USUALLY the tradeoff in high-performance memory modules is: more capacity, less performance - after all, more memory chips and/or bigger/slower memory chips together can't avoid the speed repercussions. Few months ago, we reviewed the Crucual Ballistix Tracer module kit, the first 2 x 1 GB DIMM set for DDR2 to reach DDR2-800 at quite fast latency settings of 4-3-3-10.
Recently, I requested and got another DDR2-800 2 x 1 GB set, this time from A-DATA, a well-known Taiwanese memory module brand. It was a brand new set, in fact so new that even the plastic packaging wasn't ready yet, but the big huge DDR2-800 letters were loud and clear.
Then, I looked at the actual DIMM stickers, and something else was written on them - see the picture...
Yes, these are the first (claimed) DDR2-1000 DIMMs at 2 x 1 GB capacity out there! Wow, the high-capacity DDR2 modules have finally reached 1 GHz data rate as claimed by the vendor's sticker (even though it is not in sync with the same vendors's imprinted letters on the DIMMs).
To check whether this little thing can run at DDR2-1000 speeds, I used a specially configured Intel 955X board with few tweaks - while the first test run was based on a standard 3.4 GHz FSB800 Pentium 4 XE (old 2 MB cache Gallatin core) and with memory set as either dual-channel DDR2-533 or DDR2-800, the second round had that same Pentium water cooled with Corsair Cool, and with multiplier lowered from 17 to 16, running at 4 GHz (using the BIOS-based Intel overdrive by 25%) CPU and FSB1000, as well as memory being run as dual-channel DDR2-1000. I used Gallatin as it is still considerably cooler than all Prescott and Smithfield CPUs, and only may replace it with Presler/Cedar Mill range now.
In the first case, the DIMM was somewhat disappointing - while the Crucial Ballistix Tracer could run at DDR2-533 at CL 3-2-2-8 with 1.9 volt settings, the A-DATA Vitesta could only muster CL3-3-3-9 at the same voltage - Sandra 2005 read 6,027 MB/s integer and 6,012 MB/s FP here, some 2% slower than the Corsair unit. At the DDR2-800, it was CL 4-4-4-11 that worked at 1.9V, and it only improved to CL 4-4-3-10 at 2.0V - a tiny bit behind Crucial's 4-3-3-10 there.
However, something that the Crucial Ballistix didn't do few months ago, the A-DATA Vitesta did accomplish - at 2.1V, the highest voltage setting allowed by the 955X BIOS, we managed to get DDR2-1000 working, at CL 5-5-5-12 settings. The Sandra 2005 results were no surprise, at 6,762 MB/s integer and 6,758 MB/s FP, but the very fact that this was the first DDR2-1000 test I managed to complete with 2 x 1 GB DIMMs, surely was a surprise.
Anyway, I take it as a good beginning - Corsair, Crucial, Kingston and other big players in this market will also have their say soon at the high-capacity segment, as more than few game vendors start bloating their titles to the point that 2 GB RAM actually starts showing speed-ups over 'only' 1 GB. And, talking about bloats, just imagine what the brontosauroid Windows Vista and its Office companion will need just to chug along? Better get ready 2 GB (at least) DIMMs at fastest speed you can afford - and A-DATA does have a good affordable offering here. Or, well, you can always switch to Linux and OpenOffice, hehe...
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Image courtesy : Inquirer
Recently, I requested and got another DDR2-800 2 x 1 GB set, this time from A-DATA, a well-known Taiwanese memory module brand. It was a brand new set, in fact so new that even the plastic packaging wasn't ready yet, but the big huge DDR2-800 letters were loud and clear.
Then, I looked at the actual DIMM stickers, and something else was written on them - see the picture...
Yes, these are the first (claimed) DDR2-1000 DIMMs at 2 x 1 GB capacity out there! Wow, the high-capacity DDR2 modules have finally reached 1 GHz data rate as claimed by the vendor's sticker (even though it is not in sync with the same vendors's imprinted letters on the DIMMs).
To check whether this little thing can run at DDR2-1000 speeds, I used a specially configured Intel 955X board with few tweaks - while the first test run was based on a standard 3.4 GHz FSB800 Pentium 4 XE (old 2 MB cache Gallatin core) and with memory set as either dual-channel DDR2-533 or DDR2-800, the second round had that same Pentium water cooled with Corsair Cool, and with multiplier lowered from 17 to 16, running at 4 GHz (using the BIOS-based Intel overdrive by 25%) CPU and FSB1000, as well as memory being run as dual-channel DDR2-1000. I used Gallatin as it is still considerably cooler than all Prescott and Smithfield CPUs, and only may replace it with Presler/Cedar Mill range now.
In the first case, the DIMM was somewhat disappointing - while the Crucial Ballistix Tracer could run at DDR2-533 at CL 3-2-2-8 with 1.9 volt settings, the A-DATA Vitesta could only muster CL3-3-3-9 at the same voltage - Sandra 2005 read 6,027 MB/s integer and 6,012 MB/s FP here, some 2% slower than the Corsair unit. At the DDR2-800, it was CL 4-4-4-11 that worked at 1.9V, and it only improved to CL 4-4-3-10 at 2.0V - a tiny bit behind Crucial's 4-3-3-10 there.
However, something that the Crucial Ballistix didn't do few months ago, the A-DATA Vitesta did accomplish - at 2.1V, the highest voltage setting allowed by the 955X BIOS, we managed to get DDR2-1000 working, at CL 5-5-5-12 settings. The Sandra 2005 results were no surprise, at 6,762 MB/s integer and 6,758 MB/s FP, but the very fact that this was the first DDR2-1000 test I managed to complete with 2 x 1 GB DIMMs, surely was a surprise.
Anyway, I take it as a good beginning - Corsair, Crucial, Kingston and other big players in this market will also have their say soon at the high-capacity segment, as more than few game vendors start bloating their titles to the point that 2 GB RAM actually starts showing speed-ups over 'only' 1 GB. And, talking about bloats, just imagine what the brontosauroid Windows Vista and its Office companion will need just to chug along? Better get ready 2 GB (at least) DIMMs at fastest speed you can afford - and A-DATA does have a good affordable offering here. Or, well, you can always switch to Linux and OpenOffice, hehe...
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Image courtesy : Inquirer