1GB or 2GB?

[supersan]

With my next system build coming up (C2D etc etc) I am looking specifically at the RAM i should be using.


1 gig of high performance RAM(high clocks, low latencies, e.g 800Mhz, CAS4)

or 2gig of value ram (lower clock, higher latency, e.g 533 or 667 CAS5)

obviously cost is always an issue.

so what would be "better"? (considering upcoming Vista, dx10, but mainly focussed on current games)

let's hear it!

[kidzer]

If you are going to overclock, better quality RAM is almost a necessity for a decent OC.

However, if you're just using the CPU at stock speeds/mild OC'ing, then Corsair Value RAM will do you fine.

And, 2GiB ftw anyways!

[NightshadowUK]

2GB > 1GB regardless.

But as kidzer said, if you want to overclock you'll need decent RAM.

[badass]

2GB > 1GB regardless.

But as kidzer said, if you want to overclock you'll need decent RAM.

QFT!

[leigh_r]

core 2 isnt as particular about memory latencys as am2 is so you should still get good results with bog standard ddr2 667, just not if your overclocking. i would go for 2gb

[supersan]

so 1gb of say 800mhz, cas4 wouldn't be as good for gaming for me as 2gb of slower/higher latency stuff?

~£180 for decent corsair 2x1GB isn't too far from me, but spending half that for 1GB and to not see a great dip in performance for games would obv be a winner for me, until it was absolutely neccesary to then upgrade to 2GB.

[nvening]

Basically you do not need to worry about latency timings. The little difference they have on A64 systems is even less on C2D systems and there is no real world effect to having higher timings (just slight differences in benchmarks).

However higher quality RAM will overclock higher (normally) and so will allow you to run at a higher FSB at a 1:1 divider (ie having the same speed memory and FSB). But you can run at different FSB and RAM speeds and so overclocking your ram to high speeds is not essentual. Therefore even if you plan to overclock, unless you are very keen you do not need super fast, expensive ram.

The big difference in perofrmance is having lots or ram, and programs are getting more and more ram hungry. Therfore 2GB is a must IMHO unless you cant afford it, and i would always chose more memory over faster memory.

Anyway 2x2GB memory packs are coming mainstream soon so you will soon be upgrading...

[supersan]

2x1GB of value select it is then!

i game, but only at 1440x900, and also not big on video encode etc so i guess it's the best choice for me.

when do u think that it will start becoming neccesary for 4GB? vista can't be that hungry right?! aero glass and effects by the GPU, so where's the RAM hunger coming from in the next year or so??

[nvening]

Well i think 2gb will keep us goign for a good while but im thinking ill probably go 4GB for my next computer

[kalniel]

We won't need 4gb until programs are written *not* to be backwardly compatible with XP.

When there isn't enough of an XP market to bother with, then we can see games written exclusively for x64 and thus able to access more than 2.3gb or so of ram.