Jumpstart your PC
DDR (Double Data Rate) RAM is a relative newcomer to the PC as system memory, although it is certainly not a fledgling technology. Graphics cards, and other components that require much higher memory
DDR (Double Data Rate) RAM is a relative newcomer to the PC as system memory, although it is certainly not a fledgling technology. Graphics cards, and other components that require much higher memory bandwidth than can be supplied by SDRAM, but that cannot afford the cost of high-speed SRAM, have been using DDR RAM for some time. Only recently, however, has DDR come to the PC in the form of chipsets from VIA and ALi. Not surprisingly, Intel has refrained from developing a DDR chipset for either the Pentium III/Celeron or Pentium 4 platforms, although dont be too surprised if you see one in the future.
The main issue with DDR is whether it can actually deliver the goods when it comes to real world performance. While it can theoretically offer twice the bandwidth of SDRAM, this is only under optimal conditions, and as we all know, optimal conditions occur rarely in the real world. There are currently three chipsets that support DDR RAM: the AMD-760 and VIA KT266 for AMD processors; and the VIA Apollo Pro 266 for Intel CPUs.
For this roundup we have gathered together a range of the latest DDR motherboards, and run them head to head. We have run our standard applications benchmark suite to gauge real world performance when running conventional productivity apps, as well as 3DMark2001 and Quake III Arena for 3D performance, and the results are quite interesting. To see how the new DDR technology stacks up against the older conventional SDRAM, we have also taken an Asus A7A266, which features an ALiMAGiK 1 chipset that supports both SDRAM and DDR RAM on the same board.
So if you are looking to upgrade your motherboard, and you want to know whether to migrate to the new DDR technology, or whether to maintain your old stock of PC133, or if you are buying a new PC for the first time, read on to find out which memory technology is right for you.
Technical Editor Tim Dean
Staff Writer Ashok Zaman
This article appeared in the July, 2001 issue of PC Authority.
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