CPU/Mobo Is DDR3 worth it?

L

lazygarfield

Contributor
Hello.

I am about to buy a new MoBo. The processor I have finalized on is AMD Athlon II X2 245 (or maybe even 250) and the only problem remains of finalizing a suitable MoBo for it.

The thing is, I want a very bare-bones MoBo. I already have a graphics card and a sound card so don't need any MoBo with onboard graphics / sound. Just good slots and connectivity.

I had initially decided upon the ASUS M2N68AM PLUS but a few people here on TE discouraged me from picking that (why? Is it very bad?) and suggested that I go for the Biostar A780L.

However, a side-note pointed out that I could fork out a few extra bucks, get a Biostar A780L3 or a Gigabyte AM3-supporting MoBo and buy new DDR3 RAM and the end result would be a much sweeter rig.

So, my question is... is it worth shelling out the 2000+ extra bucks (some for the MoBo + 2GB DDR3 RAM)? I use the PC only to watch HD movies and play games on a 720p screen. I am a not a hardcore gamer by any means... no Crysis or Far Cry for me. I am more into Star Wars - The Force Unleashed, Avatar or Batman - Arkham Asylum. So, given my needs and usage habits... would it be worth it for me to get an AM3 MoBo and DDR3 RAM or would it be alright to get the Biostar A780L (or the ASUS model: is it that bad?)?

Please offer your suggestions...

Thanks in advance!
 
DDR3 is indeed worth and the way to go. there is hardly a difference in the prices of DDR2 and DDR3. DDR2 prices are only going to go up and Dr3 prices are falling

for bare-bones motherboard i'd suggest you go for Gigabyte GA-MA74GMT-S2 rs.2500 :) . its supports AM2+/AM3 cpu's and DDR3 ram and decent connectivity options. hence you need not spend more money for the biostar DDr3 mobo.

people here don't recommend Asus is because of its pathetic after sales services handled by rashi. gigabyte has good ASS :)

Additional note: instead of opening multiple threads for CPU, then MOBO etc, you could have used this template and have all your queries answered :@
http://www.techenclave.com/pc-buying-advice/template-what-should-i-buy-use-143714.html

now before you create more threads for PSU and RAM, let me suggest them in advance :bleh:
Ram : OCZ / corsair value series : rs.2100. OCZ comes with a heat sink - rs.2300
PSU: if you have a crappy one - then go for atleast FSP Saga II - 350W for 1500.
 
DDR3 is definitely recommended now.

It also helps if you want/need to add more RAM later, as DDR2 availability will low eventually and prices maybe much higher than DDR3 then.

Do take a look at the ASUS M4A88T-M; approx Rs.4800/- on deltapage iirc.

This was announced sometime back.

ASUS Unveils the Bigger & Better - E.L.I.T.E. 2.0 Service for Motherboards

E.L.I.T.E. 2.0 - India's Largest Service Network for Motherboards Now Offers Burnt & Corrosion Warranty on All ASUS Motherboards & Expands Reach to 798 Indian Cities

...
Click to expand...

http://www.techenclave.com/cpu-mobo-corner/asus-unveils-e-l-i-t-175469.html
 
4800 is out of my budget. Do you know if ASUS has any AM3 MoBo at a lower price in that?

And, right now, Prime ABGB is offering me this package:

AMD Athlon II X2 245

Gigabyte GA-MA74GMT-S2 (combined price = Rs. 5350)

2GB DDR3 OCZ RAM (with heat sink) (Rs. 2050)

So, adding shipping charges of Rs. 300, I get the processor + MoBo + RAM for Rs. 7700. Is this is a good deal people?
 
But is the ASUS M4A78LT-M LE that better than the Gigabyte GA-MA74GMT-S2? To warrant spending an extra 800 bucks on it? I got your point about more coverage under the warranty but I've heard terrible complains about the customer service itself, some of them on TE. Which is why I'm hesitant about going down the ASUS path.
 
The asus mobo ASUS M4A78LT-M LE is available at lamington for around 2.9k...i didnt enquire prime but few random shops at lamington...
 
Wonder why Nobody even Bothered To answer OP's Question - If DDr3 is worth it or not

the difference between DDR and DDR2 RAM lies in the doubling of the frequency bus, the DDR3 works by doubling the prefetch data. This is achieved by doubling the internal bank to 8. Each internal bank can process 1 bit of data. DDR2 SDRAM have only 4 internal banks and process 4-bit samples, DDR3 SDRAM uses 8 internal banks to carry out 8-bit prefetch. The impact of the additional internal banks means that the DDR3 SDRAM could double the data transfer rate without having to make modifications to the original design.

Another advantage of DDR3 is the reduced voltage requirement. The required voltage for DDR3 is 1.5V, a 16% reduction of the DDR2 1.8V. This could translate to a 30% reduction in power consumption compared with DDR2 RAM operating at the same speed. Additional built-in power conservation features with DDR3 include partial refresh and thermal sensor that could allow the system to save further power by providing minimum refresh cycles when the system is not in high performance mode.

See Also :

DDR3 vs. DDR2 - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/memory/display/ddr3.html

Hope this Helps
 
Hey people,

I placed my order for the Processor (AMD Athlon II X2 245), Motherboard (Gigabyte GA-MA74GMT-S2) and RAM (OCZ DDR3 2GB) from Prime ABGB and they shipped it day before yesterday. I received the package yesterday. Now, I want to assemble it.

I have never done this before (assembling) but I can learn, and have worked with wires, cables, hardware etc. before. Can any of you point me to a guide/tutorial/site which can help me with assembling?
 
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