4GB vs. 2GB
But we're looking at a 4GB kit. Is it worth putting down the extra cash, over and above 2GB, which equates to over £100 right now.We ran game-loading and task-switching apps to test the assertion that 4GB provides a much smoother experience.
The first test was to measure the loading time of our Company of Heroes: Opposing Forces test, set to 1,920x1,200. We compared the 2GB G.Skill kit to the Corsair 4GB.
Whilst not particularly consistent between runs, we found that the Corsair 4GB pack took, on average, 83s to complete the full load, to an instance where you were in control of the troops. The G.Skill-equipped system took an average of 82s, surprisingly.
Then we measured the task-switching times by alt+tabbing out of the game, launching an Internet Explorer window, then alt+tabbing back into the game.
The Corsair pack took an average of 6 seconds whilst the 2GB G.Skill took 15 seconds - demonstrably slower.
Running with Windows Vista, 4GB of system memory does provide a much smoother overall experience, especially if multitasking. However, re-running the same test with DDR2 showed the same benefits, with particular speed-ups in multitasking - and they're conferred irrespective of speed.
Indeed, it would be preferable to have 4GB of DDR2-1,066MHz than 2GB of any-speed DDR3, we reckon.