Question regarding Corsair 2GB DDR2 XMS2-6400C5 TwinX (2x1GB)...

p0rks0da · 22 Aug 2008 at 20:10

I am moving to 64bit Vista and upgrading my current 2gb to 4gb at the same time and i just wanted to check something.

The ram i am running right now was also sold as XMS2-6400C5 (bought mid-2007), but it seems the timings have changed for these current sets. Will there be any issues if i buy one of these newer sets and add it alongside my older ones?

The ram i have at the moment is 5-5-5-18 2T, the newer kits are 5-5-5-12 1T. I'm hoping the newer kit would just run at the looser timings of my old stuff, but i have never mixed ram with different timings before before so i just want to check.

The other option is just to buy all new ram and keep my current set as backup incase of any need to RMA in future or whatever. I'm not really clued up on DDR2 timings so i'm not sure what real world benefits the tighter timings will create.

TIA for your help

Cob · 23 Aug 2008 at 12:23

Chances are that if they've changed the timings then the new stuff is using different chips (Corsair have a habit of changing the chips in their memory quite often).

Personally I would go for a new 2x2gb kit.

p0rks0da · 23 Aug 2008 at 19:39

Yeah i was half expecting that to be the case

Oh well new ram it is, i think i might actually go for 4GB DDR3 so i can carry it over when i upgrade to Nehalem at some point (i have a Gigabyte P35C-DS3R). Thanks for the help!

Cob · 23 Aug 2008 at 19:43

I wouldn't bother with DDR3 just yet. It's still damn expensive compared to DDR2, and by the time you actually need DDR3 you will be able to buy faster for a lot less money than is currently available.

helmutcheese · 23 Aug 2008 at 20:53

We know GDDR3 runs out of steam at approx 2500mhz officially.

Cause Corsair have some DDR3 at 21xxmhz and it holds the WR at 2500mhz, and I read no DDR4 till 2012 so wonder if they can get past 2500mhz.

Tetras · 23 Aug 2008 at 22:22

Oh well new ram it is, i think i might actually go for 4GB DDR3 so i can carry it over when i upgrade to Nehalem at some point (i have a Gigabyte P35C-DS3R). Thanks for the help!

Nehalem on X58 platform is tri-channel, dual channel DDR3 kit will be obsolete anyway. Just go with DDR2

p0rks0da · 23 Aug 2008 at 22:40

Ok good points guys, i will stick with DDR2 for now then.

Just for future reference, are timings on DDR2/DDR3 very important? I use my computer for a bit of gaming and 3D modeling, i never benchmark or anything like that. Are we talking about big differences in performance or a few % here and there?

Tetras · 24 Aug 2008 at 12:20

Just for future reference, are timings on DDR2/DDR3 very important? I use my computer for a bit of gaming and 3D modeling, i never benchmark or anything like that. Are we talking about big differences in performance or a few % here and there?

For gaming no (a few frames), for 3D Modelling, it might, even a few percent on a 4 hour render can be worthwhile. You'd have to find some benchmarks for similar programs