Super Talent & TEAM Join the Fast DDR2 Club
by Wesley Fink on October 10, 2006 4:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Memory
Memory Test Configuration
It was demonstrated in Conroe vs. AM2: Memory & Performance that DDR2 memory performance, in timings and voltage, are equivalent on the AM2 and Core 2 Duo platforms. However, the first generation of AM2 on-processor memory controller does not support any memory timings below 3, where the Intel platform supports 2 settings for RAS-to-CAS and RAS Precharge. In addition AM2 boards do not currently support DDR2-1067 as a memory speed option, which makes it more difficult to test some of the newest DDR2 memories rated at DDR2-1000, DDR2-1067, DDR2-1100, or even higher. For all of these reasons, the Intel platform is the current test platform for DDR2 memory. Specifically, Core 2 Duo Extreme, which has available memory ratios both up and down, is the platform of choice. When changes are made in the AM2 and Core 2 Duo markets in the future the memory test platform will be examined again.
The ASUS P5W-DH is the latest 975X board in the ASUS family and it fully supports the Core 2 processors. The P5W-DH Deluxe therefore replaced the P5W-D2-E premium used in past DDR2 reviews. A review of the updated ASUS P5W-DH Deluxe is available in the Conroe Buyers Guide. The P5W-DH features similar memory options to the earlier versions. Since most of the Core 2 Duo/Extreme processors run at a quad-pumped FSB of 1067 (base 266), the available options are particularly useful for benchmarking when a Core 2 chip powers the system.
Our memory test bench uses the following components:
It is almost useless to compare benchmarks with Conroe to older results with Intel Presler processors - since Core 2 Duo is as much as 35 to 40% faster than Presler. Therefore, the only results shown in this review are DDR2 memories tested on the X6800 platform. Previously reported timings and voltages are still useful and can be compared to new results, but performance results on Core 2 are the only DDR2 test results compared in this review.
It was demonstrated in Conroe vs. AM2: Memory & Performance that DDR2 memory performance, in timings and voltage, are equivalent on the AM2 and Core 2 Duo platforms. However, the first generation of AM2 on-processor memory controller does not support any memory timings below 3, where the Intel platform supports 2 settings for RAS-to-CAS and RAS Precharge. In addition AM2 boards do not currently support DDR2-1067 as a memory speed option, which makes it more difficult to test some of the newest DDR2 memories rated at DDR2-1000, DDR2-1067, DDR2-1100, or even higher. For all of these reasons, the Intel platform is the current test platform for DDR2 memory. Specifically, Core 2 Duo Extreme, which has available memory ratios both up and down, is the platform of choice. When changes are made in the AM2 and Core 2 Duo markets in the future the memory test platform will be examined again.
The ASUS P5W-DH is the latest 975X board in the ASUS family and it fully supports the Core 2 processors. The P5W-DH Deluxe therefore replaced the P5W-D2-E premium used in past DDR2 reviews. A review of the updated ASUS P5W-DH Deluxe is available in the Conroe Buyers Guide. The P5W-DH features similar memory options to the earlier versions. Since most of the Core 2 Duo/Extreme processors run at a quad-pumped FSB of 1067 (base 266), the available options are particularly useful for benchmarking when a Core 2 chip powers the system.
| Memory Configuration Options/ASUS P5W-DH Deluxe Motherboard | ||||||||
| Auto | DDR2-400 | DDR2-533 | DDR2-667 | DDR2-711* | DDR2-800* | DDR2-889* | DDR2-1067* | |
| FSB-1067 | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| FSB-800 | X | X | X | X | X | |||
| FSB-533 | X | X | X | |||||
Our memory test bench uses the following components:
| Memory Performance Test Configuration | |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo X6800 (x2, 2.93GHz, 4MB Unified Cache) |
| RAM | 2x1GB Super Talent DDR2-1000 2x1GB TEAM DDR2-1000 2 x 1GB Corsair CM2X1024-6400C3 2x1GB OCZ Ti Alpha PC2-8000 VX2 |
| Hard Drive | Hitachi 250GB SATA2 enabled (16MB Buffer) |
| Video Card | 1 x EVGA 7900GTX - All Standard Tests |
| Video Drivers | NVIDIA 91.47 |
| CPU Cooling | Tuniq Tower 120 |
| Power Supply | OCZ PowerStream 520W |
| Motherboard | ASUS P5W-DH Deluxe (Intel 975X) |
| Operating System | Windows XP Professional SP2 |
| BIOS | AMI 1407 (October 2, 2006) |
It is almost useless to compare benchmarks with Conroe to older results with Intel Presler processors - since Core 2 Duo is as much as 35 to 40% faster than Presler. Therefore, the only results shown in this review are DDR2 memories tested on the X6800 platform. Previously reported timings and voltages are still useful and can be compared to new results, but performance results on Core 2 are the only DDR2 test results compared in this review.
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Wesley Fink - Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - link
As I stated in the review, we have yet to see a value DDR2-800 that will run at DDR2-1067. The value parts we have tested with Elpida chips can achieve 4-3-3 timings at DDR2-800. We tested and showed results in the Conroe Buying Guide. Part 2 of that guide is in the works and will include more value RAM.Guuts - Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - link
Thanks Wes.deathwalker - Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - link
These modules certainly appear to be a "no go" for most of the 1.8 vlt. C2D platforms...and there certainly seem to be many of them out there that only offer modest voltage settings above 1.8 vlts.Gary Key - Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - link
This would have been true early on with most of the P965 boards. However, as the bios and memory SPDs have matured this is no longer the case for the vast majority of P965 boards. I have not had an issue with the high end PC2-8000 and up modules booting properly at this time in most of the P965 boards with the latest bios, the lone exception being the Intel branded boards. However, unless you have a E6300/E6400, a very overclocking friendly board, and are benchmarking for money then there are better choices in the DDR2-800 family for the P965 setup. ;-)duploxxx - Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - link
We all know memory performance is much more important on AM2, so what's the point on reviewing it only on Core.You should add the performance benches of the fx to this chart. But I am sure you won't. Because many know what will happen to the performance crown when using such memory to the AMD system (without the trick of lowering cas to memoryspeed you did in your performance king review), but marketing is at a whole other level these days.....
Wesley Fink - Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - link
I stated in the review that AMD bandwidth goes up more than Core2Duo as memory speed increases. We showed that in our C2D vs. AM2 article. However, even with the massively increased bandwidth AM2 performance does not increase accordingly - and we also showed that in our earlier review. The fact is that the current AM2 design is not memory bandwidth starved, so the memory bandwidth improvements have almost no impact on performance. In the future AM2 die-shrink, with perhaps a memory controller update, we might see AM2 make better use of it's memory bandwidth advantage. When that happens, we will definitely report it.