Need course in memory developments for selection of next mb

[KK]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

I have an ASUS P4PE mb with 1GB Crucial PC3200 RAM.

I am interested in upgrading to a MB that will support more than 2 SATA
drives and I have not kept up with what developments have occured in
memory.

If someone has the patience to bring me up to date about RAM
developments, or can point me to a site where I can get an overview, I
would appreciate it. The new boards have dual DDR memory and I don't
understand if I can use two of my sticks or if I need to purchase new
memory (restating, can I use legacy DDR memory in a dual DDR memory
setup). But, I suppose, there is the question as to how much
performance improvement there might be in upgrading to the dual DDR
setup or whether I should just stick with my present memory and just
look for a board that has the native support for SATA.

That brings up another question, which is do I have to look for a
particular chipset for native SATA drive support?

Thanks
Ken K

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

"KK" <kenk@NOtheSPAMkrones.com> wrote in message
news:10dup46euu3ci40@corp.supernews.com...
> I have an ASUS P4PE mb with 1GB Crucial PC3200 RAM.
>
> I am interested in upgrading to a MB that will support more than 2 SATA
> drives and I have not kept up with what developments have occured in
> memory.
>
> If someone has the patience to bring me up to date about RAM
> developments, or can point me to a site where I can get an overview, I
> would appreciate it. The new boards have dual DDR memory and I don't
> understand if I can use two of my sticks or if I need to purchase new
> memory

PC3200 will work fine for dual channel. Try to match up two sticks of the
same brand, size and latency though. Thus, if your 1GB Crucial PC3200 is
(2) 512MB sticks, you've ALREADY got memory that will work just fine for
dual DDR. If that 1GB is 1 stick, just buy another 1GB stick of the same
brand with similar specs, and that should work fine. 2GB of dual channel
PC3200 would kick butt.

Dual channel is basically where the memory controller can use TWO sticks of
RAM as one large stick, increasing bandwidth to slightly increase system
performance. They don't have to be perfectly matched, but many shady
vendors have been ripping people off by selling matched pairs at a premium
price. Of course, you'll have better luck if the two sticks are *similar*,
but they don't have to be identical, or purchased at the same time.

You have to decide what platform you want to build first. Some platforms
don't support dual channel at all. So you might not have to worry about it.
But if you happen to pick a chipset OR processor that supports dual channel,
it's a good idea to use it. -Dave

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

> >
> When you say that 2GB of dual channel would kick butt, what kind of
> performance increase would I have? Also, is there faster memory that I
> should/could use for dual channel DDR?
>
> Thanks
> KK
>

Well, you've got to keep in mind that memory is just one component of your
entire computer system. By using dual channel, you can speed up memory
access slightly. In terms of what you will see with your eyes, you might
not even notice a difference between a system that is running dual channel
and one that is CAPABLE of running dual channel, but is not running dual
channel. In terms of benchmarks, I think you'd be lucky to see a ~5%
increase in overall system performance just by enabling dual channel memory.
BUT it's a good idea to use dual channel, if that option is available to
you. Generally, you're probably going to buy two sticks of RAM anyway, so
if you run them in dual channel mode, you are getting a slightly faster
system by spending NO extra money!!! That's never a bad idea.

Is there faster memory that you should/could use for dual channel? Of
course there is always faster memory, but it won't make a difference, as far
as dual channel goes. You need to match your RAM to your CPU, regardless of
whether you use dual channel or not. If your CPU is 400fsb, then your RAM
should be 400fsb. You can use faster RAM if you want to, but faster RAM
won't increase system performance, whether you run it dual channel or not.

Dual channel isn't different technology, it's just a new way to use current
technology. Match your RAM to your CPU. THEN, if the chipset or the CPU
supports it, consider using two sticks of whatever RAM you chose for your
CPU so that you can run them in dual channel mode. -Dave