DDR3 Memory Scaling: Intel's Core 2 Quad Examined

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Test Setup

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System Hardware
HardwareDetails
CPU IntelIntel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 (45 nm, 3.2 GHz, 12 MB L2 Cache, TDP 130 W, Rev. D0)
Motherboard (Socket 775)Gigabyte X48T-DQ6 (Rev. 1.0) Chipset: Intel X48, ICH9R BIOS: F6D (04/24/2009)
RAM DDR3 (dual)2 x 2 GB DDR3-1600 (Corsair CM3X2G1600C9DHX) 2 x 1 GB DDR3-1600 (Crucial BL12864BA1608.8SFB)
GraphicsZotac Geforce GTX 260² GPU: Geforce GTX 260 (576 MHz) Graphics RAM: 896 MB DDR3 (1998 MHz) Stream Processors: 216 Shader Clock: 1242 MHz
Hard DriveWestern Digital VelociRaptor, 300 GB (WD3000HLFS) 10,000 RPM, SATA/300, 16 MB Cache
Blu-Ray DriveLG GGW-H20L, SATA/150
Power SupplyFortron Everest 1010, 1010 W
System Software & Drivers
Operating SystemWindows Vista Enterprise Version 6.0 x64 Service Pack 2 (Build 6000)
Drivers and Settings
Nvidia GeForce DriversForceware 185.85
Intel Chipset DriversChipset Installation Utility Ver. 9.1.0.1012
Intel Storage DriversMatrix Storage Drivers Ver. 8.8.0.1009
3D Games Benchmarks
Far Cry 2Version: 1.0.1 Far Cry 2 Benchmark Tool Video Mode: 1280x800 Direct3D 9 Overall Quality: Medium Bloom activatedHDR off Demo: Ranch Small
GTA IVVersion: 1.0.3 Video Mode: 1280x1024 - 1280x1024 - Aspect Ratio: Auto - All options: Medium - View Distance: 30 - Detail Distance: 100 - Vehicle Density: 100 - Shadow Density: 16 - Definition: On - Vsync: Off Ingame Benchmark
Left 4 DeadVersion: 1.0.0.5 Video Mode: 1280x800 Game Settings - Anti Aliasing none - Filtering Trilinear - Wait for vertical sync disabled - Shader Detail Medium - Effect Detail Medium - Model/Texture Detail Medium Demo: THG Demo 1
Audio Benchmarks and Settings
iTunesVersion: 8.1.0.52 Audio CD ("Terminator II" SE), 53 min. Convert to AAC audio format
Lame MP3Version 3.98 Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min convert wav to mp3 audio format Command: -b 160 --nores (160 kbps)
Video Benchmarks and Settings
TMPEG 4.6Version: 4.6.3.268 Video: Terminator 2 SE DVD (720x576, 16:9) 5 Minutes Audio: Dolby Digital, 48000 Hz, 6-Channel, English Advanced Acoustic Engine MP3 Encoder (160 kbps, 44.1 KHz)
DiVX  6.8.5Version: 6.8.5 == Main Menu == default == Codec Menu == Encoding mode: Insane Quality Enhanced multithreading Enabled using SSE4 Quarter-pixel search == Video Menu == Quantization: MPEG-2
XviD 1.2.1Version: 1.2.1 Other Options / Encoder Menu - Display encoding status = off
Mainconcept Reference 1.6.1Version: 1.6.1 MPEG2 to MPEG2 (H.264) MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG2) Audio: MPEG2 (44.1 kHz, 2 Channel, 16 Bit, 224 kbps) Codec: H.264 Mode: PAL (25 FPS) Profile: Settings for eight threads
Adobe Premiere Pro CS4Version: 4.0 WMV 1920x1080 (39 sec) Export: Adobe Media Encoder == Video == H.264 Blu-ray 1440x1080i 25 High Quality Encoding Passes: one Bitrate Mode: Vbr Frame: 1440x1080 Frame Rate: 25 == Audio == PCM Audio, 48 kHz, StereoEncodingPasses: one
Application Benchmarks and Settings
Grisoft AVG Anti-Virus 8Version: 8.5.287 Virus base: 270.12.16/2094 Benchmark Scan: compressed ZIP and RAR archives
Winrar 3.9Version 3.90 x64 BETA 1 Best compression Benchmark: THG Workload
Winzip 12Version 12.0 (8252) WinZIP command line Version 3 Compression = Best Dictionary = 4096 KB Benchmark: THG Workload
Autodesk 3D Studio Max 2009Version: 9.0, x64 Rendering Dragon Image Resolution: 1920 x 1280 (frame 1-5)
Adobe Photoshop CS 4 (64-bit)Version: 11 Filtering a 16 MB TIF (15000x7266) Filters: Radial Blur (Amount: 10; Method: zoom; Quality: good) Shape Blur (Radius: 46 px; custom shape: Trademark symbol) Median (Radius: 1px) Polar Coordinates (Rectangular to Polar)
Adobe Acrobat 9 ProfessionalVersion: 9.0.0 (Extended) == Printing Preferences Menu == Default Settings: Standard == Adobe PDF Security - Edit Menu == Encrypt all documents (128 bit RC4) Open Password: 123 Permissions Password: 321
Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings
3DMark VantageVersion: 1.02 Options: Performance Graphics Test 1 Graphics Test 2 CPU Test 1 CPU Test 2
PCMark VantageVersion: 1.00 PCMark Benchmark Memories Benchmark
SiSoftware Sandra 2009Version: 2009 SP3 Processor Arithmetic, Cryptography, Memory Bandwidth