- Joined
- Aug 13, 2005
- Location
- Gainesville, GA
With the pending release of Windows Vista Home Premium and its ability to address 4GB of ram in 32 bit mode and 16GB of ram in 64 bit mode, as well as Windows Vista Business which will address 4GB in 32 bit and 128GB in 64 bit; the question arises as to how much memory is optimum to use in a mother board that only has 4 memory slots.
For the sake of this discussion I am assuming that drivers are available to run the most popular applications and games in 64 bit mode and that people will be running in 64 bit mode and are able to address 16GB of ram or more under Vista.
Several factors affect what is optimum:
1) Cost
2) speed of ram,
3) compatibility of ram
4) capacity of ram
Will there be 2GB or 4GB ddr2 sticks that will work if all 4 memory slots are filled?
Will they overclock to any meaningful extent?
Are you better off with 4x1GB sticks that OC to 500fsb+; or better off with 4x2GB stick that only run at 333fsb? Assuming that 4GB memory sticks are released soon; are you better off with 4x4GB sticks running at 333fsb?
I know that the advantages of a greater amount and speed of memory is dependent upon the application. Disregarding that reality and for the sake of discusssion and those ever popular benchmarks such as 3Dmark06 and Everest I'd like the readers and respondents to consider the above issues.
I assume that the memory manufactures will move to meet the perceived demand that should arise when Vista releases and purchasers start looking to populate their motherboards with more than 4GB of ram.
So with those two assumptions about the unknowable future . . . . what do you think?
For the sake of this discussion I am assuming that drivers are available to run the most popular applications and games in 64 bit mode and that people will be running in 64 bit mode and are able to address 16GB of ram or more under Vista.
Several factors affect what is optimum:
1) Cost
2) speed of ram,
3) compatibility of ram
4) capacity of ram
Will there be 2GB or 4GB ddr2 sticks that will work if all 4 memory slots are filled?
Will they overclock to any meaningful extent?
Are you better off with 4x1GB sticks that OC to 500fsb+; or better off with 4x2GB stick that only run at 333fsb? Assuming that 4GB memory sticks are released soon; are you better off with 4x4GB sticks running at 333fsb?
I know that the advantages of a greater amount and speed of memory is dependent upon the application. Disregarding that reality and for the sake of discusssion and those ever popular benchmarks such as 3Dmark06 and Everest I'd like the readers and respondents to consider the above issues.
I assume that the memory manufactures will move to meet the perceived demand that should arise when Vista releases and purchasers start looking to populate their motherboards with more than 4GB of ram.
So with those two assumptions about the unknowable future . . . . what do you think?