# Memory, processors and motherboards. A few more computer questions.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memory-processors-and-motherboards-a-few-more-computer-questions/320454
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 7, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memory-processors-and-motherboards-a-few-more-computer-questions/320454 "2005-09-07T02:02:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memory-processors-and-motherboards-a-few-more-computer-questions/320454/1 "2005-09-07T02:02:01Z")
What is the difference between registered and non registered memory? Is it worth the 25%, or so, premium?
What is the difference between DDR and DDR2? Is it worth the premium?
What would be the performance difference between an Athlon 64 3700+ 1MB 90nm and an Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Dual-Core 512K Per Core 90nm? Is it worth the $100 price difference?
I was looking at getting the MSI K8N Neo4/SLI Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard, but it looks like it would hold back the memory capacities of the Athlon 64 model chips. What would be a good board to get and what specs/features should I look for?
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memory-processors-and-motherboards-a-few-more-computer-questions/320454/2 "2005-09-07T04:16:35Z")
Registered and/or ECC is useful only if you’re building a server and need to catch a one in a trillion error. A waste of money otherwise.
DDR-2 is useful only if your motherboard supports it. Otherwise, it’s a waste of money.
On the processor side, dual core is the direction the industry is heading as we’re starting to bump into hard limits on processor speed imposed by today’s materials and production abilities.
I’m 99% sure that that mobo is the one Maximum PC used in their October issue to build a “price is important” system (They called it Lean Machine, in comparison with the $14,000 Dream Machine they built in the September issue) with good future growth potential and present performance.
The October issue of Maximum PC also has a RAM buying guide.
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### Author:  [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2005, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memory-processors-and-motherboards-a-few-more-computer-questions/320454/3 "2005-09-07T05:02:27Z")
Damn. I have not recieved that isue yet.
Can you give me the gist of it?
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### Author:  [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memory-processors-and-motherboards-a-few-more-computer-questions/320454/4 "2005-09-07T13:47:52Z")
No Athlon 64 systems support DD2 memory, so obviously you want DDR Ram. DDR2 Ram has higher bandwidth, but also higher latency, and at current frequencies would not be very good in an Athlon 64 (which like low-latency RAM) anyways.
That MSI motherboard should be pretty darn good - what makes you think it would hold back the Athlon 64 on memory? It seems to have a decent integrated audio chip too.
As for what RAM to get, I would go with Corsair, Crucial, Kingston, or Muskin RAM. PC3200 is all you need, unless you intend to do some serious overclocking. 2.5 Cas latency RAM should be fine, the speed gain going to 2 Cas is pretty minor; the extra money is better spent on a faster CPU or video card.
As for the CPU, the Athlon 64 3700+ (2.2ghz 1MB L2 cache\_would be slightly faster in single thread applications (like many games) but much slower in multi-thread ones, like media encoding. In comparison, the x64 3800+ is essentailly two Athlon 64 3200+ chips bolted together, each running at 2 ghz. I would go with the 3800+, unless you are a really heavy gamer, and want to throw that extra $100 into a better video card.
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### Author:  [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2005, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memory-processors-and-motherboards-a-few-more-computer-questions/320454/5 "2005-09-07T15:05:22Z")
> [@RandomLetters](#):
>
> No Athlon 64 systems support DD2 memory, so obviously you want DDR Ram. DDR2 Ram has higher bandwidth, but also higher latency, and at current frequencies would not be very good in an Athlon 64 (which like low-latency RAM) anyways.
OT a bit but perhaps of interest AMD may never go to DDR2.
> [@](#):
>
> The source also said that AMD might be going its own way by not following Intel with their DDR2 implementations. Instead, the world’s second largest chipmaker may go straight to DDR3 or XDR in hopes of adopting a better architecture. You see, DDR2 was a poor design to begin with, but considering that Intel has been making quite a few mistakes after its Prescott and i915/i925 launch, no one should be surprised.
>
> SOURCE: [CoolTechZone: Cyber Security Labs & News](http://www.cooltechzone.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1196)
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memory-processors-and-motherboards-a-few-more-computer-questions/320454/6 "2005-09-07T15:56:44Z")
Yup. MaxPC did use the K8N Neo4/SLI board and they point out the onboard Sound Blaster Live hardware. They also say it’ll handle dual-core procs.
The rest of their “lean” hardware is an Athlon 64 3000+, nVidia GeForce 6800 GT and 1 GB DDR400 RAM (aka PC3200). Plus the usual assortment of a Plextor PX-716A, 300 GB Maxtor diamondMax SATA and Win XP Pro.