I'm considering to upgrade mu CPU. Need advice - Page 2

Arclight · 04-21-09, 05:03 AM

Comes down to:
SDRAM > 1 transfer per clock
DDR > 2 transfers per clock
DDR2 > 4 transfer per clock
DDR3 > 8 transfers per clock

With each new "tech level", bandwith is doubled. Memory is about 2 things: bandwith and latency. Bandwith refers to how much data can be tranfered in a given timeframe (exampl: 1GB per second). Latency refers to how long it takes for a command to be completed. (example: data is requested by something and 80 nanoseconds later it gets it).

If a lot of small things are requested from memory, scathered over a lot of different adresses, latency is more important. If a large, continues block of data is requested, bandwith is more important. As far as I know, latency has a bigger impact on gaming performance.

CAS 4 DDR2 and CAS 8 DDR3 offer practicaly the same latency, but DDR3 offers double the bandwith (at same bus-speed). DDR3 is also more energy efficient, leading to reduced temps. DDR3 prices are now at the same level as DDR2 was at the time I bought my memory.

Castout · 04-21-09, 07:48 AM

Hey thanks you make it easy to understand.

Doh now I want DDR3...but wait my mobo doesn't support it arrrghhhh

Arclight · 04-21-09, 07:56 AM

I have the same problem.

If you're interrested in new memory, just get low latency DDR2 and you should be fine.

Konovalov · 04-21-09, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arclight

I have the same problem.

If you're interrested in new memory, just get low latency DDR2 and you should be fine.

And DDR2 memory is so cheap now thanks to DDR3. You can pickup high performance 4gb (2 x 2gb) kits for £50 and even less here in the UK. Never been a better time to increase your memory if you so need.

AVGWarhawk · 04-21-09, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Somebody told me that Vista x64 is not very efficient to play games on.
something to do with Nvidia drivers not being optimized for Vista x64.

I have no issues with Nvida and Vista 64. Games play very nicely. Kick in 8 gig of RAM and your hard drive is never accessed to act like RAM.

The only thing I have heard concerning Nvidia and 64 is sometimes upon boot the screen will be black. There has to be some tweaks made for the Nvidia driver to start with boot. This problem has been out there for quite a few months but I believe Nvidia has handled it. Every once in a while this black screen happens to me(maybe 3 times in the last 5 months) but I just reboot and it works. I have not made any tweaks. Just loaded up the current driver and set my card up for games.

Arclight · 04-21-09, 09:04 AM

I had that same black screen on XP 32-bit every once in a while.

Knew it was Nvidia driver related. Never happened on Win7 though. Weird.

AVGWarhawk · 04-21-09, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arclight

I had that same black screen on XP 32-bit every once in a while.

Knew it was Nvidia driver related. Never happened on Win7 though. Weird.

I believe Nvidia has it sorted now. This problem was happening quite a bit a year ago and even with XP. Sometimes though getting the 64 bit driver for your monitor and not using the windows driver for the monitor took care of the issue for some. Others just needed some Vista updates and the current Nvidia driver to over come this issue.

Arclight · 04-21-09, 12:17 PM

Happened with 182.06 on XP, using those same drivers now on Win7 (well, Win7 install, obviously).

Drivers for my monitor? You mean for this ancient CRT beast?! No such thing mate. :rotfl:

I never went looking for a solution, just figured it was because of graphics drivers. Nice to see it confirmed.

AVGWarhawk · 04-21-09, 12:53 PM

I discovered my Samsung 22 inch has in fact a 64 bit driver at the Samsung site. Getting more common these day.

Arclight · 04-21-09, 03:15 PM

Yeah, for a Samsung, but they actually make good monitors (IMHO the best). I have some old Packard Bell from god knows where that I managed to save before it landed at the scrap heap. No luck finding a driver for that one.

Even the PB site doesn't recognize the model number. :rotfl:

Castout · 04-21-09, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

I have no issues with Nvida and Vista 64. Games play very nicely. Kick in 8 gig of RAM and your hard drive is never accessed to act like RAM.

The only thing I have heard concerning Nvidia and 64 is sometimes upon boot the screen will be black. There has to be some tweaks made for the Nvidia driver to start with boot. This problem has been out there for quite a few months but I believe Nvidia has handled it. Every once in a while this black screen happens to me(maybe 3 times in the last 5 months) but I just reboot and it works. I have not made any tweaks. Just loaded up the current driver and set my card up for games.

Umm my Steel Beasts Pro PE runs slower in Vista than in XP. larger battles in Vista is unplayable. Decreasing graphical settings didn't help at all. But so far it's the only game which is having problem with Vista. I do hope MS send me a replacement disc.

I've already emailed them and gave them pictures of the damaged disc. The problem is the retail shop delivered me the OEM system builder Vista case.

04-21-09, 05:03 AM	#16
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Comes down to: SDRAM > 1 transfer per clock DDR > 2 transfers per clock DDR2 > 4 transfer per clock DDR3 > 8 transfers per clock With each new "tech level", bandwith is doubled. Memory is about 2 things: bandwith and latency. Bandwith refers to how much data can be tranfered in a given timeframe (exampl: 1GB per second). Latency refers to how long it takes for a command to be completed. (example: data is requested by something and 80 nanoseconds later it gets it). If a lot of small things are requested from memory, scathered over a lot of different adresses, latency is more important. If a large, continues block of data is requested, bandwith is more important. As far as I know, latency has a bigger impact on gaming performance. CAS 4 DDR2 and CAS 8 DDR3 offer practicaly the same latency, but DDR3 offers double the bandwith (at same bus-speed). DDR3 is also more energy efficient, leading to reduced temps. DDR3 prices are now at the same level as DDR2 was at the time I bought my memory. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

04-21-09, 07:48 AM	#17
Castout Silent Hunter Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Jakarta Posts: 4,794 Downloads: 89 Uploads: 6	Hey thanks you make it easy to understand. Doh now I want DDR3...but wait my mobo doesn't support it arrrghhhh __________________ My blog: http://exposingsingapore.wordpress.com/

04-21-09, 07:56 AM	#18
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	I have the same problem. If you're interrested in new memory, just get low latency DDR2 and you should be fine. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

04-21-09, 09:04 AM	#21
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	I had that same black screen on XP 32-bit every once in a while. Knew it was Nvidia driver related. Never happened on Win7 though. Weird. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

04-21-09, 12:17 PM	#23
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Happened with 182.06 on XP, using those same drivers now on Win7 (well, Win7 install, obviously). Drivers for my monitor? You mean for this ancient CRT beast?! No such thing mate. :rotfl: I never went looking for a solution, just figured it was because of graphics drivers. Nice to see it confirmed. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

04-21-09, 12:53 PM	#24
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 27,343 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	I discovered my Samsung 22 inch has in fact a 64 bit driver at the Samsung site. Getting more common these day. __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

04-21-09, 03:15 PM	#25
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Yeah, for a Samsung, but they actually make good monitors (IMHO the best). I have some old Packard Bell from god knows where that I managed to save before it landed at the scrap heap. No luck finding a driver for that one. Even the PB site doesn't recognize the model number. :rotfl: __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.