DDR2 vs DDR3 - ASUS Blitz Formula vs Blitz Extreme...CellShock Rams involved...

[hipro5]

I did some tests with both "platforms" to see IF finally worths to move to DDR3.....

Hardware used:

DDR2 = ASUS Blitz Formula + CellShock DDR2 Ram Modules PC9200 (red kit) - 2.66Vdimm

DDR3 = ASUS Blitz Extreme + CellShock DDR3 Ram Modules PC14400 (blue kit - BETA) - 2.36Vdimm

DDR Maximizer of course.....

The benchmarks I ran, was the Super-Pi 32M which shows the DIFFERENCE more than anything else and some 3DMarks (2k3 and 2k5)....

I kept the FSB THE EXACT SAME for Reference.......ALL DDR3 runs were done with 1T .....

Let's see them....


DDR2 ASUS Blitz Formula....Rams at 618MHz (1236MHz DDR)....



DDR3 ASUS Blitz Extreme....Rams at 857MHz (1714MHz DDR)....



DDR3 ASUS Blitz Extreme....Rams at 1029MHz (2058MHz DDR)....





DDR2 ASUS Blitz Formula....Rams at 618MHz (1236MHz DDR)....



DDR3 ASUS Blitz Extreme....Rams at 857MHz (1714MHz DDR)....



DDR3 ASUS Blitz Extreme....Rams at 1029MHz (2058MHz DDR)....




DDR2 ASUS Blitz Formula....Rams at 618MHz (1236MHz DDR)....



DDR3 ASUS Blitz Extreme....Rams at 857MHz (1714MHz DDR)....



DDR3 ASUS Blitz Extreme....Rams at 1029MHz (2058MHz DDR)....





FINAL words: YES it worths to move on DDR3 BUT we have to wait for the X38 Intel chipset to come out first.....X38 with DDR3 AND 2 x 16 PCI-E will be a blast......


.

[Gautam]

Awesome ram speeds and pi times! Where's it max CAS 7?

2.36V...

we have to wait for the X38 Intel chipset to come out first.....X38 with DDR3 AND 2 x 16 PCI-E will be a blast......

Indeed.

[hipro5]

I did a Super-Pi 32M WITHOUT MAXMEM here with Cas 7 - 6 - 5 - 17 and 2.42Vdimm BUT after that, my ram modules never worked over 1000MHz at that Cas latencies...... Though they don't produce errors lower or with Cas 8.....
IF this was a bench with MAXMEM involved, it would be around 12.43.xxx.......

[Achill3uS]

Very nice compare test hipro, thx

[Don_Dan]

Thanks for this nice comparison!
But I still think that DDR3 isn't worth the extra cash for me at the moment. However, I'm very pleased with how the first generation of DDR3 performs!

[[XC] gomeler]

So DDR3 offers a slight advantage in bleeding edge overclocking, being able to run 1:2 under a cascade would be great I imagine. Now time to just wait till some D9 kits are released at a price-point the average consumer can afford.

[PanteraGSTK]

Very nice comparison. Do you think ddr3 helps the cpu score in 3dmark 06 at all?

[dinos22]

I did a Super-Pi 32M WITHOUT MAXMEM here with Cas 7 - 6 - 5 - 17 and 2.42Vdimm BUT after that, my ram modules never worked over 1000MHz at that Cas latencies...... Though they don't produce errors lower or with Cas 8.....
IF this was a bench with MAXMEM involved, it would be around 12.43.xxx.......

lol goerge you successfully started the killing process already on the sticks

they won't last long now

[flesheatinvirus]

Nice work.

[psilos]

nice job george...

you solved my confound for my rams that i ordered...

[Noob-ftw]

LOL! 2.4V on DDR3, George, I love it!

I think you're the first person to severely wound DDR3, nice job nonetheless!

[Timbosan]

with Cas 7 - 6 - 5 - 17 and 2.42Vdimm BUT after that, my ram modules never worked over 1000MHz at that Cas latencies...... Though they don't produce errors lower or with Cas 8.....

lol goerge you successfully started the killing process already on the sticks they won't last long now

Nice results, and way to push the voltage into the 'damage caused' range :P The relentless DDR3 abuse begins....

[CoW]8(0)]

Wait, how does this show that DDR3 is worth it? The SuperPi results only show at most a 1.2% improvement with DDR3.

[elefsinaras]

you crazy..........volt maniac 2.4v on ddr3 ?

meaby you are confused with the brand........Cell-Shock

and you try to shock us with the volts

[Xenogias]

yeah, I don't really see how it is worth it either...and I think I'd have an easier time hitting DDR600 4-4-4-5 than your DDR3 speeds. Why does it seem that every other computer component increases its capability in leaps and bounds while ram just takes baby steps?

[luihed]

Nice comparison hipro... do you find the ddr3 as fragile as the D9s? ... I really miss the bh-5 days wwhere even 4v doesnt bother the modules....

Cow and Xeno, 10sec difference at only 3600mhz is huge.....

[dinos22]

Wait, how does this show that DDR3 is worth it? The SuperPi results only show at most a 1.2% improvement with DDR3.

percentage wise it's not large no but 1%+ in SuperPi is a big deal for us

[eva2000]

2.42v DDR3 ballsy indeed

Very fast times indeed for both DDR2/DDR3!

[hipro5]

Guys don't take a look at the "only" 1 - 2 % more performance.....Here is XS and (at least) all of us are trying for the max if this is on air/phase/cascade/LN2....

On 2k3 with the DDR2 Formula with CrossFire @ 850/950 at 3950MHz, I did ~70700marks
With the DDR3 Extreme at ONLY 823MHz Ram-speed, I did ~72500MHz

On 2k5 with the DDR2 Formula with the same clocks on CF, I did ~25600marks...
With the DDR3 Extreme at the same, I did ~26000.......

So as for me, yes it worths it......
.....and as I said, matching the DDR3 with an X38 chipset and with pure 2 x 16 PCI-E, we will see quite good differences as for 3D and games.....

Though at this point I HAVE to be honnest and say that the ABIT AW9-MAX with the 975 chipset, STILL CAN'T be catched as for the 3Ds......
Maybe because it uses 2 x REAL x8 PCI-E when on the other hand the P35 chipset on ASUS Blitz (Extreme or Formula) uses a "chip" to "break" the x16 PCI-E to 2 x 8 PCI-E......This might have some latencies to the Northbrigde so that's why I get better numbers with the 975 chipset....

The Memory bandwidth with the Extreme DDR3 can't be touched easy though.... BUT the VERY LOW latency on the 975 chipset, makes it fast enough to beat anything out there as for 3Ds....

Example:

3DMark2005 at 3950MHz and CrossFire at 850/950

ASUS Blitz Formula: ~25600marks
ASUS Blitz Extreme: ~25994marks
ABIT AW9D-MAX: ~26422marks

2k3 with the 975 was ~73200marks

975 chipset was running at only 439MHz fsb, rams 1:1 with Cas 3-3-3-4....

As I see, 975 STILL rules in 3D till X38 comes out.....

[dinos22]

george

can you tell us the difference 1T command rate on ddr3 makes in SuperPi


also maybe mention 3D as well if you can please

[hipro5]

Very nice comparison. Do you think ddr3 helps the cpu score in 3dmark 06 at all?

I haven't test it yet......2K1, 2K3 and 2k5 are getting gain from DDR3......2k6, I haven't played with it yet ......

lol goerge you successfully started the killing process already on the sticks

they won't last long now

No, I'll take care of them...... GOOD thing is that they work VERY COOL.....

Nice comparison hipro... do you find the ddr3 as fragile as the D9s? ... I really miss the bh-5 days wwhere even 4v doesnt bother the modules....

Cow and Xeno, 10sec difference at only 3600mhz is huge.....

BH-6 and BH-5 are a "different story" .....
I couldn't say that DDR3 are "fragile".....Despite the HIGH voltage on them, their temperature with a fan on them, keeps them working almost at room temperature.....They draw much lesser current than the DDR2 at the same voltage.....

george

can you tell us the difference 1T command rate on ddr3 makes in SuperPi


also maybe mention 3D as well if you can please

1T did almost 1 - 2 sec less time difference in Super-Pi 32M......
As for 3Ds......well not much of a difference.....It is within the margin of +/- of the 3D game's score...

[dinos22]

[B]
1T did almost 1 - 2 sec less time difference in Super-Pi 32M......

really?
that's a small difference
i thought it would be a bit higher

[metro.cl]

Nice testing Hipro, we need better DDR3 as more stable and less buggy motherboards and kits.

But for speed it already matches or beats DDR2 in almost every test

[hipro5]

really?
that's a small difference
i thought it would be a bit higher

Yes I thought so (by thinking of A64's 1T vs 2T).... BUT NO......Slightly better.....Though wherever my rams overclocked at 2T, they did the same with 1T also.....So I prefaired the 1T....

Nice testing Hipro, we need better DDR3 as more stable and less buggy motherboards and kits.

But for speed it already matches or beats DDR2 in almost every test

I think that ASUS Blitz Extreme IS stable enough with them......It plays EASY with ALL the dividers and you can see the differences of them......
I do the WinRAR bench on every changing of divider when booting into windows to see how it does......It's fast, easy and you can see the "first" deferencies between Straps/dividers/etc.....Then you bench other proggies to test....

[VictorWang]

lol....975x rules 3Dmark, no doubt.
395*10 cpu, 743/1000 2900xt 1gb*2 Crossfire.(no overclk)
ram=988 4-4-4-5, pcie=118mhz
mobo=Asus P5W64 ws pro
3Dmark05=264xx