If I'm understanding you correctly, you're saying that you can get 3 x 2GB sticks for $60 or 3 x 4GB sticks for $90 and the latter is faster and a matched set of three (unlike the former which is slower and individual). Assuming I've got all that correct...
Let me start with a disclaimer... I USED to be a "hardware guru"... but have grown a little rusty with modern systems... I don't have the time anymore to keep up on all the latest tips/tricks/info/specs/etc. So... please, someone else chime in if my information seems to be out-of-date for this modern system that John is dealing with. That being said... Unless the $30 is a strain for your budget - I don't see much of a point with getting the 2GB sticks... go with the 4GB sticks. Will you notice a difference between 1066 and 1333? Probably not, but it shouldn't hurt anything. In order to see a difference between these, you probably have to consider more factors... what other bus speeds are being used in your system, for example (besides just the memory bus, you need to look at the front-side bus/etc.)... if faster memory allows you to increase your other bus speed(s), then you might be able to get some noticeable (?) performance gains. However... you seem to be considering only 2 options... 1) Replace current 3 x 2GB config with 3 x 4GB... which moves you from 6GB to 12GB total 2) Add 3 x 2GB to current 3 x 2GB for a config of 6 x 2GB... also moving you from a total of 6GB to 12GB what about option 3... 3) Add 3 x 4GB to current 3 x 2GB... moving you from 6G to 18GB... and for the same price as option 2 above (unless you have a buyer for the original 3 x 2GB - or another use for them) Having mis-matched speeds shouldn't be a problem - AFAIK, it will just mean that all 6 DIMMs will run at 1066. The 1333 memory should run fine at 1066 - it's just a matter of being CAPABLE of 1333 speeds. That's my $0.025 for now (keep the extra half-cent... you never know when another one will come along to make it whole). -Rick On Fri, Apr 19, 2013 at 10:27 AM, John Meissen <[email protected]> wrote: > I have a question for the hardware gurus out there... > > I have a system I put together about 4 years ago specifically to handle > storing/editting the HD videos I was starting to accumulate. At the time > it was > the most money I'd spent on hardware in a long time, and included an ASUS > P6T > Deluxe LGA 1366 motherboard, an Intel core-i7 920 processor, and 3 matched > sticks of 2GB DDR3 1066 RAM, which seemed like a lot at the time. > > Now that I'm (finally) starting to seriously play with ~2hrs of HD content > plus > other assorted sound/image data I'm finding myself running out of memory. > > The first step is to update the 32-bit software I'm using to newer 64-bit > versions that weren't available back then. > > But since I'm already bumping up against 4GB and I've barely begun to push > it, > I figure I should throw more memory at it while I can. > > The motherboard can support 24GB DDR3 1066/1333 without overclocking. Back > then I opted for the 1066 because even that was almost $200 for 6GB. I > still > have 3 slots open, and figured I could always throw another 3 sticks in > there > if I needed it. > > However, times change and prices drop. > > I can't find DDR3-1066 in 6GB matched sets anymore. I can buy 3 individual > 2GB > sticks for ~$60. > > Or I can get 3 matched sticks of 4GB DDR3-1333 for about 50% more (another > $30 > or so). > > So the question is,... > a) will I see any noticable speed boost from the faster RAM, and > b) will the RAM access be faster by having the memory spread out in all 6 > slots > (2 banks of triple-channel RAM), or will the RAM access be just as > efficient > having it all in one set of 3 slots)? > > If the hardware is more efficient using all 6 slots I might be better off > saving the money and filling it out with the cheaper/slower RAM. If not, I > might as well upgrade to the faster RAM while I'm at it. > > john- > > > _______________________________________________ > PLUG mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug > _______________________________________________ PLUG mailing list [email protected] http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
