Best Bang Per Buck Core i7 System Build

ExtremeTech builds a 'Bang for the Buck' based on the Intel Core i7 processor. The result was a combination of peripherals that give you the best value for your money.

Specifications:

• Antec 300 case
• Antec Earthwatts 650 PSU
• ASUS P6T motherboard
• Intel Core i7 920 processor
• 6GB (2x3 DIMMS) OCZ Gold DDR3 Triple-channel 1600MHz memory
• Western Digital WD1001FALS Black Ed. 1TB HDD
• Lite-On DH401S BD optical drive
• AMD ATI Radeon HD 4870 512MB graphics card
• Creative SoundBlaster Titanium sound card
• Logitech Wave keyboard
• Logitech G5 mouse
• Dell S2409W Widescreen 1920x1080 LCD Monitor
• Creative GigaWorks T40 speakers
• Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit operating system

"This Bang for the Buck turned out more expensive than past efforts, but it's also more forward-looking. ... Even if you're only upgrading, we can't recommend higher each part in this system as it is, in our estimation, the best you can get for your money. Choose wisely, but consider this a guide. " [ExtremeTech | Build a Bang for the Buck PC]

The total bill for this build was US$2040. Take note that the setup is not a 'budget value system', but a best value and performance for your money build. If you prefer a different component, such as an AMD processor (and appropriate mobo of course) or Nvidia graphics card, you can just change the specs to your liking, using the above components as a guide.

IceRocket : best bang per buck pc, intel core i7

Twelve 6GB DDR3 Triple Channel RAM Kits Reviewed

Triple-channel DDR3 RAM is here, and Tom's Hardware took a good look at twelve (12) 6Gb triple channel DDR3 kits from A-Data, Aeneon, Corsair, Crucial, G.Skill, Geil, Kingston, Mushkin, OCZ, Patriot Memory, Super Talent, and Wintec Industries.

Test Configuration:

• Intel Core i7 920 2.66 GHz, 8.0 MB L3 Cache processor
• Asus P6T Deluxe BIOS 1003 (12/05/2008) Intel X58/ICH10R Chipset, LGA-1366 motherboard
• Gigabyte GV-R487-512H-B HD 4870 GPU (750 MHz), GDDR5-3600 graphics card
• Western Digital WD5000AAKS, 500 GB 7,200 RPM, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16 MB cache HDD
• Coolermaster RS850-EMBA (850W, ATX12V v2.2) PSU
• Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 operating system

DDR3 Kits:

• Super Talent 1333 WA133UX6G8 (US$150)
• Patriot Viper 1600 PVT36G1600LLK ($178)
• OCZ Intel Extreme 1600 OCZ3X1600LV6GK ($190)
• Wintec AMPX 1600 3AHX1600C8WS6GTK ($200)
• Mushkin Enhanced 1600 Model 998679 ($220)
• G.Skill DDR3-1600 F3-12800CL8T-6GBHK ($230)
• A-data Vitesta 1600 AD31600E002GMU3K ($300)
• Aeneon Xtune 1600 AXH860UD20-16H-K-6G ($300)
• Geil Value DDR3-1600 GV36GB1600C8TC ($369)
• Crucial Ballistix 1600 BL3KIT25664BN1608 ($374)
• Corsair Dominator 1866 TR3X6G1866C9DF ($410)
• Kingston DDR3-2000 KHX16000D3ULT1K3/6GX ($540)

"This would be a good time to remind everyone that today's competition targets the high-end market, where speed is more important than cost and the best product wins. From that, we can easily choose the winner, since Kingston was the only brand able to deliver DDR3-2000 before our deadline and no other modules could even reach Kingston's rated speed, let alone its overclocked speed. ... [but] Because the Kingston modules we received were improperly documented, a lack of availability under the original name lead us towards second-place overclocker Crucial Ballistix. While Ballistix DDR3-1600 remains an excellent option for those who need their order to ship today, near-term availability makes Kingston HyperX DDR3-2000 CAS 8 our choice for system overclocking articles. It's also a great option for high-market buyers who want the best of everything." [Tom's Hardware | Triple-Channel DDR3: 6GB Kit Roundup]

While the Kingston DDR3-2000 KHX16000D3ULT1K3/6GX and Crucial Ballistix 1600 BL3KIT25664BN1608 got top honors on the round-up, Tom's Hardware also gives honorable mention to the Mushkin Enhanced 1600 Model 998679 and Patriot Viper 1600 PVT36G1600LLK.

If you are gearing up to build that Core i7 rig, the above-mentioned 6GB DDR3 Kits are the ones to look for.

IceRocket : 6gb, ddr3, triple channel

4 GB DDR2 Memory Kits Compared

Tom's Hardware rounded up 4GB DDR2 memory kits from Corsair, Crucial, Geil, Kingston, Mushkin, OCZ, and Walton Chaintech.

Tom's Hardware gave the Recommended Buy award to the Kingston HyperX KHX8500D2K2/4G and Mushkin's Ascent XP2-8500:

"... Kingston and Mushkin. And it's these last two brands that went through our testing without reaching remarkable records, but also without failing on us in any category. Power consumption and operating voltage were in line with our expectations, especially for Mushkin. Overclocking margins were small, but we guess almost everyone agrees when we say that there is not much more you can do today, and that the difference is small. Finally, their price tags of $150 turn these two products into the most attractive memory kits for upgraders or anyone else who is about to assemble a reasonable desktop PC with 4 GB of main memory." [Tom's Hardware | DDR2-1066 Kit Round-Up]

To add, Tom's Hardware gives us their recommendations for memory purchases:

• Stay within the market sweet spot to get a good deal: today that's 2x 1 GB or 2x 2 GB of DDR2-800 or DDR2-1066 memory.
• Look for quick timings (smaller numbers are better), but don't spend substantial money on slightly faster modules.
• Spend additional budget on a faster processor, a faster graphics card graphics card or a faster drive instead of fast memory, unless you need overclocking memory.
• Always get as few memory modules as possible, but equip all memory channels of a system to get maximum performance. The ideal configuration consists of two DIMMs today, and three DIMMs with Intel's upcoming Core i7 systems.
• Go for name brand memory.

It should be noted that 4GB of RAM can't be fully utilized on a 32-bit operating system. You will get around 3.3 to 3.7 GB of effective memory capacity.

Technorati : 1066, 4gb, 8500, ddr2, memory

Overclocking with ASUS P5E3 Deluxe Mobo and DDR3

AnandTech overclocks an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 using an ASUS P5E3 Deluxe motherboard and DDR3 memory.

"The more time we spend working with DDR3, the more we understand its potential benefits. After spending a week working with memory speeds in excess of 1.8GHz, we find ourselves wondering how we can ever possibly go back to DDR2. Of course, that only lasts until we check our bank accounts. Even though our results may not be enough to truly substantiate such an expensive purchase, we're confident prices will soon begin their decent and DDR3 will eventually find a home in every enthusiast's system. Additionally, while we would like to see a larger performance gain moving from DDR2 to DDR3, as with most top-bin hardware the margin between first and second place is hardly a whisper. Given time to fully mature, DDR3 will become the new de-facto standard in high-performance memory and is something we look forward to, once the costs are no longer prohibitive." [AnandTech | ASUS P5E3 Deluxe Overclocking: DDR3 Takes Front Stage]

If you are upgrading, and an early adopter, the X38 (or X48) chipset and DDR3 memory combo would probably be your latest dream setup. You just have to be prepared to shell out a serious amount of funds to do so. For everybody else, the P35 and DDR2 route is still a good option. For now.

Technorati : asus, ddr3, intel, p5e3

Upgrade Your Socket 939 Box

Tom's Hardware shows us some options on deciding how to upgrade a two year old AMD Athlon 64 Socket 939 system.

"Spending as little as $100 on the dual core processor will make the reference system respond noticeably more quickly, and it provides up to twice the calculation power for applications that know how to exploit the potential of two processing cores. Power consumption doesn't change much when stepping from a 130 nm single core to a 90 nm dual core, so you can even keep your existing cooler if you want to. If you intend to keep using your Socket 939 system, now is the time to get a dual core processor for it." [Tom's Hardware]

Upgrading the processor, hard drive, and graphics card would usually bring new life to a 2+ year old (or older) PC box. If you currently have 1GB of memory in your system, bumping it to 2GB will make sense if you frequently have a number of apps open at the same time.

Technorati : amd, drive, graphic, howto, memory, pc, processor, upgrade

Analysis of DDR3 Memory Performance

HardwareZone gives DDR3 memory a close look.

DDR3 memory is supposed to start where DDR2 left off. DDR3 has a data rate of 800-1600Mbps, 1.5V requirement, 8-bit prefetch for Burst Length, and new features: Asynchronous RESET, Dynamic On-Die Termination (ODT), Auto Self-Refresh (ASR), and Write Leveling.

"There is no doubt that DDR3 will offer higher performance and lower energy consumption in the long run, just as how DDR2 was to DDR, but whether you are an avid overclocker or the average Joe next door, it currently does not make sense to spend the amount of money needed to upgrade your system to DDR3 for the little benefits it provides in current 1066MHz and lower FSB systems. DDR3 may have entered the scene with more fanfare than DDR2, but the situation hasn't changed. Until 1333MHz FSB processors and platforms become mainstream and latencies drop a couple of cycles, DDR3 can safely be left in the K.I.V. folder for a while longer yet." [HardwareZone]

It's a no-brainer that at some point in time, everybody will be using the new DDR3 memory modules. As of now, though, the more bang per buck is still on DDR2's side.

Technorati : ddr3, memory, performance, review

Memory: DDR, DDR2, DDR3?

AnandTech and ExtremeTech tells us to prepare for DDR3 memory, and gives us options for our current systems.

"Two conditions would shift the recommendation to DDR3 instead. When DDR3 prices come close to DDR2 then buy DDR3 instead. More significantly, when DDR3 becomes available at higher speeds and/or faster timings then definitely choose DDR3 if you are looking for performance - even if the price is higher." [AnandTech | DDR3 vs. DDR2]

"If you are planning on building a brand-new system around an Intel CPU, it may be worth considering a DDR3 motherboard. You should factor in the likelihood that DDR3 modules will sell at a higher price than DDR2 for the foreseeable future-there's always a price to pay for early adoption." [ExtremeTech | DRAM Buyer's Guide]

As ExtremeTech points out, users with systems that use 1GB or more DDR memory would be better off planning a system upgrade, probably with a DDR3-ready system. Why? DDR2 memory are presently much cheaper than its DDR counterparts, and would potentially offer greater performance and bandwidth. It would be interesting, though, how DDR2 modules will be priced as DDR3 memory become mainstream.

Technorati : ddr, ddr2, ddr3, memory, sdram

Memory: Tight Timings vs High Clock Frequencies

Tom's Hardware finds out the real deal in maximizing memory performance. The article determines what really affects performance: timings or clockspeed.

The bottom line is that as long as you have enough memory - preferably 2 GB - the extra money you pay for more memory speed would be better invested in a faster graphics card. And if you don't play games, then the CPU and hard drive offer more room for improvement than the memory. [Tom's Hardware]

Everybody wants the "best", but sometimes, the best is not necessarily the most practical. Still doubtful in choosing your PC's memory? Just choose a good reliable brand. The "value" line would probably be the best bang per buck.

Technorati : Clock, Frequency, Hardware, Memory, PC, Timing

2GB DDR Memory Kits Compared

X-bit Labs has an article roundup of 2GB SDRAM memory kits for overclockers.

First of all, we want to say that 1GB DDR SDRAM memory modules (that make up 2GB memory kits) can't match the characteristics of 512MB modules. The popular lower-capacity modules have better overclockability and can work at more aggressive timings, too. But as we've found in our previous reviews, you sometimes don't have a choice as there are a number of applications that require as much as 2GB of system memory. It is not recommended to use four 512MB modules due to the automatically activated 2T Command Rate setting and the considerable worsening of the mainboard's overclockability. So, in some cases 1GB DDR SDRAM modules have no alternative and you have to put up with their not-very-impressive characteristics. [X-bit Labs]

The article tests offerings from Corsair, G. Skill, OCZ, and PQI. A nice read, for any PC enthusiast.

Technorati : 2GB, Corair, DDR, G. Skill, Hardware, Kit, Memory, OCZ, PC, PQI, Review

ECC Memory Recommended for Windows Vista

TG Daily reports that Microsoft confirmed to TG Daily that it will "encourage" system builders to use Error Checking and Correction (ECC) memory modules for Vista computers - rather than the standard DDR devices common in desktop and notebook computers today. Currently, ECC is mainly used in servers and workstations and will not be a Vista requirement, but the technology may increase the stability of the OS.

We are certain that we will learn about more surprises as the months pass by and perhaps experience a Windows 95 upgrade deja-vu. Just now we heard from Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, analyst that Microsoft will make ECC memory a "soft-requirement" for Windows Vista. "Soft" means that system builders won't have to use the technology to achieve a "Vista ready" level, but Microsoft certainly may recommend to its partners to avoid the mainstream memory that is used in virtually all desktop and notebook computers today. [TG Daily]

Hmm. Would Windows Vista spark the demand for ECC memory modules? If it does, I sure hope it would also drive down the prices of "server-oriented" memory.

Technorati : ECC, Memory, Microsoft, Operating System, Software, Vista, Windows

1 GB RAM - Sweet Spot for Average Users

Tom's Hardware answers our question of how much RAM do we really need in our PC.

Indeed, 1 GB of system memory will most likely be enough for the average user and for people. It will allow you to play new games at their highest quality settings, given that you have an adequate processor and a powerful graphics solution. You won't have to shut down non-critical applications when you want to play a game. You can (accidentally) press the Windows button while in a game without dying from a stroke during the seconds it takes to read Windows back into system memory from the swap file. If you go from 512 MB to 1 GB, you will notice the difference all the time. Starting up Photoshop while working with Word, an Internet browser, e-mail client and Acrobat Reader will go so much faster, and switching between the applications is a breeze. [Tom's Hardware]

It seems that nowadays, 1 Gigabyte of RAM is the sweet spot for contemporary personal computers. Professional users who use heavy applications may want to equip their PCs with 2 GB.

Technorati : Average User, PC, RAM, Sweet Spot