Value RAM Roundup: Computing On a Budget

Performance Test Configuration

All seven Value RAM memories were tested on the DFI LANParty nF4 SLI-DR used in our most recent memory reviews. nForce4 is PCI Express, so we used the PCIe version of our standard nVidia 6800 Ultra for testing. Other components remain the same as used in the memory setup in Athlon 64 Memory: Rewriting the Rules. Performance was compared to the 5 top performing memories tested on this same platform in OCZ VX Revisited: DDR Updates on DFI nForce4 and Patriot DDR400 2-2-2/DDR533 3-4-4: Performance AND Value.

The A64 test bed includes components that have been proven in Socket 939 Athlon 64 benchmarking, such as the Socket 939 4000+ (same specifications as FX53), and the OCZ Power Stream 520 Power Supply. Since the Athlon 64 tests represent a new series of DDR testing, we are using the current generation nVidia 6800 Ultra video card for benchmarking. We have found the 6800 Ultra to be a particularly good performance match to nVidia motherboards.

All other basic test conditions attempted to mirror those used in our earlier Intel memory reviews. However, test results are not directly comparable to tests performed on the Intel test bed.

AMD nForce4 Performance Test Configuration
Processor(s):	AMD 4000+ (FX53) Athlon 64 (2.4GHz, Socket 939, 1 MB cache, Dual Channel, 1000HT)
RAM:	Kingston KVR400X64C25/512 (DS) 2X512MB Kingston KVR400X64C3AK2/1G (DS) 2X512MB Mushkin PC3200 EM (DS) 2X512MB OCZ PC3200 Value Series (VX) (DS) 2X512MB OCZ PC3200 Gold (BH5) (DS) 2X512MB OCZ PC3200 Premier (DS) 2X512MB Transcend JM366D643A-50 (DS) 2X512MB Patriot PC3200+XLBT (DS) 2X512MB OCZ EL PC4000 VX Gold (DS) 2X512MB Corsair TwinX1024-4400C25 (DS) 2X512MB Crucial Ballistix (DS) 2X512MB OCZ PC3200 Platinum Rev 2 (DS) 2X512MB
Hard Drives:	Seagate 120GB SATA 7200RPM 8MB Cache
PCI/AGP Speed:	Fixed at 33/66
Bus Master Drivers:	nVidia nForce Platform Driver 6.39
Video Card(s):	nVidia 6800 Ultra 256MB PCIe, 256MB aperture, 1024x768x32
Video Drivers:	nVidia Forceware 71.84 Release
Power Supply:	OCZ Power Stream 520W
Operating System(s):	Windows XP Professional SP1
Motherboard:	DFI LANParty nF4 SLI-DR
BIOS:	3/10/2005 Release

In past benchmarking, we have found performance of the nForce4 and nForce3 chipsets to be virtually identical, and we have found AGP and PCIe performance to be virtually the same in the benchmarks that we use for memory testing. Therefore, you can also compare these results to TCCD benchmarks in recent memory reviews. The differences in results are that the nVidia 71.84 driver is a bit faster than the 61.77 used in earlier memory review. The DFI nForce4 platform is also a bit better at memory overclocking than the MSI K8N Neo2 used in past memory testing. The performance differences, however, are not large enough to negate performance comparisons.

With nForce3 motherboards, we achieved the fastest performance on AMD Athlon 64 chipsets (nForce3, VIA K8T800 PRO) at Cycle Time or tRAS of 10. However, the nForce4 appears to behave a bit differently with memory. Therefore, we ran a complete set of Memtest86 benchmarks with only tRAS varied to determine the best tRAS setting for these memories. We achieved the best bandwidth at tRAS settings ranging from 5 to 8, so a tRAS setting of 6 was used for testing wherever possible.

Test Settings

All AMD Athlon 64 processors are unlocked downward, and the FX CPUs are unlocked up and down. This feature allows a different approach to memory testing, which truly measures performance differences in memory speed alone. All tests were run with CPU speed as close to the specified 2.4GHz of the 4000+/FX53 as possible, with CPU speed/Memory Speed increased at lower multipliers to achieve 2.4Ghz. This approach allows the true measurement of the impact of higher memory speed and timings on performance, since CPU speed is fixed, removing CPU speed as a factor in memory performance.

The following settings were tested with the seven Value RAM memories on the DFI nF4 test bed:

1. 2.4GHz-12x200/DDR400 - the highest stock memory speed supported on VIA 939/nF3-4/SiS755-FX motherboards.
2. 2.4GHz-11x218/DDR436 - a ratio near the standard DDR433 speed
3. 2.4GHz-10x240/DDR480 - a ratio near the standard rating of DDR466. Several of the Value Memories achieved stable performance at this speed and complete benchmarks were run at this speed with those memories.
4. Highest Memory Performance - the highest memory bandwidth and game performance that we could achieve with the memory being tested. This is rarely the highest memory speed that we could achieve. It is normally a lower speed with 1T Command Rate and tighter memory timings.

Command Rate is not normally a factor in Intel DDR tests, but it is a major concern in Athlon 64 performance. A Command Rate of 1T is considerably faster on Athlon 64 than a 2T Command Rate. For this reason, all testing was at 1T Command Rate. Command Rate and voltage are reported for each memory speed setting.

We ran our standard suite of memory performance benchmarks - Quake 3, Return to Castle Wolfenstein-Enemy Territory-Radar, Super Pi 2M, and Sandra 2004 Standard and UnBuffered. We also included Everest Home Edition memory tests, free at www.lavalys.com, for read speed, write speed, and Latency.