DDR3 vs. DDR5?

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taltamir

Lifer
Mar 21, 2004
13,576
6
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yes we get it but most people just say ddr3 even though we know its gddr3. just do a quick search and see that even retailers call it ddr3 a great deal of the time. https://www.google.com/search?q=980...a:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=rcs

Retailers being idiots and falsely advertising a product does not mean its ok. This isn't me being a "grammar nazi" , these are 2 different PRODUCTS.
There is no dictionary to defend and the counter argument of a "living language" does not apply when someone incorrectly mixing up 2 different products.
 
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toyota

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
12,957
1
0
Retailers being idiots and falsely advertising a product does not mean its ok. This isn't me being a "grammar nazi" , these are 2 different PRODUCTS.
There is no dictionary to defend and the counter argument of a "living language" does not apply when someone incorrectly mixing up 2 different products.
I am just saying that even people that know will refer to it as DDR3 so no need to get upset unless a distinction actually needs to be made. about the only card I can think of that offered both GDDR3 and DDR3 was the 4670 so its not like it is a problem. not to mention it was only a 200mhz effective difference anyway on the 4670.

even EVGA's own boxes clearly say DDR3 for cards like the 9800gt. http://www.evga.com/Products/Product.aspx?pn=01G-P3-N988-TR
 
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taltamir

Lifer
Mar 21, 2004
13,576
6
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even EVGA's own boxes clearly say DDR3 for cards like the 9800gt. http://www.evga.com/Products/Product.aspx?pn=01G-P3-N988-TR

This is interesting... I am not sure if I was wrong and it does use DDR3... or if eVGA made a mistake on product description.

On the one hand, its their expertise and product.
On the other hand, the mhz fits GDDR3 not DDR3 and the GPU in question was designed for GDDR3 which would mean it should not be able to use DDR3 (but should be able to use DDR2) unless nvidia intentionally designed it to be able to use both DDR2 and DDR3 types

To clarify:
DDR1 family:
DDR1
GDDR1

DDR2 family:
DDR2
GDDR2
GDDR3

DDR3 family:
DDR3
GDDR4
GDDR5

So if a GPU was designed for DDR2 family (GDDR3), how is it using a DDR3 family ram type like DDR3?
I know AMD designed CPUs capable of using either DDR2 or DDR3 by including a controller especially designed to allow the operation of both (but not at once. Its either or). I was not aware of GPUs doing the same.
 
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SiHawk

Member
Dec 3, 2012
86
1
71
I now have a follow up question that relates to my post that started this thread...........I have now purchased an A10 5800K for my new system with a Asrock FM2A85X Extreme6 mobo.........as you know the GPU in the A10 will "crossfire" with one HD 6670 [to make informed decision that is why I was asking about quality difference between 1GB GDDR5 or 2GB DDR3].......anyway, I read a post today where the author said that it is a waste of your money to pay extra for a GDDR5 card to tie to one of these AMD APUs' because he says, the system will default to the lesser Memory spec of DDR3 and thus nulligy the Gddr5 memory useage. This is the first I'd heard of this and definitely throws a wrench into possible plan. IF this is true would it be better, if one was to go with the HD 6670, to go with one that has 2GB od DDR3 - to work in harmony with the DDr3 in/on the GPU in the APU?
I am watching for a deal on an HD 7850.....but fear it's going to stay financially out of me league.

TKS michael:confused:
 

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
500GB WD VeloiRaptor SATA HDD

I would have probably avoided that drive. I've owned Raptors and VelociRaptors in the past, and they're really not worth it. Although, I am picky about noise, and Raptors tend to be noisy. I also dropped WD Caviar Blacks because they're too noisy.

anyway, I read a post today where the author said that it is a waste of your money to pay extra for a GDDR5 card to tie to one of these AMD APUs' because he says, the system will default to the lesser Memory spec of DDR3 and thus nulligy the Gddr5 memory useage. This is the first I'd heard of this and definitely throws a wrench into possible plan. IF this is true would it be better, if one was to go with the HD 6670, to go with one that has 2GB od DDR3 - to work in harmony with the DDr3 in/on the GPU in the APU?

I really doubt that the video card's memory goes unused. I'm not an expert on computer engineering (I'm a software guy), but my thought is that the process of the video card accessing system RAM for all rendering data is most likely really expensive processing time-wise. The APU should have direct access to the memory controller unlike the video card. If I had to guess, the video card and memory probably receive an identical copy of the data, but I can't be too sure. My only thought on that is that it would require equivalent chunks of RAM. In other words, if you toss in a 2GB graphics card, you need to cut out 2GB of your system RAM for the APU to use. Although, the discrete card will have to copy its frame buffer to the APU for display.
 

Blitzvogel

Platinum Member
Oct 17, 2010
2,012
23
81
wide bus with low frequency memory is no better than faster memory with more narrow bus. bandwidth is bandwidth for the most part.

And bandwidth isn't the end-all when it comes to performance either. ROP caches and data compression techniques have gotten better since the first gen unified shader GPUs from ATi and Nvidia.
 

jiffylube1024

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2002
7,430
0
71
DDR3 is not old hat, it is the fastest most advanced form of system memory (what you put in the motherboard) available at the moment

the G in GDDR5 stands for "graphics"; it is based on DDR3 technology with slight modifications which benefit GPUs combined with higher mhz for that extra bandwidth which adds further performance to the video card. GDDR4 is the same thing only with lower mhz then GDDR5 and higher then DDR3. GDDR3 and GDDR2 are based on DDR2 and GDDR1 is based on DDR1.

DDR3 is cheap due to massive production, it being a commodity, and vicious competition.

The reason to avoid DDR3 video cards is that such video cards are always crap GPUs with a misleadingly impressively large amount of cheap ram. The most important thing in video card's performance is the GPU not the RAM.

Don't forget that GDDR5 has twice the bandwidth per clock that DDR3/GDDR4 has. That was one of the main reasons it was so attractive when it came out. So it's higher clocked and twice as fast at the same clockspeed as DDR3. In other words, it's way faster.
 

taltamir

Lifer
Mar 21, 2004
13,576
6
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it is based on DDR3 technology with slight modifications which benefit GPUs combined with higher mhz for that extra bandwidth which adds further performance to the video card.
Don't forget that GDDR5 has twice the bandwidth per clock that DDR3/GDDR4 has.

I didn't forget, note the bolded line. The higher bandwidth is a separate thing than the slight modifications.
 

SiHawk

Member
Dec 3, 2012
86
1
71
Don't forget that GDDR5 has twice the bandwidth per clock that DDR3/GDDR4 has. That was one of the main reasons it was so attractive when it came out. So it's higher clocked and twice as fast at the same clockspeed as DDR3. In other words, it's way faster.

THANKS for clarifying the + differences of the GDDR5 - BUT - I am trying to find out whether it's true, as I recently read, that those positives are nullified when a GDDR5 Card is "tied" the 7660D in the GPU of the A10 5800K APU...the poster, once again, said that the faster RAM on the discrete card would default to the slower speed ability of the 7660D?????? This is me question.............what think thee?

TKS michael:confused:
 

Magic Carpet

Diamond Member
Oct 2, 2011
3,477
234
106
To get my BEST Gaming Performance would a 2GB Card with DDR3 Memory be better than a 1GB Card with DDR5 Memory?

TKS michael:confused:
Depends on actual memory bandwidth but as of late, GDDR5 has been the "gaming" standard.
 

rizumorshed

Junior Member
Jun 30, 2013
1
0
0
hi,Im about to buy a DDR5 HD 5470 graphics card for my PC. My PC runs on corei3 3rd gen,3.20 ghz, with a motherboard of 61 model. I got gb DDR3 ram of 1600 bus.....i want to know if im making the right choice or no.Cause i also have the option to buy a DDR3 card of same model.Please advice:confused:
 

Jimzz

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2012
4,399
190
106
hi,Im about to buy a DDR5 HD 5470 graphics card for my PC. My PC runs on corei3 3rd gen,3.20 ghz, with a motherboard of 61 model. I got gb DDR3 ram of 1600 bus.....i want to know if im making the right choice or no.Cause i also have the option to buy a DDR3 card of same model.Please advice:confused:


The 5470 is a mobile video card, I don't think it was made for desktop.


But GDDR5 is better than DDR3 for video cards.
 

DominionSeraph

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2009
8,386
32
91
Dat necro. A new thread for yourself would've been fine, Riz.

But no, a 5400 series is basically going to be no faster than the integrated graphics on your i3 regardless of VRAM type. (And I assume you meant 5450)

If you're on a minimal budget, I'd go for a 7770:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=3938566&SID=
Comes with free Farcry 3.

If you're on an OEM PC with no 6-pin connector, the best you're gonna be able to do is a 7750.
http://us.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=70112
(Add something >$7.52 and you save yourself $11 in shipping. This flash drive will do: http://us.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=78944)
 
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