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Memory

Posted on 12 May 2008 at 11:05

Recognising that memory performance is regularly well beyond standard chipset support, some premium memory modules offer guaranteed performance settings when used with a compatible motherboard. In 2006, Nvidia launched its SLI Memory system, also known as Enhanced Performance Profiles (EPP). Choosing modules and a motherboard with SLI Memory compatibility will give you the option to select a single performance profile in your system BIOS to boost all the appropriate settings for you. However, it only works with certain Nvidia chipsets. Intel has a similar system for its P35, X38 and X48 chipsets called eXtreme Memory Profile (XMP). The supporting hardware is even more limited, but the top memory, currently Corsair's TWIN3X2048 -1800C7DFIN, can boost DDR3 bandwidth by 50% without the tedious trial-and-error of overclocking.

You may have noticed that all our systems have 2GB of memory. Although you can run Vista with 1GB, we wouldn't recommend it, particularly if you plan on gaming. You'll be hard pressed to find a DDR3 kit with less than 2GB anyway. As a final note on memory, always buy your modules in pairs. Every modern chipset supports a dual-channel configuration, using interleaving to boost performance. To take full advantage of this, make sure you install the modules as instructed in the manual.

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Build a future-proof PC... for £200

Author: James Morris