all ram is the same these days
i wish that applied to DDR2.
i have an Intel 975XBX2 that is only happy with G.Skill 2x1 GB DDR2.
it refuses 2x2 GB Mushkin, and it refuses 4x1 GB Mushkin.
can't buy that particular model of G.Skill anymore.
i actually tested the RAM on an AMD dual-core, the 2.9 GHz Regor, which is in a backup/file server. that Gigabyte motherboard is totally OK with the Mushkin DDR2.
so DDR3 has transcended this "motherboard pickiness" ?
what good is a workstation motherboard (the 975XBX2) that won't take 4 GB ?
getting back to the Propus 620/630 - the reviews for the 620 all sounded like a bunch of happy customers.
the Newegg Combo for the Propus is pretty good.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.320282
quad core system for $160.
since i have all the parts for 2 systems, my marginal cost for a computer is the cost of a motherboard that will take DDR2.
Regor combo for $130
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.320259
because the Regor is also the higher binned chip (3 GHz), it does 3.6 pretty easy with a better-than-stock heatsink.
i think in general, if you're planning to OC, you're better off with the highest binned chip. at least in this case, the highest binned chip is only $110 (the Athlon something Propus 630).
i was hoping to OC the 975XBX2 (it has an E6850 3.0 GHz Conroe second-generation). thing cost $500 for MB & CPU.
sometimes OC'ing is a holy grail. i'm actually sitting here thinking about getting the 620, or the 630, or the 250, or the 245 ... just because i wanted to OC that thing (the 975XBX2) 20% and sit back and say, "Wow".
truth be told, the extra speed (which reminds me of how us guys used to work on cars & make them go faster) is only noticeable in production.
e.g. you're doing some kind of 3D rendering or maybe Photoshop work. a long job will go overnight - so does it matter if it finishes at 2 AM or 4 AM ?
you will not be able to render very much "on the fly" - during a tech meeting with co-workers, for example. if you're doing a Photoshop process that takes time, does it matter whether it takes 35 minutes (on a Propus 620 @ stock 2.6 GHz) or 26 minutes (on a Propus 630 OC'ed to 3.5)
on the other hand, if you were setting up a renderfarm, getting the Propus 630 for $11 more per CPU, basically gets you a system @ 3.5 GHz - vs. a Propus 620 that will do 3.0 if you're lucky. so you get 17% more speed for $11 - that's a good deal.
on a system costing $600-ish (the approximate cost of a 620 or 630 system), getting a 17% increase in speed for $11 is a fantastic deal. spend 2% more, get a system that's 17% faster.
maybe i should just go ahead and buy something.
checking out the reviews for the 630 - 43 reviews, everybody gave it 5 stars. that doesn't happen very often.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16819103704
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