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Tom's Ultimate RAM Speed Tests

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Motherboard: Gigabyte EP35C-DS3R

We used Gigabyte’s P35 motherboard EP35C-DS3R, which is an upper mainstream model with decent processor support. Older P4 processors would not run on it, so we used the P4 Extreme Edition 3.73 GHz.

Benchmarks And Settings

Benchmarks and Settings
3D-Games
Warhammer Mark of ChaosVersion: 1.006.000Video Mode: 1280x1024Video Quality: game defaultMultiple CPU/CoreDemo: THG Timedemo (1 minutes)
Quake 4Version: 1.3 FinalVideo Mode: 1280x1024Video Quality: game defaultBenchmark I: THG TimedemoBenchmark II: playnettimedemo id_demo001(official ID-Soft NetTimeDemo)
Unreal Tournament 2004Version: 3369UMark: 2.0.0Video Mode: 1280x1024High Image QualityBots: 16Benchmark: AS-Junkyard
PreyVersion: 1.3Video Mode: 1280x1024Video Quality: game defaultVsync = offBenchmark: THG-Demo
Audio
iTunes 7.2Version: 7.1.1.5Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 minHigh Quality (160 kbps)
Lame MP3Version 3.98 Beta 3 (05-22-2007)Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 minwave to mp3160 kbps
Video
Pinnacle Studio 11 PlusVersion: 11.0.0.5082Encoding and Transition RenderingPrivate MPEG2-Cam-MovieVideo: 720 x 480 Pixel, NTSC, 6000 kbits/secAudio: MPEG Layer 2, 224 kbits/sec 16 Bit, Stereo 48 kHzFile Type: MPEG-2 (DVD Compatible)
TMPEG 4.2Version: 4.2.10.211import file:Terminator 2 SE DVD (720x576, 16:9) 2 MinutesDolby Digital, 48000 Hz, 6-Kanal, EnglishAdvanced Acoustic Engine MP3 Encoder (160 kbps)
DivX 6.6.1Version: 6.6.1- Main Menu -Profile: Home Theater Profile (720 x 576)1-pass, 780 kbit/s- Codec Menu -Encoding mode: Insane QualityEnhanced multithreading
XviD 1.1.2Version: 1.1.2 (01/11/2006)Target quantizer: 1.00 (maximum quality)
Mainconcept H.264 EncoderVersion: 2.0MPEG2 to MPEG2 (H.264)MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec24 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG2)Audio: MPEG Layer 2 (48 kHz, 2 Channel, 16 Bit)Stream: TransportCodec: H.264Mode: NTSC (29.97 FPS)Profile: High
Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 HDTVWindows Media Encoder 9.1 AP HDTVVersion: 2.0NTSC MPEG2-HDTV 1920x1080 (24 sec)Import: Mainconcept NTSC HDTV 1080iExport: Adobe Media Encoder- Video -Windows Media Video 9 Advanced ProfileEncoding Passes: oneBitrate Mode: ConstantFrame: 1920x1080Frame Rate: 29.97Maximum Bitrate [kbps]: 2000Image Quality: 50.00- Audio -Windows Media Audio 10 ProfessionalEncoding Passes: oneBitrate Mode: ConstantAudio Format: 160 kbps, 44.1 kHz, 2 channel 16 bit (A/V) CBR
Applications
Grisoft AVG Anti-VirusVersion: 7.5.467Virus base: 269.6.1./776BenchmarkScan: Vista Enterprise (Windows folder) 8 GB
WinRARVersion 3.70 BETA 8Compression = BestDictionary = 4096 kBBenchmark: THG-Workload
Cinebench R10Version: R10Rendering x CPU
Maxon Cinema 4D Release 10Version: 10.008Rendering of scene "Water drop on a Rose"Resolution: 1280 x 1024 - 8Bit (50 frames)
Adobe Photoshop CS 3Version: 10.0x20070321Filtering a 69 MB TIF photoBenchmark: Tomshardware-Benchmark V1.0.0.4Programmed by Tomshardware using Delphi 2006Filers: Crosshatch, Glass, Sumi-e, Accented Edges, Angled Strokes, Sprayed Strokes
Adobe Acrobat 7 ProfessionalVersion: 7.0.9Settings: High Quality PrintCompatibility: Acrobat 8 (PDF 1.7)Security: High (128 bit RC4)
Microsoft Powerpoint 2007Version: 2007PPT presentation to PDFPowerpoint Document (115 pages)Adobe PDF-Printer
Deep Fritz 10Version: Nov 16 2006
Synthetic Benchmarks
3DMark06Version: 1.101280x1024 - 32 bitGraphics and CPU Default Benchmark
PCMark05 ProVersion: 1.2.0CPU and Memory TestsWindows Media Player 10.00.00.3646Windows Media Encoder 9.00.00.2980
SiSoftware Sandra XI SP1cVersion 2007.5.11.40CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / MultiMediaMemory Test = Bandwidth Benchmark
22 Comments Comment from the forums
  • digibri 17 April 2008 01:21
    The article mentions a couple of times that you need a 64 bit operating system to utilize 4 GB or RAM because 32 bit (XP for instance) can only access 3 GB of memory.

    1) Is it true that 32bit XP can only access 3GB? I thought it was 3.5GB...

    2) If I build a system and load it with 4GB of memory, will 32bit XP work well enough (only accessing it's 3GB or 3.5GB maximum) or will it have difficulty running properly? Meaning, is it preferable or necessary to build a 32bit XP box with only 3GB exactly?

    Great article, thanks.

    B.
    Reply
  • digibri 17 April 2008 01:21
    The article mentions a couple of times that you need a 64 bit operating system to utilize 4 GB or RAM because 32 bit (XP for instance) can only access 3 GB of memory.

    1) Is it true that 32bit XP can only access 3GB? I thought it was 3.5GB...

    2) If I build a system and load it with 4GB of memory, will 32bit XP work well enough (only accessing it's 3GB or 3.5GB maximum) or will it have difficulty running properly? Meaning, is it preferable or necessary to build a 32bit XP box with only 3GB exactly?

    Great article, thanks.

    B.
    Reply
  • imatt 17 April 2008 01:41
    Yes XP32 can access 3GB, but it subtracts the amount of RAM on your video card from that. So if you have 512MB or RAM on your video card, XP32 would only see 2.5GB of system RAM. I went through this last week when I upgraded to 4GB RAM, so I switched to Vista64. Gaming rig. No regrets.
    Reply
  • digibri 17 April 2008 01:52
    How does XP64 do these days? Is there better driver support?
    Reply
  • creepster 17 April 2008 02:02
    "More memory, meaning 4 GB, requires a 64-bit operating system..."

    Except it doesn't. 32bit Linux can use in excess of 4GB of memory, though not on all chipsets. I was looking at this issue only yesterday. I was unable to see 4GB with a motherboard using an Intel 945 chipset but on with an Intel 965 chipset I was able to see all 4GB just fine using the bigsmp kernel.
    Reply
  • sailer 17 April 2008 02:36
    9456991 said:
    How does XP64 do these days? Is there better driver support?

    I find that XP64 does quite well. I've had it on one of my computers for a year now and have had no driver troubles. That's one thing I think Vista 64 has been for, getting the hardware companies to finally make 64 bit drivers. Also, in comparing my machine with XP64 and the one with Vista 64, the XP64 is much easier to use. Of course, the XP64 does not support gaming with DX10. I'll be building a new office machine during the next month and after using Vista 64 the past few weeks on my gaming machine, I'll install XP64 on the office machine.

    As to the article on the ram, I didn't see it answer anything new, only confirm what was already thought. One poorly written part was page 4, "How ram sensitive are different CPUs?" The following paragraph didn't seem to address the opening line at all. Even in the conclusion of the article, there was not much said to answer the question, just an allusion that memory type was was of small relevance to either of the CPUs.
    Reply
  • philbob10 17 April 2008 02:42
    The actual amount 32-bit Windows can see without Extended Memory Addressing turned on is 3.3GB. This is a result of the OS using the addresses past the 3.3 boundary for addressing hardware, etc. Having 4GB in your system will not affect your performance.

    Linux can address more than 3.3GB and beyond with the 32-bit kernel using the same means the Windows Server variants can, by using Extended Memory Addressing, and it's support is dependent on the memory controller and BIOS, as well as the OS.
    Reply
  • hawk4031 17 April 2008 02:47
    Well according to Microsoft's website, Vista 32-bit can now fully use 4gb of RAM without subtracting off the total memory in your computer.

    Here is the article:

    http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/library/005f921e-f706-401e-abb5-eec42ea0a03e1033.mspx?mfr=true

    Scroll down to the "General Improvements and Enhancements" section. It is the second bullet point. Just thought I would point this out seeing as there is a RAM limit with 32-bit XP.
    Reply
  • drewd 17 April 2008 03:06
    Something seems wrong with the data on page 3. Both DDR2 and DDR3 have a single clock that runs at the same speed at the I/O bus - for example, a DDR2-800 module has a 400MHz clock. What the table calls an "I/O clock" sounds more like the data strobes, which are not clocks. They also run at the same speed as the I/O bus, but are not free-running, like the clock. They only run when there are I/O operations. It looks like somebody confused CKE or CS with the clock. Either that, or there's a fundamental misunderstanding about what the "8 bit prefetch" is.
    Reply
  • 17 April 2008 04:25
    32bit operating systems can support a maximum of 4gb of ram. but you must subtract video ram and cpu cache from this total.
    Reply