460°

Does faster RAM really make a difference?

Will splashing out on expensive RAM make a real difference to PC performance? And if so, how much should you buy? PC Authority supply the benchmarks and lay the details bare.

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pcauthority.com.au
6321d ago Replies(3)
DevastationEve6321d ago (Edited 6321d ago )

Logically, a computer sees memory as it is. So you can't say that having x of higher speed memory is like having 2x of lower speed memory. The biggest chunk x can handle is x, NOT 2x. When 3x needs to be loaded, it will read it in 3 chunks of x. Programs need room, so a nice empty warehouse is better than a studio in the city.

Of course, there are uses for faster memory. Obviously graphics memory comes to mind. The framebuffer needs faster memory for reads and writes, and everything else that are just reads can be in slower memory.

For system memory, the memory controller is what determines what kind of memory you can use. A 4x167 CPU is best coupled with 2x333 memory. Step the memory up a notch and what will happen is that the CPU will be forced to overclock. Stepping up to 2x400 (ddr2 800) will mean the CPU will be 4x200.

moja6321d ago (Edited 6320d ago )

I think I understand what you're trying to say there, but I disagree on your last bit. Stepping up the memory a notch will not force the CPU to match - that's called OC headroom, and it's useless if you don't use it. Memory running faster than the bus/memory controller can't use that extra speed for the system unless the bus is brought up to match (which affects the CPU if multiplier isn't changed). That's why it's important to plan your overclock and component specs before building a system, as you always want to get parts that complement each other.

For example, I have an E8400 spec'd at 9x333MHz -> 3.0GHz stock speed. My FSB can run from 333 (CPU default) all the way to 533+. If I just plopped some DDR2-800 in there and let the system match the CPU, my DDR2-800 would only be running at 667MHz. Instead, I bring the FSB up to 400 (800 FSB) to take advantage of the memory specs and squeeze more juice out of the CPU (3.6GHz). If I bought DDR2-1033 I would pump the FSB up to 533 and lower the multiplier of the CPU to around 7.5 (~4GHz), but the difference between 1033 and 800 really is negligible, so why not stick with 800 at CAS4 than pushing to 1033 with CAS5. So yes, you have the headroom but the CPU doesn't use it unless you tweak the BIOS.

DevastationEve6320d ago (Edited 6320d ago )

I wasn't highlighting it as an advantage. And yeah, the memory would clock down to the CPU's speed, not the other way around. So I shouldn't have said forced, more likely that it won't run at its rated speed UNLESS you overclock. But that's basically the answer to the article's question.

It's not going to make any difference in overall system performance. Since you're limited by what your FSB dictates. Do you overclock just so that the memory runs at its higher speed? The answer is no, buy matching memory speed for the CPU. If you PLANNED on overclocking, then the answer is go ahead.

ThanatosDMC6321d ago

Depends on how you use it.

"It's not the size. It's how you use it." <-- where was that from again???

ofx3606321d ago

The guy on you pic. HAHA *slaps knee*

ThanatosDMC6321d ago

HAHHAHA... he's my spray paint too on CS!

ofx3606321d ago

thats awesome. I just use the default...im a noob :(

DevastationEve6321d ago

that was great, agrees for everyone! double entendres and avatars...hahaha!

LeonSKennedy4Life6321d ago

Haha...I laugh every time I see that picture too!

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 6321d ago
Magic_The_Celt6321d ago (Edited 6321d ago )

Only bother if your going for games.

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20°
8.0

Wicked Seed Review | NoobFeed

Wasbir from NoobFeed writes: Wicked Seed looks like a Unity project for sure. Some parts of the world feel like they've been used before, and enemy animations can look stiff. A lot of enemies do nothing while your stamina is being restored, which takes away from the realism a little. But sometimes the art direction really shines, especially in lighting and mood-setting. Rain changes your fighting stats.

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noobfeed.com
40°

Just like Concord, Highguard is checking out; will Marathon go the same way?

Story Mode on why live service games can't expect to thrive on just competence, that they need something more. In the case of Marathon, "With Bungie at the helm, the same Bungie that defined not one but two generations of gaming — with Halo in 2001 and Destiny 2 in 2017 — ‘just another extraction shooter’ isn’t going to cut it.

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storymode.info
1d 7h ago Replies(1)
MayorPauline1d 7h ago

Bungies in for a world of hurt. These companies just never seem to learn.

1d 5h ago
-Foxtrot20h ago

Probably not as fast but it will eventually

It seems it will have its dedicated hardcore fanbase but as soon as the next shiny GaaS game is out they’ll move on or go back to the one they were already playing for months

20°

Robocop: Rogue City Steam Game Data Was Temporarily Replaced With An Unannounced Game

Game data for Robocop: Rogue City was temporarily replaced with the data of the unannounced reboot of Hunter: The Reckoning on Steam.

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twistedvoxel.com