Super Talent & TEAM: DDR3-1600 Is Here!
by Wesley Fink on July 20, 2007 11:30 AM EST- Posted in
- Memory
Conclusion
In our review of the Kingston low-latency DDR3-1375 we expressed surprise that Kingston had managed to improve memory performance so soon after DDR3 was introduced to the market. Our DDR3 test DIMMs for the launch were rated DDR3-1066 7-7-7-21, and they would overclock to the new DDR3-1333 speed at 9-9-9-25 timings. We expected the quick introduction of DDR3-1333 modules at 9-9-9 timings, since one of the reasons for owning a P35 board is to use memory faster than the common DDR2-1066.
Instead a week later, Kingston introduced DDR3 memory that blew though DDR3-1333 to DDR3-1500 at fast 7-7-7 timings. We did not expect true lower latency DDR3 for several months or more. The Kingston memory changed the DDR3 rules and every memory vendor started contacting us with announcements of lower latency DDR3 that reached higher speeds.
Many enthusiasts were impressed with DDR3-1500 at 7-7-7 timings, as they should have been. However, some held out for the Holy Grail of DDR3-1600 or DDR3-1666 that could run at 7-7-7 timings. That, said the savviest computer enthusiasts on many forums, would be reason enough to move to DDR3 instead of DDR2 - even though it is currently the more expensive memory. We agreed with all this chatter, but we expected the requirement for DDR3-1600 7-7-7 might delay the movement to DDR3 until sometime later next year.
Fortunately for all of us, Micron did listen to what computer enthusiasts were hoping for, but they did not listen to our expected timetables. Here, about as fast as we could dream about it, Micron has introduced their new Z9 memory chips with breathtaking speeds and an almost never-ending ability to handle voltage. We don't know how Micron continues to do this memory after memory, but someone in that company certainly knows how to design enthusiast memory.
The first two new kits out of the gate are from Super Talent and TEAM Group. Comparing the two in this review showed both set new standards for speed and low latency for DDR3. Both broke the 1600 barrier at better than 7-7-7 timings, namely 7-6-5 at a moderate and easily tolerated 1.80V. Both continue on and break through DDR3-1666 at the same speed. The TEAM tops out at a new record DDR3-1900, but the Super Talent continues on to DDR3-2000 at still respectable 9-8-7-18 timings, but at a higher 2.25 volts, a voltage earlier DDR3 couldn't dream of handling. Fortunately the Micron Z9 chips seem to handle 2.25V and 2.3V just fine, as long as they are cooled a bit.
We were completely surprised by the Kingston low-latency just a few weeks ago; the Micron Z9 chips completely rewrite the enthusiast market. Unless memory companies quickly find ways to produce very fast DDR2 that runs very well on P35 boards DDR2 will quickly become second-rate memory. We hear from memory vendors that better DDR2 is on the way, but we have to wonder if these new DDR3 DIMMs that do DDR3-1600, 1666, and even DDR3-2000 with ease have not changed the memory game beyond recognition. If you are a full-blown computer enthusiast, once you see DDR3-1666 and DDR3-2000 running on the P35 you will want it, and you will not want to settle for DDR2 at 1066.
We can also think of one huge reason not to buy the new DDR3-1600 DIMMs. They are very expensive and difficult to justify strictly on a price basis. At two to three times (or even more) the price of excellent DDR2 parts they are a tough money pill to swallow. However, few computer parts offer the kind of breakthrough performance advantage we see in these new DDR3-1600 kits.
Expensive or not, the DIMMs based on the Z9 Micron chips will definitely have a profound impact on whatever memory you buy in your future. The entry price for decent but pedestrian DDR3 will drop. So will the prices of decent 1500 7-7-7 DDR3, which will be good news for new system builders or upgraders. Any memory that targets the enthusiast will have to compete effectively with the performance of these new DDR3-1600 or DDR3-2000 DIMMs or they will not sell in the market place. Every memory manufacturer trying to produce a new DDR3 memory chip has had their design requirements raised at least two-fold. If anyone else can approach the performance of Micron Z9 chips the prices will drop, and everyone will be trying to match or surpass these chips. If other chip makers can't appraoch what Micron has accomplished here, the Z9 prices will likely remain stubbornly high.
As an enthusiast you may love the performance leap the new DDR3-1600 kits have dropped on the market today, but hate the fact that you will have to lay out a lot more money for new memory to get the best. Best is so much better today that second best doesn't look that attractive. However whether you consider expensive DDR3-2000 the best thing since sliced-bread or the worst of wretched excess, your future memory purchases will be influenced by these new memory chips.
Real DDR3-1600, DDR3-1666, and DDR-2000 parts at low latencies are exciting news, but it is just the beginning. OCZ is already announcing even faster parts based on special binning of these new Micron Z9 chips. Corsair, Kingston, and every other maker of enthusiast memory will have kits based on these new chips almost instantly. Some will be better than others, and we will likely see even better performance as these new variations are introduced. The danger of course is if everyone wants these new DIMMs, the chips may be in short supply which would make them even more expensive.
Super Talent and TEAM Group did a great job getting these two new fast DDR3-1600 kits to market. You will now see a flood of memory announced that will feature memory performance specifications we only dreamed of a few short weeks ago. The real winner in this round, of course, is Micron ... and you!
In our review of the Kingston low-latency DDR3-1375 we expressed surprise that Kingston had managed to improve memory performance so soon after DDR3 was introduced to the market. Our DDR3 test DIMMs for the launch were rated DDR3-1066 7-7-7-21, and they would overclock to the new DDR3-1333 speed at 9-9-9-25 timings. We expected the quick introduction of DDR3-1333 modules at 9-9-9 timings, since one of the reasons for owning a P35 board is to use memory faster than the common DDR2-1066.
Instead a week later, Kingston introduced DDR3 memory that blew though DDR3-1333 to DDR3-1500 at fast 7-7-7 timings. We did not expect true lower latency DDR3 for several months or more. The Kingston memory changed the DDR3 rules and every memory vendor started contacting us with announcements of lower latency DDR3 that reached higher speeds.
Many enthusiasts were impressed with DDR3-1500 at 7-7-7 timings, as they should have been. However, some held out for the Holy Grail of DDR3-1600 or DDR3-1666 that could run at 7-7-7 timings. That, said the savviest computer enthusiasts on many forums, would be reason enough to move to DDR3 instead of DDR2 - even though it is currently the more expensive memory. We agreed with all this chatter, but we expected the requirement for DDR3-1600 7-7-7 might delay the movement to DDR3 until sometime later next year.
Fortunately for all of us, Micron did listen to what computer enthusiasts were hoping for, but they did not listen to our expected timetables. Here, about as fast as we could dream about it, Micron has introduced their new Z9 memory chips with breathtaking speeds and an almost never-ending ability to handle voltage. We don't know how Micron continues to do this memory after memory, but someone in that company certainly knows how to design enthusiast memory.
The first two new kits out of the gate are from Super Talent and TEAM Group. Comparing the two in this review showed both set new standards for speed and low latency for DDR3. Both broke the 1600 barrier at better than 7-7-7 timings, namely 7-6-5 at a moderate and easily tolerated 1.80V. Both continue on and break through DDR3-1666 at the same speed. The TEAM tops out at a new record DDR3-1900, but the Super Talent continues on to DDR3-2000 at still respectable 9-8-7-18 timings, but at a higher 2.25 volts, a voltage earlier DDR3 couldn't dream of handling. Fortunately the Micron Z9 chips seem to handle 2.25V and 2.3V just fine, as long as they are cooled a bit.
We were completely surprised by the Kingston low-latency just a few weeks ago; the Micron Z9 chips completely rewrite the enthusiast market. Unless memory companies quickly find ways to produce very fast DDR2 that runs very well on P35 boards DDR2 will quickly become second-rate memory. We hear from memory vendors that better DDR2 is on the way, but we have to wonder if these new DDR3 DIMMs that do DDR3-1600, 1666, and even DDR3-2000 with ease have not changed the memory game beyond recognition. If you are a full-blown computer enthusiast, once you see DDR3-1666 and DDR3-2000 running on the P35 you will want it, and you will not want to settle for DDR2 at 1066.
We can also think of one huge reason not to buy the new DDR3-1600 DIMMs. They are very expensive and difficult to justify strictly on a price basis. At two to three times (or even more) the price of excellent DDR2 parts they are a tough money pill to swallow. However, few computer parts offer the kind of breakthrough performance advantage we see in these new DDR3-1600 kits.
Expensive or not, the DIMMs based on the Z9 Micron chips will definitely have a profound impact on whatever memory you buy in your future. The entry price for decent but pedestrian DDR3 will drop. So will the prices of decent 1500 7-7-7 DDR3, which will be good news for new system builders or upgraders. Any memory that targets the enthusiast will have to compete effectively with the performance of these new DDR3-1600 or DDR3-2000 DIMMs or they will not sell in the market place. Every memory manufacturer trying to produce a new DDR3 memory chip has had their design requirements raised at least two-fold. If anyone else can approach the performance of Micron Z9 chips the prices will drop, and everyone will be trying to match or surpass these chips. If other chip makers can't appraoch what Micron has accomplished here, the Z9 prices will likely remain stubbornly high.
As an enthusiast you may love the performance leap the new DDR3-1600 kits have dropped on the market today, but hate the fact that you will have to lay out a lot more money for new memory to get the best. Best is so much better today that second best doesn't look that attractive. However whether you consider expensive DDR3-2000 the best thing since sliced-bread or the worst of wretched excess, your future memory purchases will be influenced by these new memory chips.
Real DDR3-1600, DDR3-1666, and DDR-2000 parts at low latencies are exciting news, but it is just the beginning. OCZ is already announcing even faster parts based on special binning of these new Micron Z9 chips. Corsair, Kingston, and every other maker of enthusiast memory will have kits based on these new chips almost instantly. Some will be better than others, and we will likely see even better performance as these new variations are introduced. The danger of course is if everyone wants these new DIMMs, the chips may be in short supply which would make them even more expensive.
Super Talent and TEAM Group did a great job getting these two new fast DDR3-1600 kits to market. You will now see a flood of memory announced that will feature memory performance specifications we only dreamed of a few short weeks ago. The real winner in this round, of course, is Micron ... and you!
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Wesley Fink - Friday, July 20, 2007 - link
1333 and 1066 are both at 2.66GHz - which was the best we could do. We would definitely prefer to compare ALL memory speeds at the same CPU frequency as we have done in all memory testing in the past. However, as we point out in the article, with just a 1333 strap and a 333 multiplier it just isn't possible. With boards with 1600.166 and possibly 2000 atraps we can do fixed CPU speed and varied memory speed again.Suggestions for test speeds are welcomed.
rjm55 - Friday, July 20, 2007 - link
I can see where a 1600 strap is now almost a must on motherboards with these new 1600 kits. Does anyone know of ANY Intel P35 motherboard that has support for the 1600 or 1666 strap?LTG - Friday, July 20, 2007 - link
Please cite an example of "break though performance".
It seems any benchmark gains were largely due to CPU speed differences.
Wesley Fink - Friday, July 20, 2007 - link
I consider almost doubling memory speed in less than 2 months qualifies as breakthrough, just as a 6 GHz CPU would be a breakthrough. It is true that memory is just one component in overall performance and that the impact of doubling memory speed is definitely not the same as doubling CPU speed or doubling video speed would be. That still does not change the fact that the Z9 chips are a significant memory development.It is also true that potential gains are dampened by the current lack of straps above 1333 for DDR3. However, those will come sooner, rather than later, now that memory exists that can run at 1600/1666 and 2000.
LTG - Friday, July 20, 2007 - link
Well, you still didn't answer the question so I'll repeat:Whats one single example of "breakthrough performance" provided by this memory?
Wait, let's make it easier - shouldn't the article provide any examples of significant performance differences at the same CPU speed (aside from artificial benchmarks)?
bryanW1995 - Friday, July 20, 2007 - link
A 50% increase in memory speed is not "breakthrough"? This is enthusiast/overclocking memory, it's not designed for the wannabe. Which one are you?DigitalFreak - Friday, July 20, 2007 - link
It's not when there is only a minuscule real world performance increase. It's the same situation as the P4 clock speed crap. The P4 may have run at 3.6Ghz, but it was still bested by an A64 running a Ghz or more slower.TA152H - Saturday, July 21, 2007 - link
The fallacy with your argument is that the tests presented do not include every "real world" situation (no amount of tests could), and there will be situations where the extra memory performance will exhibit extraordinary improvements, depending on the software. I was not crazy about their choice of operating systems either, and you would expect the memory difference to be more in Vista than in XP, simply because Vista uses more memory and resources, and should have a lower cache hit percentage.It's also useful within a hardware context too, not everyone will be buying a Core 2 with 4 MB cache. Right now, yes, it will be what most people get, but when AMD goes to DDR3, and DDR3 prices drop so it becomes mainstream, it will be used on systems with a smaller cache and you'll see a better improvement in speed. So, it's informative.
Also consider that DDR3 does all this with lower voltages than DDR2, so is meaningful in a performance/watt criteria.
If all you are walking away with is a 2.5% improvement with a huge increase in cost, that's not much of interest because it's not worth it for most people. But, extrapolate from that in terms of different hardware and software, and the incredible changes in DDR3 performance lately, as well as the inevitable price drops, and you might get more value out of the review.
DDR2 is obsolete. I said it a month ago, and I'm saying it again. It's low cost, but the performance is not there. It is fading fast (even faster than I thought, to be honest). In less than a month it went from being very competitive in performance and much lower cost against a technology that was showing potential but little real world current value, to already being a low cost, low performance alternative. It is not power efficient either, so all that remains to happen for DDR3 is for the price points to drop. Obviously, the performance delta will increase, but it's already better at that. Reviews like this are useful in that they show this to be true and they will give you a way to plan your next system, or perhaps put off a system purchase until a better time.
Would you buy a DDR2 based system now? It would be like buying a DX9 based video card. Why buy obsolescence when already the next generation is showing real improvements. Time will make the differences greater.
strikeback03 - Monday, July 23, 2007 - link
Speaking of voltage, no complaints over the 2.25V they used with the Super Talent DDR3? You complained about 1.7 volts in the Kingston article after all.And the comparison with DX9 video cards is not a great once for making your point either, as you already know that most people who comment here disagree with you on that point as well.
domski - Saturday, July 21, 2007 - link
Do you have any real-world power consumption figures to back up these assertions?
Don't get me wrong -- I believe you. But I would be interested to see the magnitude of the difference in both absolute power consumption and performance per watt.