DDR2 PC2-6400 vs PC2-8000

[Unknown Person]

My question is, is there any real-world performance difference between these two speeds? I've seen models with the same timings yet the DDR2-1000 version will require a bit more voltage. Is the difference noticeable?

 

[GarfieldtheCat]

Nope, unless you just want to run synthetic benchmarks or SuperPi all day.

The only reason to get RAM rated higher then DDR2-800 is if you want to OC your CPU to FSB speeds of over 400 (DDR2 is 2xFSB). As an example, with e8400 chips hitting 4GHZ, that means their FSB is ~450, so you need faster RAM to OC the CPU.

And in fact, most DDR2-1000/1066 is simply DDR2-800 RAM that is tested at higher speeds (and using a higher voltage) and then binned accordingly.

 

[Unknown Person]

Ah thank goodness. I just bought my OCZ Reaper DDR2-800 RAM, and found a better deal for some DDR2-1000 RAM at a cheaper price. The thing is I already sent in my rebate. I do not intend to overclock, so this is some good news for me. Thanks for the info.