From Aceshardware Pentium4 shootout :
However, the DDR SDRAM technology is clearly reaching it's signal integrity limits. Consider this:
PC2100 clearly lacks bandwidth when it must feed 2.6 to 3 GHz Pentium 4s and it becomes clear that DDR-I is not the best choice for an intensive workstation that needs huge amounts of memory. It is very doubtful that any current chipset is able to drive more than 1.5 GB of PC2100 memory, let alone PC2700.
- Intel only supports 4 banks of PC2100 memory or maximum 1 GB to ensure the best stability (signal integrity!).
- With two DIMMs, the SiS645 chipsets can run the best DDR SDRAM on the market only with a CAS latency of 2.5
- With three DIMMs, the SiS645 boards have to throttle back to PC2100 (see here).
- With four DIMMs, the VIA's P4X266 has to throttle back to PC1600 for stability reasons (VIA chipsets natively only supports 6 physical banks of memory)
- Many of the DDR boards experienced stability problems when we tried to run with three DIMMs.
So while PC2100/2700 is a good choice for the average desktop, it is clear that DDR doesn't cut it for the power user, especially if this power user prefers a highly-clocked Northwood processor. Registered (buffered) DDR is a solution for the workstation user who needs a lot of RAM, but it is not really a high-performance solution (higher latencies, bandwidth limited to 2.1 GB/s).
So what is the solution? DDR-400? DDR-II? A comeback by RDRAM (PC1066, RIMM4200) or dual-channel DDR SDRAM? We have only scratched the surface. To explain the benchmarks that we have seen today, and to understand what the challenges that future memory technology must face, we must go in-depth. In the next article we will discuss the technical pros and cons of all these solutions. Stay tuned...
Aceshardware say DDR is not the way forward for the P4
- Thread starter Arris
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Tomshardware Ram Roadmaps
Looks like Samsung at least are going to keep making Rdram...
All the way to PC1200 until 2005 and beyond
Looks like Samsung at least are going to keep making Rdram...
All the way to PC1200 until 2005 and beyond
boeingfixer
Posts: 1,006 +0
Originally posted by Arris
Tomshardware Ram Roadmaps
Looks like Samsung at least are going to keep making Rdram...
All the way to PC1200 until 2005 and beyond
Is that a mis-type Arris ? 1200 ? arent we going to like 2700 and beyond ?? Or am I reading it wrong like DDR 266 ? IE DDR1200 ??
And Uncleel, if rambus is so great, why did Intel abandon it ? (AMD is the answer) (evil grin)
Nope I was referring to RDRam which is set to go to PC1200 in the future. DDR SDram is at 333DDR (2.7gb per second theoretical hence the 2700 number). Next step (with Via and SiS already showing 400DDR motherboards at CeBIT - Check the news forum for details) is 400DDR and then from there upwards.
Plus I had read that AMD looked towards Rambus for use with the Hammer. From what I can tell its going for DDR but you never know.
Th3M1ghtyD8
Posts: 660 +0
I always said RAMBUS was the way to go with P4's despite it's price.
Related Link from News forum : Information on the future of DDR
boeingfixer
Posts: 1,006 +0
Yeah if I have learned anything in this business is the only certainty is the uncertanty.
boeingfixer
Posts: 1,006 +0
Sorry, I am not pro Rambus. But I could be convinced if AMD where to ever adopt it.....but for now...I am staying with DDR, and if hammer comes out and stays with DDR, so do I.
boeingfixer
Posts: 1,006 +0
Rambus's future is going to be interesting with Dell dropping Rambus at the end of this year. If you want a Dell I guess it's gonna be DDR or SDRAM. Why someone would by a P-4 with SDRAM is beyond me. However, I know the average consumer has no clue. Too bad.
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