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    Ram Dilemma

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by Tim, May 21, 2007.

  1. Tim

    Tim Notebook Virtuoso

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    In my old Compaq laptop I have two 1GB sticks of 533MHz ram. I am going to be getting a new Santa Rosa laptop this summer.

    I am kind of confused about 800MHz ram. The way I understand it is that it will be downclocked to 667MHz anyways because Santa Rosa doesn't support it. So this leads me to believe that I should just keep my 533MHz ram because 667MHz isn't a big improvement over 533MHz.
    Tim
     
    Tim, May 21, 2007
    #1
  2. mujtaba

    mujtaba ZzzZzz Super Moderator

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    Well, I think you are right on both accounts...
    Anyways you have those two memory sticks from your dead laptops am I not right ?
     
    mujtaba, May 21, 2007
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  3. Tim

    Tim Notebook Virtuoso

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    Yeah I have both of those ram sticks from my old dead laptop.
    Tim
     
    Tim, May 21, 2007
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  4. Zero

    Zero The Random Guy

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    Yep, Tim, your correct. Santa Rosa doesn't have support for 800 MHz RAM, so its robably just best to stick with the current RAM ad simply use that. There won't be much of a difference with 533 MHz and 667 MHz anyway.
     
    Zero, May 21, 2007
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  5. crappyGPU

    crappyGPU Notebook Consultant

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    lol, i used to think that RAM frequency DOES matter, but when i OCed my desktop, I pushed RAM to 950Mhz (5-5-5-18), then downclocked it to 570 (3-3-3-9), i couldn't feel the difference. Everest memory bench reports a little lower bandwidth, but MUCH lower latency
     
    crappyGPU, May 21, 2007
    #5
  6. John Ratsey

    John Ratsey Moderately inquisitive Super Moderator

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    People seem to confuse the 800MHz for Santa Rosa with the memory speed. RAM manufacturers still haven't given notebook users 667MHz RAM with CL=4 or lower. They can probably give us 800MHz RAM with CL=6 and all the other timings increased in proportion. The higher frequency will also need a little more power.

    While I was reviewing the Samsing R20 I tried the effect of different RAM combinations. This computer has integrated graphics so the faster RAM should boost the graphics performance as well as giving a general increase One set of tests was to compare 2 x 512MB of DDR2-667 (timings 5-5-5-13-18) with 2 x 512MB of DDR-533 (4-4-4-11-15). The increases I measured were:

    Sandra Memory bandwidth: + 1.5%
    PCMark05: -1.4% !
    3DMark05: -1% !
    3DMark06: +8% (more effect than overclocking the CPU by 50%)

    That is a not very convincing set of results and all except the 3DMark06 result are within the fluctuations I was getting when rerunning results.

    Conclusion: Reuse those 533MHz sticks. If anyone ever brings out lower latency RAM then it might be worth considering an upgrade.

    John
     
    John Ratsey, May 21, 2007
    #6