downside of DDR SDRAM?

G

glamslam

New member
Hi all
I now have two choices for a motherboard: either the ASUS A7V KT133 (no raid) or the A7M266. I'm going to run whichever mobo I get with an AMD Thunderbird 1.2 Ghz CPU. Having read numerous threads at this site, I would be inclined to lean towards the A7M266...BUT I can't use SDRAM with it. What difference will it make if I run DDR SDRAM? If it is not going to make a substantial change whichever type of RAM I get, then I'll place an order for the A7M266. I just get the feeling SDRAM is what I ought to stick to.
 
DDR Ram is 10 to 25% faster than the 'good old' SD RAM, but it's also slightly more expensive.
I think the A7M266 motherboard is also more expensive than the A7V...

So going with DDR will cost you a bit more, but if you can afford it, it's worth it.
 
You'll run into more compatibility issues running DDR and there isn't a huge difference in any benchmark I have seen (barely any difference at all). I'm running and Asus A7A266 with DDR on the 266 FSB and an Athlon 1.4G. This mobo runs both RAM types, and I've done my own little informal tests and noticed absolutely no difference in speed. Many people running DDR on Asus mobos need to tweak a bit to get a stable system (this one included). Check out www.amdmb.com forums under Asus to see some of the issues people are having before making your decision. Overall I feel the Athlon kicks, but it definitely requires more expertise than an Intel system to get it to run stable.
 
With a good chipset, you should not experience any problems with DDR, although the a7m266 comes in 2 flavors... it works, or it doesnt. Make sure you can return it to whoever you order it from for exchange. Its a great board otherwise.
 
the downside of ddr is that it was designed for games, but what isn't these days?
 
the only problem with the A7A266 is that it has the ALI chipset. ALI is one of the shadiest chipset manufacturers out there. they have always specialized in all-in-one boards that go into computers that sell for under $500. (eMachines, various "bargain basement" no name computers)

the only manufacturer that MAY be shadier is SIS...

go with the a7m266 - DDR provides faster access to the memory - it wont hurt
 
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