CL2 vs CL3 memory?

[BlackCatt]

Okay, I know most of you are gonna loose all respect for me that you had when I ask this question (actually come to think of it no one here probably respected me to begin with so maybe this isn't so bad ), but I have to ask what is the big difference between CL2 and CL3 memory?

People here are posting deals like this and saying that $70 is good for 128MB of CL2 memory but I have seen 128MB of CL3 memory for cheaper. I didn't realize it was CL3 memory until after seeing people talk about it here. I honestly didn't realize there was a difference. I thought 128MB of PC133 ram was just that... 128MB of PC133 ram, I get on here and people are talking about CL2, CL3, CAS2, chip manufacturers and stuff...

ARRRGHHH... I am so confused... Is the above linked a good deal or what? Is the CL2 worth more $$$? Why or why not?

Thanks in advance and once again I apolgize for my stupidity (read: Please be kind )

 

[Dead3ye]

CL is Cas Latency. 2 is better than 3. I don't want to get into the gorey details of what cas latency is. If memory has rating of CL2, it has a better chance of hitting a higher frequency than it is rated, especially if you knock the cas setting in your bios to 3. CL3 rated memory usually won't go much higher (if any) than what it is rated.

If your into overclocking the bus frequency, CL2 is what you want.

 

[Mem]

Also you get slightly faster FPS in games with CAS2 ram,if you don`t care about games or overclocking then CAS3 is fine.

 

[BlackCatt]

Thanks Dead3ye, so if I am understand you then CL2 or the Cas Latency rating is most useful for overclocking. If I am not doing any overclocking then CL3 would be fine and perform the same as CL2 (without being overclocked)? What about the chip manufacturers, does it make a difference.

 

[Dead3ye]

Mem is right, but it will be barely noticable. CL2 will perform better in all situations if you have your bios setup for CAS2. Is it worth the extra $? Depends if you are a true speed freak or not (or have the extra cash). Unless you run a bunch of benchmarks to actually see real numbers, you won't notice much of a difference. Your bigger companys, like Micron, produce higher yield chips, so they can usually hit higher speeds more reliably.

 

[Noriaki]

CAS2 (CAS and CL are interchangeable) is faster than CAS3.

It's a latency or a delay, so the shorther the delay the better.
I honestly doubt you'll notice the difference though....