Kingstons best DDR memory
Written: Nov 17 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Super fast memory
Cons: I can't find a con
The Bottom Line: If your building a computer this is the DDR memory to use.
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| oldzip's Full Review: SI-TEX GPS-90 GPS Receiver |
Before I begin this I have an apology to make. I wanted to write this review recently and couldn't find this item. I wrote the review against the next faster memory, but then recommended this memory. That was a mistake. But as a newbie here at Epinions, I'm learning.
I built a new computer last year on the premise that I'd concentrate not on the CPU speed but rather on a more important facet. The memory speed. You don't build your own computer because it's easier, or cheaper. I could buy a computer for $299 today. Would I be happy with it? Not like I am with a computer where every choice is mine.
After much comparison shopping, which was mostly comparing specs, I settled on 2 sticks of Kingston KHX3200A/512. I based my decision on the Cas Latency speed which in the case of my selected memory was CAS 2. I bought two sticks. One obvious reason was to get a total of 1 GB (gigabyte) of total memory. The other reason is that using two separate sticks on my motherboard enables a Dual Channel feature. Dual Channel doubles the memory speed of the 400 MHz bus to 800MHz.
I settled on Kingston because it was the only memory that runs at CL2. Or at least that I could find. I checked again as I write this at Crucial.Com, a very respected memory, but the fastest memory there for DDR is CL2.5
What is CL2 what does it mean you ask. Your computer has a clock, actually several all running off the same oscillator. The bus speed on my motherboard (an Asus P4C800-E Deluxe) runs at 400MHz. One MHz means million cycles so the memory bus runs at 400 million cycles. CL2 refers to Cas Latency or a delay imposed on each access to a memory location in the same memory row. CL2 then indicates that the memory skips clock cycles, in this case it runs on every other clock cycle. CL3 memory would run on every third clock cycle. I should mention while were on this discussion, there's also a delay when you change rows. That's called a ras delay for row access strobe.
What this all means is that the fastest you can run the instructions that make up the software programs we run is at the ultimate memory speed. CL2 memory really runs at only 200MHz. CL3 memory only runs at 133 MHz. The fastest memory at Crucial.com runs at CL2.5 or 160MHz.
You can buy faster bus speed memory but the real ultimate speed is the fastest with this particular memory. As the rated bus speed of a memory increases they lower the Cas Latency to get a memory that will run.
This is sdram which we've been using for years. The memory engineers and scientists have been working for years trying to get the speed up. They can't, at least to any appreciable amount. Sdram started out at 66MHz many years ago. They've managed over all these years to get it up slightly but not enough. In my opinion all the apparent increase in computer power came from these slight gains in memory speed, not from the enormous increases in CPU speed.
For a moment lets take a look at what CPU speed does for us. I said earlier the computer runs our programs at the ultimate memory speed. The CPU speed is the speed that a processor internal to the CPU, called a micro processor, runs at. As we call an instruction from memory and begin it's execution the micro processor looks at the type of instruction and runs a program, called a micro program, to determine what it takes to execute that instruction. The micro processor runs at the speed that all the sales hoopla brags about. The all important CPU speed. The price difference between two computers can be enormous. The actual difference is the hoopla.
Many years ago we examined what the micro processor was running. We looked at the micro program. Mostly what it was running was its internal idle loop. An idle loop runs when there's nothing else to do. So the faster your CPU speed is; the more time it spends in the idle loop.
When I was contemplating all this I wasn't sure myself. What convinced me was looking at the prices. The day I wrote this the PC3200 CL2 memory was $112 at the Kingston site. The PC3500 CL2.5 memory was $90.00 My opinion of the higher cost for the "slower" memory is that it runs faster. It's harder to get it to run and to keep it running so they charge more.
Here's the link to the Kingston site where I got these prices:
http://www.ec.kingston.com/ecom/configurator/type.asp
I'm sorry but you'll have to paste the hyper link.
Overall I'm happy with this memory. It's fast. The computer is fast and reliable. On the school's computers I open Visual Studio in about twenty seconds. On this computer at home it opens in about one second.
I know it's not important but the CPU in my computer was a Pentium IV 2400. I've run Windows 2000 Pro SP4, Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP2, and Linux. (Mepis booted from a CD)
If you buy DDR memory always buy two sticks. Not only can you then run at 800MHz but you have two separate sticks. If you're having a problem, you have one to eliminate for troubleshooting purposes. In the old days of computers we had a saying "One of anything is unmaintainable"
Another point to make before I close this. You might think that this review is out of date because of newer technology. DDRII memory runs at 533MHz with a Cas Latency of 4. That means an ultimate speed of 133 MHz. Stick with this memory.
Price I paid: $279 for two sticks
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
oldzip
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Member: John
Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 3 members
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