Unbuffered RAM question.

[Balthazar]

Ok I was reading this review of some OCZ RAM here and noticed that they ran the tests both buffered and unbuffered.

Now my question is, if the buffered RAM performed that much better than the unbuffered ram (and its the same sticks of ram) why not run it buffered? Any drawbacks?

Also, the ram in question says "Unbuffered" on newegg, so how did they run it buffered?
I have a A64 3000+ MSI K8N Neo Plat. Is the fact that the system they tested on was an Intel one the reason they could do this?

Thanks for any clarification!

 

[VirtualLarry]

LOL. The DIMMs are obviously, physically-speaking, "unbuffered" DDR. What those benchmarks are referring to, is a software option in Sandra, that refers to what CPU instructions are used for the memory-benchmarking tests. Two totally different things, but unfortunately they are both called "buffered". Hence the confusion.

 

[Boonesmi]

yeah what he said ^^^ they are totally differnt things

as for the actually sticks of ram
"unbuffered/non-parity" is the opposite of "registered/ecc" (they dont use the term "buffered")

 

[Balthazar]

Hahaha ok, I thought maybe I was just smoking crack because I was pretty sure that was the case but I read that and I was like....uuuuuum...