Introduction
Q1 2008 has seen a slow but inexorable move over to using low-power, high-bandwidth DDR3 as system memory for mid-to-high-end Intel chipsets.
Naturally, Intel supports DDR3 with a range of chipsets, including P35, X38, and X48. We'll see this trend continue with the release of further 4-series chipsets next month.
NVIDIA, too, has jumped on the DDR3 bandwagon with the introduction of its nForce 790i (Ultra) SLI chipset for Intel LGA 775 CPUs.
An increase in production, stimulated by more demand, has meant that the once-exorbitant DDR3 pricing is slowly becoming more palatable.
Looking at the high-end, DDR3 scales up to an effective 2,000MHz - faster than some folks' CPU speed. 1,600MHz+ kits, we note, are catered for by nearly all major vendors.
Now, in mid-May 2008, we take a look at two such high-end kits from G.SKILL and Crucial, to see if there's significant merit in purchasing el-speedy DDR3 for your uber rig.