Holy fast DDR2 SDRAM!
Monday, 31. August 2009
We want to first of all put one of the biggest myths to rest, and that is the DDR2 SDRAM is not compatible with a DDR SDRAM motherboard. Too many people run out there and grab some super fast DDR 2 SDRAM thinking it will replace their DDR SDRAM, but that is simple not the case at all.
DDR2 SDRAM is twice as fast as DDR SDRAM and has an addition I/O buffer so that the data bus can run at twice the spped of the memory clock. This makes DDR2 SDRAM really really fast as it can do 4 data transfers per memory clock cycle.
Just like the old DDR SDRAM, DDR2 memory cells transfer data on both the rising and ending edge of the clock. This technique of data transfer is also called “double pumping.” The biggest difference that DDR2 offers is that the bus is clocked twice as fast as the memory cell so that four bits of data can be transferred per cycle. Instead of changing the memory cells the DDR2 id modified to transfer data twice as fast as its predeceasing DDR SDRAM.
DDR2 RAM is much different looking than the DDR RAM. The newer RAM chips come with heat spreading technology and are much larger than the older types of ram. These newer chips get very hot and so these heat spreaders help to get rid of intense heat to avoid crashing or melting. Even though these chips are bigger than the last ones, they run on less power and are actually better for you machine.
| NAME | MODULE | SPEED |
| DDR2-400 | PC2-3200 | 3200 MB/s |
| DDR2-533 | PC2-4200 | 4266 MB/s |
| DDR2-667 | PC2-5300 | 5333 MB/s |
| DDR2-800 | PC2-6400 | 6400 MB/s |
| DDR2-1066 | PC2-8500 | 8533 MB/s |
Here is a chart to help you know what kind of DDR2 SDRAM you may need for your computer. Motherboards will typically say the model name of the DDR2 SDRAM is takes.
PRICING
DDR 2 Memory can sometimes be found for cheaper than the DDR memory. 1024 MB of PC4200 DDR2 SDRAM can be bought for about $20 dollars. Most chips can be purchased from $20-$60 dolalrs. The higher MHZ and size you go the higher the price will be.
If you love video games and really want a machine that cranks out the graphics and makes online play a breeze, definitely equip your computer with some DDR2 Memory. This memory is twice as fast as DDR ram and can even be up to three times faster depending on the MHZ speed of the ram and how much space there is on the memory chips.