System setup and notes
HEXUS test PC and memory specs
| Memory | Corsair DOMINATOR TWIN3X2048-1800C7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Memory speed and timings | 1800MHz, 7-7-7-20 2T | 1080MHz, 7-7-7-20 2T |
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 @ 3150MHz and 450MHz bus speed | |
| Motherboard | ASUS P5K3 Deluxe WiFi AP - Intel P35 | |
| BIOS revision | 0604 (06/21/2007) | |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX 768MiB | |
| Disk drive(s) | Seagate 160GB SATAII (ST3160812AS) | |
| Mainboard software | Intel Inf 8.3.0.1013 | |
| Graphics driver | ForceWare 162.18 | PSU | OCZ GameXStream 700W |
| Operating System | Windows XP Professional 32-bit with SP2 | |
| Approx price at time of writing | £432.39 | |
Tests
| 2D benchmarks | ScienceMark memory bandwidth ScienceMark memory latency CPU-Z latency SiSoft Sandra memory bandwidth HEXUS DivX encoding |
|---|
| 3D Benchmarks | Far Cry v1.33 Quake 4 v1.30 |
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Setup notes
As mentioned earlier but worth repeating, the only current motherboards that supports DDR3 memory is based on the Intel's P35 chipset. As such, most boards have somewhat limited ratios with respect to CPU and associated memory speeds.To ensure that the Corsair modules hit their rated 1800MHz, we've opted to run at 1:2 bus speed:RAM ratio on our ASUS P5K3 Deluxe, requiring a lofty 450MHz, and such a bus-speed frequency will stress the chipset and CPU, so, please, ensure that your kit is up to the task before contemplating these high-speed modules.
Run at 450MHz bus speed (1800MHz FSB), then, there's a potential 14.4GB/s of juicy bandwidth between the CPU and northbridge. The Corsair TWIN3X2048-1800C7, operating in dual-channel mode, will provide double that, with performance gains rising more from lower latency access than pure bandwidth. However, you can never have too much bandwidth.
We've also run the same modules with a 5:6 ratio, thereby operating at an effective 1080MHz. The premise here is to see how much extra performance DDR3-1800 provides when compared to pseudo DDR3-1066, especially with a relatively high chipset front-side bus.
Got all that? If not, hit the HEXUS.community and ask away.