on building a new and very powerful computer. I plan to use the computer for Gaming, CAD applications. In the future I plan to make it SLI and Vista.

My questions are:
How much memory is desirable?
If 4Gb total then is 2x2Gb best or 4x1Gb?
Does anyone know when DDR3 memory will be available?
What mobo's are SLI and DDR3 compatible?

Thx

 

[zental]

IMO 2x2gb is better when it's dual channeled. If you've got 4 single channeled and 2 dual channeled, the dc will run faster. At least from everything I remember about dc, thats what i go by.

 

[zenmaster]

Do not do SLI w/over 2gb of memory until you upgrade to Vista64.

SLI will cause almost all of the memory over 2gb to be unavailable.
Normally you can get 3.0-3.5Gb of memory with XP, but SLI drops that number to just over 2.0gb.

 

[XMSYellowbeard]

DDR3 won't be widely available and supported till LATE this year or early 2008. What is your time frame on this build? If you are building in the next 180 days, I'd strongly suggest a DDR2 board, a 2 x 2gb memory kit and, as suggested above, get the 64bit version of Vista.

 

[darious00777]

For now get a decent motherboard and a very good power supply unit. For with memory you'll want four one gigabyte sticks over two 2,048 megabyte sticks for performance. Note, it'll chew up more power doing this. Also note, if you do use four gigabytes, the amount of other sources of memory in your system will detract from this number. This is the reason why there's a lot of threads out there asking why the poster's computer only sees only around three gigabytes of RAM. If you do go up to four gigabytes or more, go with Vista 64-bit.

In regards to DDR3 memory, don't bother for around a year, unless you've got a lot of money to burn. Micron Technology reports that for the first year or so the premium on DDR3 memory will be 80%, while approximately a year after that the premium will be down to 20%.

There was a review recently posted in CPU about DDR2 against DDR3 performance. I can't remember the reviewer's site, but there is an upcoming motherboard with the Intel's P35 chipset that supports both memory types. I believe it's an Intel motherboard, but I can't remember. By August the motherboard and DDR3 RAM should be available. But remember, there is that 80% premium that'll be going around for quite some time.

Hope some of that helps.

 

[Mondoman]

d is referring to the DDR2/DDR3 memory testing review at Anandtech. The bottom line there is to buy a MB with the new Intel chipset that supports 1333FSB etc (the MBs will be generally available around June 4 IIRC), but to get the version that supports DDR2 RAM.

For the uses you are thinking about (CAD especially), you'll want to go with a 64-bit version of Vista in order to support lots of RAM. Boards that use unbuffered RAM (just about all "normal" desktop boards) will be limited to 4 memory slots, and so you'll want to go with 2GB modules eventually. However, right now, 2GB modules are much more expensive than 1GB modules, so I'd just buy one of the Corsair XMS2 2x1GB DDR2-675 CL4 kits available for $75 or so from newegg right now. In six months when the prices of 2GB modules drop, you can add on 2x2GB more for a total of 6GB.

 

[fredgiblet]

How much memory is desirable?

As much as you can afford and fit in, price-performance will drop after 4GB and anything over 4GB requires 64-bit (and in truth 4GB really needs 64-bit to be fully operational).

If 4Gb total then is 2x2Gb best or 4x1Gb?

From a price-performance standpoint 4x1GB is better due to the price of 2GB sticks, but from a future-proofing standpoint 2x2GB is better because it will leave you with 2 empty slots.

Does anyone know when DDR3 memory will be available?

Not me, but there's probably going to be little value to it anyway.

What mobo's are SLI and DDR3 compatible?

None right now.

 

[joewho]

Hello,

Looking at VISTA64/XPPro64=2Gig to 8gig DDR2 is cheap DDR3 will be better sometime, and will cost more whenever. SLI=680I or P35 Chipset, CAD $ Gaming=Single 8800GTX or DUAL.

Just make sure it will all work together prior to $$$$$.

Good Luck 😀

 

[Mondoman]

If you're not going to go SLI within a month or two, there's no point to going SLI, so look at non-SLI boards as well.