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Review: Corsair DDR3-1,600MHz: worth the premium over DDR2?

by Tarinder Sandhu on 6 October 2008, 08:37

Tags: XMS3 DDR3-1,600, Corsair

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qapkv

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DivX and gaming

HEXUS DivX encoding test
G.Skill 2GB DDR3-1600MHzCorsair 4GB DDR3-1,600MHzCrucial 2GB DDR3-2,000MHzCorsair 4GB DDR2-1,066MHz
66666667


The DivX test shows barely any difference between the platforms, though.

Company of Heroes: OF - 1,024x768
G.Skill 2GB DDR3-1600MHzCorsair 4GB DDR3-1,600MHzCrucial 2GB DDR3-2,000MHzCorsair 4GB DDR2-1,066MHz
220.39221.19222.75219.28


Enemy Territory: Quake Wars - 1,024x768
G.Skill 2GB DDR3-1600MHzCorsair 4GB DDR3-1,600MHzCrucial 2GB DDR3-2,000MHzCorsair 4GB DDR2-1,066MHz
136.83132.5135.03128.9


Gaming wise, you probably wouldn't perceive the difference between an average 128.9fps (slowest, DDR2) and 136.8fps (fastest, DDR3).

Performance summary

Based on our findings, DDR3 doesn't make a whole bunch of sense on a platform limited by a front-side bus. Intel's Core i7, bereft of the inhibiting 'technology', is just around the corner and will be able to tap into the extra bandwidth on offer.

What makes the situation even more unpalatable for DDR3 is the current price, which is some 2.5x-3.5x that of quality DDR2.