Which memory?

[Gen.Manapua]

Great site! I plan on building my own SuperPC. However, I am limited on my budget. As for my RAM, is there really a difference between the Crucial DDR2 PC2-6400/DDRII-800 vs. DDR2 PC2-8000/DDRII-1000? The PC8000 is almost twice as expensive. I plan on getting 2 gigs. Should I spend the money on a better video card? I plan on playing games. Thanks for any help.

[DemonicDerek]

Yeah I've been wondering about that too. I'm gonna go to crucial's website and look in their FAQ.

Update:

Ok I have looked it up in Crucial's FAQ and they say that it is basically the speed. In other words DDR2 PC6400 is slower than DDR2 PC8000. When they say slower I am assuming they mean that the communication speed between CPU and all other items in the computer.

So in other words PC8000 is more costly because it is faster.

[Gen.Manapua]

So in the end, is it really worth the extra $$$? or would it be better for me to spend that money on a better video card?

[DemonicDerek]

I don't know.

Edit: Probably its worth the $$$, because the faster your memory can transfer data for CPU to Ram then the smoother things will run.

[Rob]

This is a very interesting question. The quick answer is that you will bottleneck your fast processor and fast video card with the slower RAM. The performance characteristics of your computer will be out of balance. Using slower RAM is one way the major brands save money to an unwary public.

I would say that if you're going with a slower processor and a low-end video card then the slower RAM would make more sense. But if you're going with a faster processor and a higher end video card then the RAM will be a performance problem. You won't be getting your full money's worth on the other components with the slower RAM in there.

In your situation, I think it might be best to stick with 1GB of the faster RAM. Then get a second GB when you can afford it.

I'm putting a fast processor and high-end video card in My (next) Super PC. And the faster RAM, of course. But just for the sake of knowing, I might try the peformance tests with the slower RAM too, just to see what it really means to perfomance.

[Gen.Manapua]

Thanks Rob. I'll be interested in your results. Maybe I will go with faster RAM with only 1 GB.