To wait for DDR, or not to wait?

[ErikP]

It seems that DDR based mainboards are around the corner. The problem, I think, is that the first DDR mainboards will be a) expensive, and b) not as stable as current PC100/133 mainboards.

So, say I want to buy a new system at the end of this month, or next month. Would it be smart to go for a KT133 based board with 256MB PC133 CAS2 memory, or would it be better to wait (who knows how long?) for a KT266 based board with PC2100 memory (which will be pricey)? If I'd buy KT133 system with PC133 CAS2, how will my upgrade possibilities be?

Decisions, decisions...

TIA,
Erik

 

[Woogoat]

I myself would stick with PC133 for now, prices are dropping so much and it has been around for while now. Never know whats going to happen with the new mainboards coming out, or even the DDR itself. On the otherhand who can resist the biggest and the best?

 

[hlab27]

Be patient! Myself, I'm waiting until at least the end of Q1 2001 to even think about building my next system. There are too many things on the horizon to jump in now; especially if you are minded towards a high-end system.

 

[cgtran]

I am too patiently waiting on the ddr motherboard.
I hope they come here with low cost by late january.
Can't wait to get my hand on them

 

[Killrose]

So far i'm not impressed. Looks like another rambus story. I'm sure once things mature a bit DDR will look better. I think the really hot DDR Mainboard chips will come from Micron and maybe even Nvida. But I went thru the teething problems of the early Via super7 mainboard, and i'm not into that kind of crap, so i'm gonna wait. This computer stuff gets really cheap as time goes on, and I figure my next machine is going to be a 1.5gig/DDR rig about 8 months from now, and I doubt I'll have to pay more than $1400 bucks for a new machine with all the bells and whistles.

 

[megatrend]

DDR is already standard in video cards. It is 'only' a amelioration of actual SDRAM.
Numberous producers do support DDR-SDRAM, also if I believe what I have read, Intel is going to produce DDR-chipsets. DDR-SDRAM is an open standard, every producer can join and produce. Most RAM producers have announced their DDR-SDRAM-production.
Micron has declared that DDR-SDRAM will only be very slightly more expensive than normal SDRAM.

I am pretty sure that DDR-SDRAM will make it's way.

One day, you will find SLDRAM, which is itself nothing than an amelioration of DDR-SDRAM: Running at 200 MHz (SDRAM and DDR-SDRAM now: 133 MHz).

Actually, one finds DDR-SDRAM with CAS latency 2.5 - 2.5 - 2.5.
One might also find such one with 2 - 2 - 2 that is a bit faster.

 

[Mustanggt]

Buy the KT133 It will be alot cheaper. what you need to do is figure the performace/$$ ratio and see if its worth it to you to spend so much more $$ for what is it 10% gain in performace??

 

[jkoppenhofer]

I have also been pondering this question myself, and here is the conclusion I came to... Basically, I want a mainboard that is going to last me well (6 months ) into the future. For now, I only want a duron 600-700, but I want to be able to upgrade to a nicer processor when I need the speed and the prices have dropped. I DO realize that DDR gives about a 10% gain, and this is not really important to me at this time. What is important is that the mainboard I buy, I want to support future processors. The current kt133 has reached its peak with the Thunderbird 1.2, and this diturbs me about current chipsets. While many of the newer kt133 boards support 133 Mhz fsb cpu's (ie the k7t Pro2a), it only supports them at 100 Mhz fsb (which is pointless). I do realize that ddr will be significantly more expensive, but I consider the mainboard to be the main hardware component... It is easier to upgrade parts such as the cpu and memory as compared to a MB. In conclusion, I am going to wait for at least the kt133a (133 cpu support), and probably a ddr solution. Besides, I am low on cash now because of xmas, and will have more $ later.

My 2 cents,
JK

 

[jkoppenhofer]

Oh BTW, there is a nice IWill KA266R review over a lostcircuits. Sounds nice, and it says 2 weeks till the release . Here is the link:

http://www.lostcircuits.com/motherboard/iwill_ka266r/

My third cent,
JK

 

[Mustanggt]

jkoppenhofer I am sticking with the setup I have a KT7 and a Duron @1GHz and in about 4 months give or take I will get a 1.2 Tbird when there around $150 and hopefully get 1.4 out of it and this kind of power will be plenty for the next year.

 

[Neoplasia]

Erik P, ask yourself this: Do you need the motherboard very soon or can you (want to) wait? If you need it soon then don't wait, same as everything else in the computer world. If you're really concerned about having the best of the best then you'll never have anything at all because newer and better things are released all the time. Unless you say otherwise there's no reason to wait for DDR, probably not worth the extra $ for a while. Besides, it's not really a question people can answer for you (heck, a lot of the questions asked can't really be decided by other people). Yeah probably talking out of my bunghole but oh well, lol.