Value DDR2-800 from Super Talent: Where Can You Go?
by Wesley Fink on November 29, 2006 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Memory
Game Performance Comparison
Real-world benchmarks - specifically gaming benchmarks - provide the most useful measure of memory performance if you keep in mind what they represent. Memory is just one small part of overall gaming performance, and the AnandTech benchmarks keep everything the same except memory speed. Even the CPU speed is kept constant (except for the Highest Speed (overclocking) test). As a result performance improvements in FPS are very small because the only factor influencing the test results is memory speed. Many factors affect system performance, and memory speed is just one of those factors.
Results for high-end memory were very close at tested speeds. Therefore, the scale range was reduced to better show the small differences in these memory benchmark results at each speed. Please keep this in mind when viewing the charts. A normal zero scale would make performance differences appear much smaller than these expanded scale charts. Values for the tested memories are included below each chart for reference.
The AnandTech memory test suite uses Far Cry, Half Life 2 and Quake 4 for memory testing because these games are sensitive to memory performance and they are generally not GPU bound.
We have said before that the Core 2 Duo chips are not memory starved, and if you look closely you will see that the real world performance of this value RAM is only a bit slower in games than tested memory that costs twice as much. The Super Talent can't reach DDR2-1066, but with a modest overclock at DDR2-1000 the performance is still competitive with the top DDR2 memory we have tested at speeds to DDR2-1000 or higher.
There is no doubt the best memory gives you a few frames per second better gaming performance at all speeds, and it will also allow your system to reach higher CPU overclocks due to the added latitude of the memory. However, the real world difference between 4-4-4 timings and 3-3-3 timings at DDR2-800 is quite small.
It is interesting that memory is varying from 3-2-2-6 timings at DDR2-400 all the way to 5-5-5-15 timings at DDR2-1000. Despite the rapid drop in memory timings, all three games continue to show improvement in frame rates as memory speed increases. Put another way, performance continues to improve as memory speed increases. The Super Talent T800UX2GC5 performance was pretty much as expected. Results were virtually the same as the best DDR2 we have tested to DDR2-800, with a slight drop off due to slower timings at DDR2-800. The Super Talent could not reach DDR-1067, but it did perform well to DDR2-1000 with an 889 ratio pushed to a 300 bus setting (from the stock 266). Memory speed can definitely improve system performance, but not to the extent of an upgraded video card or a higher speed processor.
Real-world benchmarks - specifically gaming benchmarks - provide the most useful measure of memory performance if you keep in mind what they represent. Memory is just one small part of overall gaming performance, and the AnandTech benchmarks keep everything the same except memory speed. Even the CPU speed is kept constant (except for the Highest Speed (overclocking) test). As a result performance improvements in FPS are very small because the only factor influencing the test results is memory speed. Many factors affect system performance, and memory speed is just one of those factors.
Results for high-end memory were very close at tested speeds. Therefore, the scale range was reduced to better show the small differences in these memory benchmark results at each speed. Please keep this in mind when viewing the charts. A normal zero scale would make performance differences appear much smaller than these expanded scale charts. Values for the tested memories are included below each chart for reference.
The AnandTech memory test suite uses Far Cry, Half Life 2 and Quake 4 for memory testing because these games are sensitive to memory performance and they are generally not GPU bound.
We have said before that the Core 2 Duo chips are not memory starved, and if you look closely you will see that the real world performance of this value RAM is only a bit slower in games than tested memory that costs twice as much. The Super Talent can't reach DDR2-1066, but with a modest overclock at DDR2-1000 the performance is still competitive with the top DDR2 memory we have tested at speeds to DDR2-1000 or higher.
There is no doubt the best memory gives you a few frames per second better gaming performance at all speeds, and it will also allow your system to reach higher CPU overclocks due to the added latitude of the memory. However, the real world difference between 4-4-4 timings and 3-3-3 timings at DDR2-800 is quite small.
It is interesting that memory is varying from 3-2-2-6 timings at DDR2-400 all the way to 5-5-5-15 timings at DDR2-1000. Despite the rapid drop in memory timings, all three games continue to show improvement in frame rates as memory speed increases. Put another way, performance continues to improve as memory speed increases. The Super Talent T800UX2GC5 performance was pretty much as expected. Results were virtually the same as the best DDR2 we have tested to DDR2-800, with a slight drop off due to slower timings at DDR2-800. The Super Talent could not reach DDR-1067, but it did perform well to DDR2-1000 with an 889 ratio pushed to a 300 bus setting (from the stock 266). Memory speed can definitely improve system performance, but not to the extent of an upgraded video card or a higher speed processor.
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slayerized - Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - link
The last week has seen a sudden drop in memory prices. There are quite a few DDR2 800 modules in the 200 price (-1/+30-40) range on newegg with better timings.G.Skill F2-6400CL4D-2GBPK is one of the products out there ($204) with rated timings of 4-4-4-12. I realize anandtech posted another g.skill ddr2 800 review a few days back, but i am pretty sure this is different. I think things are looking better in the memory side of things and prices should stabilize in the affordable range even for enthusiast memories soon (hopefully). Right now the trend is ridiculous.
Turin39789 - Thursday, November 30, 2006 - link
It would have been nice for them to look at several memories, I'm not even sure why they tested this module except the manufacturer is launching the product and needs press. When you are looking for valueram and there are products that are more than 15% cheaper, that's what the budget minded are looking at. I want to know how the $200 sticks work and I want to see them compared with each other, similar to the treatment the high end stuff gets.Turin39789 - Thursday, November 30, 2006 - link
It would have been nice for them to look at several memories, I'm not even sure why they tested this module except the manufacturer is launching the product and needs press. When you are looking for valueram and there are products that are more than 15% cheaper, that's what the budget minded are looking at. I want to know how the $200 sticks work and I want to see them compared with each other, similar to the treatment the high end stuff gets.Spacecomber - Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - link
Are those the proper results with a mis-labeled heading, or did the wrong results find their way into the article? The results are titled G.Skill F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ.Wesley Fink - Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - link
Web Editing used an older template, updated the results, but not the title. The results were for the Super Talent DDR2-800. The table is now corrected.Wesley Fink - Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - link
Web Editing used an older template, updated the results, but not the title. The results were for the Super Talent DDR2-800. The table is now corrected.lopri - Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - link
Probably mis-labeled. I'm seeing G-skill, too.ashegam - Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - link
is it me, or do these memory modules look like Walmart branded memory, at first glance? :)n7 - Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - link
There's almost no way this is D9GMH/D9GKX.This is likely very good Promos or possibly Elpida.
Definitely not too bad results considering it's using a crap IC.
OrSin - Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - link
"Since when is pretty good? The article is ok, but this line made me laugh. Reminds me of dells new pretty cases and the crap inside. Not all dells are crap but please dont buy a gaming rig from them and expect a true gaming computer.