Author: Clive Munro
Date: 01:44:42 04/02/05
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Hi Dan Ok, first off you need to look at how DRAM works. Information is stored in rows and columns and in order for it to read a piece of data its row must be activated by the memory controller then it must wait until the desired column is ready. This process is referred to as Ras and Cas timings or latency. DDR memory takes 2, 2.5 and 3 cycles. Obviously the lower the number the faster the RAM. Other timings include the Ras precharge time and Ras to Cas delay. So how does this affect you in the real world? Well some people will recommend the lowest latency and fastest bus speed ram which usually need to be all the same manufacturer to get the best performance. But as you might have guessed this costs a lot of money. I would say that unless you are benchmarking the PC that a Cas latency of 3 is not going to be noticbly slower than 2. And with the saving you make you can probably double your RAM which will be a much more worthwhile exercise. As to manufacturer I have found both Crucial and Kingston to be reliable. I have used cheaper RAM and had a failure once out of maybe 40 or 50 installs. So my advice would be stick to a known good make but don’t worry too much about latency times. Rule of thumb 80% of speed = 20% cost. And 20% more speed =80% more cost! I love the 80/20 rule! However if you plan to over clock this beast then you will probably need to get the top ram! Hope this helps Best regards Clive
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