quad core or dual with ddr2 or ddr3?

Which answer best describes your system or the system you have in the next few months?

  • Dual core with ddr2

    Votes: 8 25.0%
  • Dual core with ddr3

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Quad Core with ddr2

    Votes: 19 59.4%
  • Quad core with ddr3

    Votes: 2 6.3%
  • upgrading to quad with ddr3 in a few months

    Votes: 2 6.3%
  • upgrading to dual with ddr3 in a few months

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • my system does not appy, wow is that sad!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Server system i rule all you!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Server system with dual cpu's (2) - you wish! i.e skulltrail 4x4

    Votes: 1 3.1%
  • Server system with ddr3 if such a thing exists?

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    32

dragonsprayer

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Jan 3, 2007
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I thought i take the pulse of the THG users - what do you use or will you be upgrading to in the next few months?

This poll is prompted by the big drop in ddr3 and the new 2000mhz+ kits now available - along with low latency low cost ddr1600 running a 1.8v.


While i have 2 and 4GB kits of ddr3 laying around losing value i still run dual cores with ddr2.
 

chookman

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Mar 23, 2007
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I voted Dual core with DDR2, however, i also have a quad core with ddr2... and if i was buying a machine in a few months, i would go with a quad core and ddr2
 

dragonsprayer

Splendid
Jan 3, 2007
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Thx!
We all be using ddr3 by this time next year when the new intel cpu's come out next nov.

The reason, i did this was ddr3 prices have dropped big time, you can now get 2Gb of good ddr3 1600mhz+ as need for the big boost in mem bandwidth. The new 1800 and 2000 allow high fsb for big oc systems.

i just thought i see who was planning on upgrading and who did.

Even though i have 790i, , x48 and x38 mobos sitting around in stock i still use ddr2. Then again i used my trustiy old 3.0c northwood shuttle clocked to 3.6ghz until last year!

 

atomicWAR

Glorious
Ambassador
I have four systems actually (can we say COD4 Lan)...listed according to preformance.

QX9650 @3.2ghz 1600fsb lynced and sinked with ddr3 1600mhz w/ 3 8800gtxs
Q9300 @3ghz 1600fsb with ddr2 1066 w/ 3870x2 + 3870
phenom 2.5ghz BE with ddr2 1066 w/ 3870x2 + 3870
X2 5000+ (2.6ghz dual) ddr2 800 w/ 2 8800gts (g92)
 

godspeed7

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May 25, 2008
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wait a while, unless you can spend quite a few hundred dollars for a motherboard, you'll be stuck with PC3-10666.... and even with price drops you'll easily have to spend around 600$ + for a decent motherboard with decent DDR3 Ram speeds. So, if you want to upgrade later, you'll still have to change the motherboard!!!! Spend mostly on GPU power or maybe a 10k RPM hard-drive on which your games could be installed.. :)
 

pauldh

Illustrious
I guess I'd vote Quad core with DDR2 as that is my main gaming rig. But I also have some dual core systems with DDR2. Got some single core system with PC3200 also, but that's a whole other topic I don't want to cry over now.

With DDR2 so cheap, I stocked up on the best deals I could find. So it will be hard for me to go DDR3, If building another machine, it would almost without doubt be quad or dual core with DDR2. Mobo prices and DDR3 prices would have to come down more, and my stock of DDR2 would have to dry up before I'd build a DDR3 machine.
 

kad

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Feb 29, 2008
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Again voted for Dual Core with DDR2
However I have Q6600 sitting in my drawer (still in box)
:bounce:
 
With prices the way they are now and the minimal performance gains that DDR3 give us, DDR2 with a quad core seems to be the best option.

It seems a waste to me to spend all that extra cash on a DDR3 motherboard just so you can turn around and spend even more cash on a product that only nets a small % higher performance. My cash is better spent on a better GPU and heatsink for my CPU and the large performance increases they bring.
 

dragonsprayer

Splendid
Jan 3, 2007
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Properly tuned ddr3 gives a massive memory bandwidth boost - the issue is it has not translated into in big gains is single task or app testing.

But! ..... mutlitasking ddr3 system are snappier

after only about 20 posts i can see that people are moving towards ddr3 in future or few plan too but few have installed it in their systems

thx guys! appreciate your input and help
ps: 20k s3mark06
DSC_0084-1.jpg
 

klonedesu

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May 10, 2008
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I have 2 machines with dual-core ddr2 and one older machine with single-core ddr2. I'm also one of those people who will be switching to ddr3 and quad-core when the next new build phase comes (although it won't be till another year or two). However I'll probably lose to the temptation of upgrading the processor on my older machine after the coming price drops in late Q3/early Q4... I don't really want to touch ddr3 right now and I can't anyway since all my mobos are ddr2. I still don't think the price/performance ratio is fair yet.
 

dragonsprayer

Splendid
Jan 3, 2007
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its really interesting that only 1 person or less then 5% use ddr3. the prices have only dropped in last few months i expect as this year goes on that percentage will go up significantly

also tells me that people are happy with ddr2, when ddr2 came out there seem to be alot of excitement but ddr3 is like the 3rd sequel - "ya i get it dvd" no rush to got to the move!

 

dragonsprayer

Splendid
Jan 3, 2007
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its ok - the reviews made it sound better then it is - the problem with that cooler is its too loud. when you turn it down its no better then 90mm thermalright.

zero therm

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835887011

note: the zalman fan control mounted on the psu as an after thought - the cpu cooler was too loud. every system we ship should be not too loud even if next to you with no sound on.

so i give this 3.7/5 scale
 

atomicWAR

Glorious
Ambassador
DDR3 is nice but it is over rated for now. once we start seeing intel/amd running ddr3 IMC's on their cpu's it will be a worthwhile endeavor. I also agree things a little snapper when running memory intensive programs/multitasking with DDR3. However not sure about you but when i am gaming @1080p i would much rather infect myself with the plague then try and in encode 2 HD video streams while playing COD4. maybe its just me but i like my frame rate in the double digits with as many of the goodies on i can get away with.
 
Currently have a Quad and a stupid amount of DDR2 (because I can, that's why...) This one'll last until "The Next Build", a year or two from now. As for what that'll be?? Uncommitted, but it'll be the best of what's available for the cash I have to spend at that time. Neph, based on current info/forecasts. But that could change should AMD pull off a Hail Mary and beat Intel in absolute performance.
 

dragonsprayer

Splendid
Jan 3, 2007
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stupid amouts off ddr2 are used as ready boost

i pretty sure vista uses the extra memory with AI, it sees what is not used.

then again no need for ready boots with stupid amounts of ram - it really only helps with 1gb or less


ddr3 prices are dropping fast and the peformace boost on paper is worth it - it has not tranferred to a boost in performance - i think hardware is ahead now and apps will need to take a big leep with mutli threading