Please help me understand

[b82]

I was looking at this RAM here:
http://www.gskill.com/products.php?index=247

As you can see it is rated at 1600mhz (DDR3-1600).

I then read reviews here:
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/28434-g-skill-eco-pc3-12800-cl7-memory-review-5.html

...and other places as well, and they start talking about DRAM frequencies well under 1000mhz (for this exact same model).

I quote from that article ".....with binning at 1.35v 800Mhz.....". But surely the RAM is 1600Mhz not 800Mhz?

Do you take the 800 and multiply it by 2 to get 1600 because this is dual channel memory?

Please help, my understanding of RAM is very limited and I want to improve it.

 

[b82]

I've answered my own question, which turns out to have been embarassing.

I got frustrated because I couldn't find the answer. The answer is so well known that few people are talking about it much on the net. As a result unless you already know what to look for the answer is harder to find.

I had become so used to saying D-D-R for DDR ram that I had completely forgotten (and never really thought about) what it stood for.

DDR stands for 'double data rate'. This means that while the RAM works at (in this case) 800Mhz, it effectively delivers performance equivalent to 1600Mhz.

If anyone feels the need to add anything then feel free. Otherwise this thread can be shut down.

 

[saaiello]

The base clock is 800mhz.

DDR- Double Data Rate so 800x2=1600mhz

 

[saaiello]

LOL you beat me to answering your own question musta posted same exact time :lol:

 

[b82]

Well thank you for posting anyway. Good to know I'd have been told the answer even if I hadn't found it out.

I can't give myself 'best answer' so you'll get it. Yours was more concise anway!

Edit: hang on, before I give you best answer: is your use of the term 'base clock' really correct? Base clock should surely be somthing like 133Mhz (on a Nehalem chip for example). Is it really correct to refer to the 800Mhz aspect of the memory as the 'base clock'?