Fast RAM Provides Low Value

Slim gains from low-latency RAM don't justify a steep price.

Test Report: Faster RAM Boosts Game Performance (chart)

Low-latency DDR memory provides a modest boost to large-data-set, graphics-intensive applications (like the Doom 3 game), which make frequent random accesses of main memory. But the performance gains mostly disappear at higher resolutions for games, where systems rely more on high-powered graphics cards than on the CPU/memory subsystem. Mainstream apps show minimal improvement.

Memory type	Total memory	Memory speed	WorldBench 5 score	Mozilla 1.4 (in seconds)	Doom 31	Doom 3 (high-resolution)2	Return to Castle Wolfenstein3	Return to Castle Wolfenstein (high-resolution)2	Unreal Tournament3	Unreal Tournament (high-resolution)2
Corsair Xtreme Pro CMX512	1GB	Low-latency	98	404	75	47	145	134	375	252
Crucial Ballistix 512MB	1GB	Low-latency	98	404	76	47	144	133	369	251
Kingston HyperX KHX3200UL/512	1GB	Low-latency	98	404	75	47	143	132	369	251
Average of two results	1GB	Standard	97	416	72	47	139	128	352	250
Corsair TwinX CMX256A	512MB	Low-latency	96	403	74	36	142	130	369	249
Crucial Ballistix 256MB	512MB	Low-latency	95	403	74	35	142	131	370	249
Kingston HyperX KHX3200UL/256	512MB	Low-latency	95	404	74	36	142	131	366	251
One result	512MB	Standard	95	416	71	36	135	125	350	250

FOOTNOTES:
¹Frames per second, at 640 by 480 resolution and 32-bit color depth.
²Frames per second, at 1600 by 1200 resolution and 32-bit color depth.
³Frames per second, at 1024 by 768 resolution and 16-bit color depth.

HOW WE TEST: We tested an AMD Athlon 64-based system with Windows XP Professional using a pair of low-latency DDR RAM modules, then a pair of standard DDR RAM modules, at both 512MB total and 1GB total. We used low-latency parts from Corsair, Crucial, and Kingston, in turn. See the WorldBench index page for details on WorldBench 5. In the Mozilla subset of tests, we time the loading of 115 Web pages, four times. For Doom 3, we measure frame rates during the supplied timed demo. In Return to Castle Wolfenstein, we measure frame rates during a recorded demo. The Unreal Tournament 2003 test measures frame rates during a fly-through of one game level. All tests developed and performed by the PC World Test Center. All rights reserved.

CHART NOTES: On the Mozilla test, lower is better; elsewhere, higher is better. Bold denotes best score.