Lost in RAM specs...

[NDSUTopGun]

I was snooping around Newegg tonight. Anyone know what the numbers mean on the memory specs? I'm looking specifically at frequencies for DDR3... stuff like 1066, 1333, 1600, etc. Some products also indicate a PC3 number (8500, 10600, 14400, etc). Anyone know the difference? I'm just interested in learning more about RAM. Thanks for your time.

 

[FuryRosewood]

higher number...faster, but the cpu manufacturers spec up to 1333, yet mobo and ram manufacturers want you to buy l33t gamer shit....imho its not worth it, just get standard 1333 and you will be fine 90+ percent of the time

 

[2048Megabytes]

Memory chips are labeled using the maximum theoretical bandwidth (PC3-10600, PC3-12800, and so on) - largely for marketing reasons. Supposedly PC3-10600 RAM can transfer data to your processor at a maximum rate of 10,600 megabytes per second.

I ran a test on my present PC2-6400 RAM. I was getting topped out transfer rates at around 3,500 megabytes per second. That is pretty far from the advertised 6,400 megabytes per second. I would guess PC3-10600 memory transfers data at around 5,800 megabytes per second.

Anyone have any tests they could run on their DDR3 memory that could give us some actual numbers on RAM data transfer rates?

 

[StrangleHold]

I was snooping around Newegg tonight. Anyone know what the numbers mean on the memory specs? I'm looking specifically at frequencies for DDR3... stuff like 1066, 1333, 1600, etc. Some products also indicate a PC3 number (8500, 10600, 14400, etc). Anyone know the difference? I'm just interested in learning more about RAM. Thanks for your time.

If you mean why, like take DDR3 1600 is called PC3 12800.

The 1600 is the Bus speed. Which is really 800mhz but its DDR so its Double Data rate is 1600mhz. Like a two way street and the speed is 800mhz both directions. So its effective rate is 1600mhz.

The PC3 12800 is the transfer rate of data.

You can call it either one, depends on which way your looking at it.