Single Core + New Memory Dividers
Next, we move on to the single core Athlon 64 FX-57 running at 2.8GHz. The FX-57’s high clock speed should increase its dependency on a faster memory bus, but by how much?
The DFI board only offers support for 215MHz DDR430 and 233MHz DDR466 at 2.8GHz; given the lackluster improvement that we’ve seen from ~DDR433, we decided to only focus on DDR466 performance.
Multimedia Content Creation Winstone 2004
| Memory Speed |
MMCC Winstone 2004 |
% Improvement over DDR400 |
| DDR400 |
39.8 |
N/A |
| DDR466 |
39.8 |
0% |
3D Rendering
| Memory Speed |
3dsmax 6 - SPECapc Rendering Composite |
% Improvement over DDR400 |
| DDR400 |
1.79 |
N/A |
| DDR466 |
1.8 |
1% |
| Memory Speed |
Cinebench 2003 |
% Improvement over DDR400 |
| DDR400 |
395 |
N/A |
| DDR466 |
396 |
0% |
Video Encoding
| Memory Speed |
DivX 6 + AutoGK |
% Improvement over DDR400 |
| DDR400 |
40.6 |
N/A |
| DDR466 |
41.7 |
3% |
| Memory Speed |
Windows Media Encoder 9 (fps) |
% Improvement over DDR400 |
| DDR400 |
2.61 |
N/A |
| DDR466 |
2.63 |
1% |
Gaming
| Memory Speed |
Doom 3 (1024 x 768 fps) |
% Improvement over DDR400 |
| DDR400 |
137.5 |
N/A |
| DDR466 |
141.9 |
3% |
Despite the high clock speed, the FX-57 doesn’t benefit any more from DDR466 than the dual core chips had seen with DDR480/488.
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ElJefe - Monday, July 11, 2005 - link
Well, I could say this would have been a great test if only one thing: to show the effect of TIMINGS on this. I know the OCZ had sickest tight timings, but im talking about the difference of say, using 4 single gig memeory modules and then messing around with the timings, showing which is best. I know at 1 gig, most of those l33t ram flashy types of dual channel matches drop off and kinda go into hum-drum land.If i had an X2 system it would have 2 gigs on two chips or 4 gigs on 4 chips. I couldnt see a dual proc system built for simply faster gaming, it's meant to be a cookie monster of processes.
KristopherKubicki - Monday, July 11, 2005 - link
bupkus: DDR2 comes with the M2 socket next year. At least, thats according to the roadmap.Kristopher
fishbits - Monday, July 11, 2005 - link
"The ceil() function is a pretty basic mathematical function that returns the smallest integer value greater than its argument..."Think that should be "greater than or equal to." ceil(10.0)=10. Not that it exactly matters much in this context. Anyhoo...
I'm glad AMD is further ahead of supporting mem speeds than needed, as opposed to playing catch-up. Additional options and capability for their future items will pay off down the road if not now.
brownba - Monday, July 11, 2005 - link
#1"keeps getting better and better."
huh? did you look at the benchmarks?
what is better?
Anand just showed us to save our money, we don't the very fastest ram, so I guess that is better.
Wesley Fink - Monday, July 11, 2005 - link
#2 - The OCZ PC3500 GX is specially binned BH5. Anand had planned to use VX memory but it was out of stock as this article was being developed. OCZ binned some BH5 at 3.3V for 2-2-2 operation at DDR500 to meet the requirements of this review and turned it around in a few hours. The point is that OCZ PC3500 GX will NOT all operate at 2-2-2 at DDR500. The OCZ VX and Mushkin Redline, on the other hand, are both rated 2-2-2 at DDR500 at 3.5V. The VX/Redline are based on Winbond CH5 blanks.Wesley Fink - Monday, July 11, 2005 - link
#20 - There is a new official DFI BIOS in the works that is to post soon. However, as I mentioned in the nF4 Ultra roundup there are over 60 BIOS revisions avaialble for the DFI nF4 boards. Oskar Wu of DFI has posted many of the BIOS' at www.dfistreet.com, the DFI Forum website, or in the Forums at www.xtremesystems.org.yacoub - Monday, July 11, 2005 - link
[In keeping with our recently growing practice,] "We chose three CPUs to investigate the impacts of these new memory dividers: [The three you are least likely to own]: the Athlon 64 X2 4800+ (2.4GHz/1MB L2), the Athlon 64 X2 4200+ (2.2GHz/512KB L2) and the Athlon 64 FX-57 (2.8GHz/1MB L2)."hehehe
ksherman - Monday, July 11, 2005 - link
I know this is going to sound like a dumb question, so here it is. Where did you get the BIOS update for the DFI board? I have that board, and their website only lists an update throung March, nothing as recent as July...Stinger22 - Monday, July 11, 2005 - link
One small correction..There is also an Athlon 64 3000+ that is a Socket 939 and is Revision E.
Hacp - Monday, July 11, 2005 - link
#13, I know of one other mobo that supports 3.3 volts and many other ram sticks can get 2-2-2-5 at ddr500.