The Effects of RAM on a System

One thing is clearer than the contempt for humanity on Sir Alan Sugar's face - RAM really doesn't have the profound effects upon a System that the processor or graphics card does. While that doesn't make for the most earth-shattering benchmark results, it does mean that you don't need to get your knickers in too much of a twist when it comes to buying RAM. The World in Conflict results are the ones to look at here, and while we're talking dozens of frames of variance from RAM to RAM, that's because we were running the game at 800 x 600 on low visual settings, so the processor (and crucially, the speed it communicates with the RAM) is the only thing being tested. Whack everything up to maximum and the additional strain on the graphics will almost entirely flatten out the differences, unless you're running triple SLI. It's good to see that Core i7's third channel makes a practical difference, however - we've become a bit too used to SiSoft Sandra's dramatic results having nothing to do with reality. These results also prove that, while i7 comfortably leads the pack, Core 2 in a DDR2 package has nothing to be ashamed of yet. Yeah, you should buy a DDR3 platform if you're building from scratch, but for mainstream gaming there's no need to rush out and buy a new PC. All that should change come Core i5 this autumn, however: exciting times are coming. A surprise star was the Patriot Signature RAM, which fought well against its pricier, beefier brethren in both the dual and triple channel categories. But then again it's very reflective of most entry-level DDR3 - meaning you can hit buses of around 1400MHz, still far above the official max of both Core 2 and Core i7, from cheap, cooler-free sticks. Now that it's had some time to bed in, DDR3 is starting to prove its worth - and, as with the impressive overclockability of DDR2-667, it looks as though we'll be squeezing extra out of our entry-level PC3 sticks. For all your Discount Computer Parts, Games and Notebook requirements visit us at http://usacomputers.rr.nu and http://sacomputers.rr.nu

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