Looking for new mobo, DDR2 or DDR3??

C

CrimandEvil

Dick with a heart of gold
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http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1427897
You already know the gains are minimal but there's a refresher. Even the upcoming 6-core Thuban in Revision D still supports DDR2 so it is a long while off before DDR2 completely dies with AM2+/AM3. If you plan on using the same board through multiple CPU upgrades DDR3 can make sense if you are doing something like audio/video encoding where those saved seconds can add up over the course of a couple years. If you want to go with DDR3 for futureproofing you are better off purchasing based on tight timings (low CAS) than bandwidth. DDR3 1066 is very much a sidegrade (or even downgrade) because these modules typically have much worse timings than their DDR2 counterparts at the same speed. DDR3 1333 is the sweet spot right now for AM3 as many affordable low-latency sets exist. DDR3 1600 is overkill for anything but benching, yet the price is barely any higher (about $10 average versus 1333) so that could be under consideration as well. Since you are overclocking on a CPU with a locked multiplier remember that you may have to drop the memory multiplier once or twice depending on how high you go with the HT and how well your modules overclock.

DDR3 1333 CAS7 <= $90 + FS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820144264
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227478
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231276
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220278

DDR3 1600 CAS7* @$94.99 + FS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231279
*Don't expect CAS7 at this speed on AMD IMC's at this point. You may need to use 8-7-7 for these to be stable at 1600MHz eff.
 
I would go with DDR2 - since you've chosen the Athlon X4, I guess you're trying to keep the cost down. Buying 4GB of DDR3, for almost the entire cost of that CPU, just for a ~5% performance increase doesn't seem very cost effective to me when you already have the DDR2 RAM. Those $90 could have been spent towards a Ph-II X3 or X4, which would be faster than the Athlon X4 regardless of the memory used. Or, you can use them to get a better video card if you're planning on using the system for games.

If you know you will want to upgrade to DDR3 in the future however, it would be smarter to get the DDR3 mobo right away. Otherwise you have to buy both a new mobo and the DDR3 RAM later.
 
Since there is a thread about 3 threads away from this one on the very same topic, Im going to copy my rather long and rambling opinion on the subject from there!

If you plan on keeping the Memory and Motherboard for a long time, and just dropping new CPUs in down the road, then yes DDR3 and am AM3 mobo is worth the extra cost. But considering how much power an overclocked Phenom II X4 has under the hood (mine @3.6ghz runs everything I throw at it with ease, nothing I do and no amt of multitasking, including windows 7 stuff, even comes close to bogging my system down). Even multitasking on monitor 2 while gaming on the primary is easily done on my ddr2 build. Gaming comes the closest to bottlenecking a system, and Graphics cards are by far the biggest gaming bottleneck. Ddr2 vs 3 has little to no impact on fps on games running at playable settings, ie 1680x1050 to 1920x1200 with settings and features as high as you can get away with. This is what most enthusiasts are using for display size/resolution, 22-28" widescreen TN are very affordable nowadays.
Now sure the extra cpu and memory power helps running games with all settings low at 640x480 for synthetic benchmarking, but those numbers are completely useless for anything but bragging or testing hardwares theoretical power!
Anyway my point is, that by the time you need to upgrade a CPU like an AM2+/AM3 Phenom II X4 line that we are discussing here, there is going to be faster/cheaper/higher capacity DDR3 around, as well as new motherboards and chipsets with new features.

This is the reasoning I use to continue suggesting ddr2 and cheaper AM2+ mobo's. As long as you are using something with an AMD 770FX/GX or better, and nice low timing fast ddr2, by the time you need to upgrade to keep up with gaming, you will be ready for a new motherboard and memory too, and will likely have already replaced the GPU at least once.

Sorry its really late and I had trouble articulating my point heh. I still believe it is a valid one! Of course there is no harm in going with ddr3 now. But for people on a budget like me its basically a no brainer, take advantage of fast low timing high capacity ddr2 right now. WIth my budget, I could have either gone with 4gb of DDR3-1333, or 8gb of DDR2-1066. It wasnt much of a choice for me as I love killing my page file and having oodles of ram available to run 20 programs and a game all at the same time. I mean why have a powerful fast quad core made for multitasking without lots of ram needed by all those programs!
And for people with money to throw around, theres still reason to go with the cheaper ddr2. If you are loaded, chances are when you upgrade your core system next, your going to go with the fastest ram and motherboard available at the time anyway. So why not save some bucks now and go with the cheaper fast ddr2, as your gonna be replacing it in a few months/year anyway. By the time ddr2 starts to be a hindrance to your computing, there is either going to be faster memory available anyway, or prices are going to be lower on the fastest ddr3 avail today.

Either situation is a win for ddr2. All IMO of course. Im in the process of building my well to do boss a new rig, and even though he could afford 8gb of ddr3-1600, I decided to save him a few bucks so he feels better about dropping a ton of money on a component clearly worth the extra cash, a 30" Dell 3007WFP-HC. While the difference between ddr2 and ddr3 is quite tiny, and will have little to no impact on gaming (and pretty much no impact on anything else you do with your pc like watching movies and browsing), putting the money you saved there and by going with a slightly older/cheaper quality DDR2 motherboard towards a gigantic display will yield much more enjoyment from your box.

Just some food for thought. :) Thats the rationale I use for recommending AMD Phenom II builds over more expensive but slightly faster i5/i7 builds too. Put the money you save there towards a bombastic display, speaker system, or graphics card. Somewhere the extra money spent will have a meaningful impact on your gaming/computing experience!
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DDR3 9-9-9-24 at 1333? Like I already said there is no real world benefit going for higher bandwidth with DDR3 if it means going to junk timings as well. Most people care more about FPS in games and the snappiness of the OS than they do SuperPi times. At any rate the Ripjaws are a better value at DDR3 1600 7-7-7 (8-7-7 actual on AMD IMC).
 
DedEmbryonicCe11 said:
DDR3 9-9-9-24 at 1333? Like I already said there is no real world benefit going for higher bandwidth with DDR3 if it means going to junk timings as well. Most people care more about FPS in games and the snappiness of the OS than they do SuperPi times. At any rate the Ripjaws are a better value at DDR3 1600 7-7-7 (8-7-7 actual on AMD IMC).
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Dude, just giving some input-relax.
 
I was relaxed. The guy is asking for advice on where to spend his money. Suggesting modules that aren't worth the money is a bad idea.
 
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