DDR3, 2 or 4 gigs?

[macca22au]

As i have mentioned in another thread I am about to re-build my system.  I note that a DDR3 motherboard in Australia is about the same price as a DDR2 equivalent.  But DDR3 RAM is considerably more expensive.

At present I run 4x1gig of DDR2 RAM, Cougar 1066.

Could I get the same performance from 2 gig of DDR3 RAM.

Should it be in one stick, or two?   And what make and latency.  Prices vary as you come down the number scale ie 9-9-9-  to 5-5-5-.  I doubt whether I could afford the uber ram - the Mushkin, but at least one of the good makers.

[NickN]

If you cant afford the better RAM there is no reason to buy DDR3!

2x2GB DDR3 1600 @ 7-7-7-20

will work just fine

Aggressive uber memory would be DDR3 1800 @ 8-8-8-24



In DDR2

2x2GB DDR2 1066 @ 5-5-5-15


In both cases to use that ram speed correctly you must overclock. The ability in that clock depends on the memory stability and the CPU purchased. A decent but less aggressive clock for a Q9560 would be 400FSB x 9 (CPU Multiplier) = 3.6GHz with STRAP to 400 which should allow the memory speed of 1066 with DDR2 or 1600 with DDR3

Too keep costs low I would just stick with DDR2 for now

2x2GB DDR2 1066 @ 5-5-5-15

[raptorx]

Nick, For 450 FSB, why not the 333 strap?  That's what I'm on (DDR2 1080).  

-Jim

[NickN]

yes 333 should be 1080 for DDR2 at 450 with a 9650

the processor drives that math..

but I thought it needed to come up to 400 for 400FSB.. I may be thinking of the Q6600

It depends on the BIOS too... seen BIOS programers throw a curve in that area a few times

[raptorx]

Thanks.  
-J