DDR2 Going Obsolete with Core i7?

[GhandiInstinct]

I'm reading a lot of articles that are saying voltage specifications will only allow for DDR3 memory.

If that's true, everyone looking to buy DDR2 now should hold back right?

I wanted to take advantage of a $60 for 4GB of XMS 4-4-4-12 Dominator ram but if I need to get DDR3 which is triple or quadruple that I'll wait till Spring to get a new computer.

Help me if you can I'm feeling confused!

 

[Gillbot]

Personally, I think DDR2 is borderline obsolete with socket 775 and P45 chip sets that run DDR3. That is, when DDR3 prices fall to near current DDR2 levels, people will no longer want to buy DDR2 anyway and will start migrating over. Core i7 will only help push this along.

 

[GhandiInstinct]

In essence Gillbot - Don't buy a PC now, you won't have RAM for it.

Thanks =D

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: GhandiInstinct
In essence Gillbot - Don't buy a PC now, you won't have RAM for it.

Thanks =D

Most are recommending to wait anyway with the upcoming release of i7. After that launches, you'll see loads of cheap DDR2 and 775 parts in the classifieds after people start the mass migration to i7.

 

[RamarC]

i respectfully disagree. the x58 certainly won't be the only chipset for i7 and when intel releases a mainstream chipset it will probably support ddr2/ddr3. if official ddr3 support is limited to ddr3-1600 then ddr2-1066 won't that far off the mark performance wise and perfectly positioned as a mainstream alternative. i also suspect that this as yet unrevealed chipset will probably be the last intel chipset supporting ddr2.

 

[BladeVenom]

DDR2 won't be obsolete. AMD will still be using it a little while longer.

 

[aka1nas]

Originally posted by: RamarC
i respectfully disagree. the x58 certainly won't be the only chipset for i7 and when intel releases a mainstream chipset it will probably support ddr2/ddr3. if official ddr3 support is limited to ddr3-1600 then ddr2-1066 won't that far off the mark performance wise and perfectly positioned as a mainstream alternative. i also suspect that this as yet unrevealed chipset will probably be the last intel chipset supporting ddr2.

I7 uses an IMC so DDR2 is off the table.

 

[overzealot]

Not definitively off the table. There's been discussion before about how it was "possible" to use DDR1 on a AM2 A64.
It would have higher latency, cost a fair bit to engineer.
Until we actually hear it from the horses mouth it's entirely possible.
But if DDR3 comes to price parity with DDR2 (or lower), there'll be no need for it.

 

[Blazer7]

Originally posted by: aka1nas

Originally posted by: RamarC
i respectfully disagree. the x58 certainly won't be the only chipset for i7 and when intel releases a mainstream chipset it will probably support ddr2/ddr3. if official ddr3 support is limited to ddr3-1600 then ddr2-1066 won't that far off the mark performance wise and perfectly positioned as a mainstream alternative. i also suspect that this as yet unrevealed chipset will probably be the last intel chipset supporting ddr2.

I7 uses an IMC so DDR2 is off the table.

+1 :thumbsup:

Originally posted by: overzealot
Not definitively off the table. There's been discussion before about how it was "possible" to use DDR1 on a AM2 A64.
It would have higher latency, cost a fair bit to engineer.
Until we actually hear it from the horses mouth it's entirely possible.
But if DDR3 comes to price parity with DDR2 (or lower), there'll be no need for it.

It's off the table. In fact it was never on the table. There's simply no reason for Intel to produce a DDR2 i7 chip. It will cost them more and it'll have horrible latencies as you have already pointed out. Such a chip would also compete with Intel's C2D/C2Q chips and that won't be good for Intel. It makes much more sense to keep i7 just for the high-end in the beginning and gradually lower prices and make it mainstream as production ramps up and cost goes down both for the chip and mem. Introducing a DDR2 i7 will only perplex things for Intel. Besides, if things were so simple AMD would have produced those DDR AM2 A64s, but they didn't. Smart boys. It's no secret that AMD has much more experience with IMC designs than Intel and since they didn't went forward with that DDR AM2 A64 idea don't expect Intel to do something like that with Nehalem. Especially since this is their first try with an IMC.

On top of that DDR3 is still not in mass production. According to the INQ (I know not the most credible source) mass production will begin sometime next year so do not expect prices of DDR3 to drop fast. More to it there's a sort of confirmed rumour out there that current high performance DDR3 mems are not suitable for i7. If true expect mem manufacturers to come up with new designs. This will take time and cost even more.

With all this going on I don't expect to see decent cheap DDR3 mems before the end of next year.

 

[renethx]

The mainstream Nehalem (Lynnfield and Havendale) was delayed until Q4 2009 and Q1 2010 respectively. AM3 was also delayed until Q2 2009. (See 2009 Mainstream Hehalem Schedule Update and AMD CPU core roadmap.) So we will see DDR2 around for a while.

 

[geok1ng]

real life benefits of DDR3 over DDR2: lower voltages that may lower the power consumption by almost 2 watts.
Better Performance? On X48/P45 systems DDR3 failed to show any benefit over DDR2. On the C2D plataform memory performance is so tRD related that some BIOS called it "performance level". Guess what: i can run CAS4 tRD5 at 1100Mhz+ on DDR2, but i can not run DDR3 at tRDs lower than 6 without loosing the CAS to 5 or bigger: all the improved frequency is lost on looser timings.

going to i7 things may not look so much better: an IMC can achieve better memory raw numbers, as Athlon systems tend to outclass C2D ones on the memory benchmarks for DDR2, but this memory benchmark victory by no means implies real life benefits, as a $180 Athlon can not beat a $80 C2D.

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: renethx
The mainstream Nehalem (Lynnfield and Havendale) was delayed until Q4 2009 and Q1 2010 respectively. AM3 was also delayed until Q2 2009. (See 2009 Mainstream Hehalem Schedule Update and AMD CPU core roadmap.) So we will see DDR2 around for a while.

I don't doubt that DDR2 will hang on for a while but just as we currently see with DDR, it will fade. IMHO, DDR2 is past it's life. It happens with EVERY memory type. As soon as new hardware comes out, the old gets phased out.

 

[Blazer7]

You're right but DDR2 will continue to be the mainstream memory for another year or even more. This is because of a number of reasons like DDR3 not being in mass production yet, the time mem manufacturers will need in order to mass produce low voltage high performance mem that will work with i7, the time that it will take for i7 to become mainstream not to mention that DDR2 demand will remain strong in coutries like China and India for the next couple of years. DDR2 is fast and cheap as dirt right now and that's a major selling point. Besides, you need DDR3 @1600 just to be on par with DDR2 @1066 and there're plans to extend DDR2 stds up to 1333MHZ. 2009 will see an increased demand for DDR3 for sure but I don't think that DDR2 will die that easily.

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: Blazer7
You're right but DDR2 will continue to be the mainstream memory for another year or even more. This is because of a number of reasons like DDR3 not being in mass production yet, the time mem manufacturers will need in order to mass produce low voltage high performance mem that will work with i7, the time that it will take for i7 to become mainstream not to mention that DDR2 demand will remain strong in coutries like China and India for the next couple of years. DDR2 is fast and cheap as dirt right now and that's a major selling point. Besides, you need DDR3 @1600 just to be on par with DDR2 @1066 and there're plans to extend DDR2 stds up to 1333MHZ. 2009 will see an increased demand for DDR3 for sure but I don't think that DDR2 will die that easily.

If you speak with people in the manufacturing industry, they will say that DDR is still mainstream.

Also, one more year in the scope of PC hardware is hardly a testament for something NOT being obsolete.

Regardless, we are all putting out our OPINIONS and they will remain just that, opinion.