New build research questions

mogwai

mogwai

mogwai

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27 Aug 2004
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I am looking to build a new pc around a Q450 cpu but have a few questions to ask first:

1. Apart from the cost is there any difference between an X38 and a X48 based motherboard?

2. In a lot of the spec me threads where people say that they aren’t going to be overclocking, why are they being advised to go for PC6400 ram rather than PC-8500. E.g. if you go for a Q6600 which has 1066 MHz FSB, would you not then want PC-8500 so that the RAM and CPU FSB run at the same speed?

3. I am hoping to build a rig that will last me a good few years with the only likely upgrade being the graphics card. So is DDR3 really not a good idea yet?

4. Is the driver support etc good enough to make it worth going for Vista 64bit over 32bit?
 
1. PCI-E v2 I think is the main difference but I haven't really looked into it.

2. The FSB on Core2Duo/Quads is quad-pumped so for a 1066mhz CPU (say) you need Ram that operates at 266.5mhz (PC4200 speeds) since 4x266.5=1066mhz or near enough. Now I wouldn't advise getting PC4200 for a decent Core2Duo or above but it could run it at stock if you were so inclined.

3. I don't think I'd bother given the price difference is so great and the performance is not worth the extra to me, to put it this way I can get 4gb or even 8gb of pretty decent PC6400 for the same price as 2gb of the cheapest DDR3.
 
So if I plan to get one of the Q9450 quad core's and don't want to overclock do I need PC6400 ram or higher as the CPU FSB will be 1333?
 
mogwai said:
So PC 8500 and DDR3 is a waste at the moment?
Click to expand...

PC8500 depends on how far you are overclocking but with a 1066mhz FSB CPU then generally unless overclocking very heavily then yes it is (at least to me), even with a 1333mhz CPU you've got to be overclocking a fair bit to make full use of it.

DDR3 isn't a total waste if you want to be an early adopter but the performance benefit is negligible so for the cost I'd say it isn't justified, DDR2 also took a while to mature as a technology, pretty much all new technologies do.
 
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