Super Talent & TEAM: DDR3-1600 Is Here!
by Wesley Fink on July 20, 2007 11:30 AM EST- Posted in
- Memory
Bandwidth and Memory Scaling
As you saw in our overclocking test, the Super Talent kit reached DDR3-2000+ and the TEAM DDR3-1600 topped out at DDR3-1900. We compared standard or buffered bandwidth on the P965 running DDR2, the new P35 running DDR2, and the new P35 running Kingston DDR3-1375, Super Talent DDR3-1600, and TEAM DDR3-1600.
At DDR3-1066 the DDR2 Corsair Dominator running in the P35-DDR2 board holds a slight lead. This is a pattern you will see throughout many of these test results. If you intend to run only 1066 and nothing higher, the ASUS P5K Deluxe with fast DDR2 beats DDR3 and P965. This is likely due to the very aggressive 4-4-3 timings DDR2 can manage on the P35, but the lead is very small compared to these new Micron Z9 DDR3 memory modules.
The new Z9 DDR3 memory owns the rest of the benchmarks. From 1333 to the highest OC of 2000 nothing comes close to the bandwidth of the new Micron memory chips. The best modules in this roundup are from Super Talent. The TEAM DIMMs are close in every benchmark, but the Super Talent memory wins all the benchmarks at every speed from 1333 up.
The timings are also record-breaking. 5-4-3-9 at DDR3-1066 (1333 strap) are the best memory timings we have seen in DDR3 tests at that speed. Similarly 6-5-4-12 at 1333, 7-6-5-15 at 1600 and 1666, and 9-8-7-18 at DDR3-2000 are the tightest timings seen so far with DDR3 at any of those speeds. The Micron Z9 memory chips achieve speeds and tight timings that we really didn't expect until next year or later.
We also test memory with buffering schemes like MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, etc, turned off. While these features do provide apparent improved bandwidth, the unbuffered bandwidth tends to correlate better with gaming performance. Unbuffered performance does not always follow the patterns of buffered memory performance.
Unbuffered results show the same basic pattern as buffered results. At 1066 speed the best bandwidth is with fast DDR2 on the P35 chipset, and at all other speeds the Super Talent DDR3-1600 and TEAM DDR3-1600 top the results. DIMMs based on Micron Z9 memory chips are the fastest DDR3 you can buy. There will still be variations based on the memory makers' experience and expertise in binning, PCB construction, and SPD programming, but for the time being we expect all of the fastest DDR3 memory to use Z9 chips.
Of course DDR2 could not reach the 1333 speed, and with DDR3 now running up to 2000 MHz and higher DDR3 is looking like the logical choice for high-performance computing. DDR2 is slightly better on the P35 chipset only at the 1066 speed. Now with Z9 chips, DDR3 also outperforms the P965 chipset running fast DDR3 at 1066. Anything higher than 1066 is the domain of fast low-latency DDR3.
As you saw in our overclocking test, the Super Talent kit reached DDR3-2000+ and the TEAM DDR3-1600 topped out at DDR3-1900. We compared standard or buffered bandwidth on the P965 running DDR2, the new P35 running DDR2, and the new P35 running Kingston DDR3-1375, Super Talent DDR3-1600, and TEAM DDR3-1600.
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| Click to enlarge |
At DDR3-1066 the DDR2 Corsair Dominator running in the P35-DDR2 board holds a slight lead. This is a pattern you will see throughout many of these test results. If you intend to run only 1066 and nothing higher, the ASUS P5K Deluxe with fast DDR2 beats DDR3 and P965. This is likely due to the very aggressive 4-4-3 timings DDR2 can manage on the P35, but the lead is very small compared to these new Micron Z9 DDR3 memory modules.
The new Z9 DDR3 memory owns the rest of the benchmarks. From 1333 to the highest OC of 2000 nothing comes close to the bandwidth of the new Micron memory chips. The best modules in this roundup are from Super Talent. The TEAM DIMMs are close in every benchmark, but the Super Talent memory wins all the benchmarks at every speed from 1333 up.
The timings are also record-breaking. 5-4-3-9 at DDR3-1066 (1333 strap) are the best memory timings we have seen in DDR3 tests at that speed. Similarly 6-5-4-12 at 1333, 7-6-5-15 at 1600 and 1666, and 9-8-7-18 at DDR3-2000 are the tightest timings seen so far with DDR3 at any of those speeds. The Micron Z9 memory chips achieve speeds and tight timings that we really didn't expect until next year or later.
We also test memory with buffering schemes like MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, etc, turned off. While these features do provide apparent improved bandwidth, the unbuffered bandwidth tends to correlate better with gaming performance. Unbuffered performance does not always follow the patterns of buffered memory performance.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
Unbuffered results show the same basic pattern as buffered results. At 1066 speed the best bandwidth is with fast DDR2 on the P35 chipset, and at all other speeds the Super Talent DDR3-1600 and TEAM DDR3-1600 top the results. DIMMs based on Micron Z9 memory chips are the fastest DDR3 you can buy. There will still be variations based on the memory makers' experience and expertise in binning, PCB construction, and SPD programming, but for the time being we expect all of the fastest DDR3 memory to use Z9 chips.
Of course DDR2 could not reach the 1333 speed, and with DDR3 now running up to 2000 MHz and higher DDR3 is looking like the logical choice for high-performance computing. DDR2 is slightly better on the P35 chipset only at the 1066 speed. Now with Z9 chips, DDR3 also outperforms the P965 chipset running fast DDR3 at 1066. Anything higher than 1066 is the domain of fast low-latency DDR3.
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metalgrx - Thursday, December 13, 2007 - link
If you check the official site of TEAM ( http://web.teamgroup.com.tw/teamgroup/en/productDe...">http://web.teamgroup.com.tw/teamgroup/e...php?pd_i... you ll see the PC3 12800 DDR3 1600MHz CL7 (2*1GB),7-7-7-21-2T, 1.75V~1.85V which is available in my country and i must say it's quite cheap compared to the other options...what do you think about this? To set it clearly...should i buy it?Bozo Galora - Friday, July 20, 2007 - link
FWIW: I picked this little blurb up from EVA's forum:Quote:
BTW... The Micron Z9's are just Engineering samples (rev B), while the D9's are going to be on the market soon (if not already out there), and those are the non-Engineering samples.
Hopefully the D9's can overclock as well as the Z9's (or even better)
(Unquote)
So it looks like the DDR3 will also have D9's
DigitalFreak - Friday, July 20, 2007 - link
Wait a sec... so all this Z9 memory being reviewed isn't what will actually be available for sale? I thought these were retail DIMMs?Wesley Fink - Saturday, July 21, 2007 - link
We have kits identified as Retail from both Super Talent and OCZ. Both have also announced the availability of these parts and pricing for the retail parts. TEAM has told us the TEAM kit is an Engineering Sample, but that retail kits will be announced soon.EVGA boards use nVidia chipsets and do not support DDR3. I would guess EVGA and its users would not be happy with DDR3-2000 chips being available as it would likely hurt their sales.
Bozo Galora - Friday, July 20, 2007 - link
Another fine memory review - you da man, Wesley.Please ignore all the knuckle draggers - they have nothing better to do in their boring empty lives than to argue just for for the sake of arguing.
Keep up the good work - don't let the losers get to you.
theprodigalrebel - Friday, July 20, 2007 - link
TEAM's timings are listed as 5-4-3-9 2.1V @ 1900MHz in the 'Highest Speed' column.Wesley Fink - Friday, July 20, 2007 - link
The charts have all been corrected and now show the correct DDR3-1900 TEAM settings of 9-8-7-18 at 2.1V. Since our Web Editor is traveling and not available I ended up redoing the charts myself, so I added a few things like larger type to communicate the winner at each memory speed.strikeback03 - Monday, July 23, 2007 - link
while you're at it, last page, 4th paragraph from the end mentions DDR2-2000 DIMMs, assume that should be DDR3.Wesley Fink - Friday, July 20, 2007 - link
Thank you for pointing that out. It will be corrected.MadBoris - Friday, July 20, 2007 - link
At first I was like wow.Then I saw all DDR2 comparisons were at 33% less CPU frequency.
We need to get back to real world thinking here.
As an example if I am buying a MOBO capable of DDR2 or DDR3 with a 2.8 GHZ CPU. I would like to know what the actual performance difference would be on that platform for extra cost of DDR3. As it is, by guessing, a faster CPU would probably be a better value and keeping DDR2.
Anyway, unique charts and data this time guys. I know it shows the scaling of memory speed and I am sure this some amazing electronic achievement in some laboratory, but it doesn't communicate much value to me until I see some apple to apple comparisons.
I'm sure that will come around next time, looking forward to it.