System setup and notes
HEXUS test PC and memory specs
| Memory | G.SKILL F3-12800CL7D-2GB | Crucial BL12864BE2009 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory speed and timings | 1,600MHz, 7-7-7-18 2T | 2,000MHz, 9-9-9-28 2T |
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 @ 3,200MHz and 1,600MHz bus speed | |
| Motherboard | eVGA nForce 790i Ultra SLI | |
| BIOS revision | P04 (18/04/2008) | |
| Graphics Card | BFG GeForce 9800 GTX 512MiB | |
| Disk drive(s) | Seagate 160GB SATAII (ST3160812AS) | |
| Mainboard software | ForceWare 9.64 | |
| Graphics driver | ForceWare 174.14 | |
| PSU | Corsair HX1000W | |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Business 64-bit | |
| Approx price at time of writing | £165 | £340 |
Tests
| 2D benchmarks | ScienceMark 2.0 memory bandwidth ScienceMark 2.0 memory latency CPU-Z latency SiSoft Sandra XII Lite Win64 memory bandwidth HEXUS DivX 6.61 encoding |
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| 3D Benchmarks | Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, DX9, 1024x768 Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, OpenGL, 1024x768 |
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Setup notes
We've run an Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 at its native 3.2GHz and 1.6GHz FSB, on top of an eVGA nForce 790i Ultra SLI motherboard.In order for a fair comparison, we needed to reach the modules' rated frequencies with identical clock and FSB speeds, hence the use of different FSB-to-memory ratios in the BIOS - 1:2 for the G.SKILL and 4:10 for the Crucial Ballistix - whilst keeping the overall clock frequency the same.
The primary question that requires answering, we suppose, is if the more-expensive Crucial's higher speed is performance-mitigated by its higher (read slower) timings. In short, is it worth paying double for a 2GHz-clocked pair?
We'll then indulge in some module overclocking with varying timings.
Got all that? If not, hit the HEXUS.community and ask away.
