SDRAM vs. RDRAM, Facts and Fantasy

We’ll be using an Intel 440BX chipset platform, a VIA 694X Apollo Pro 133A and a Intel i820 chipset platform respectively to determine the performance of both the SDRAMs and RDRAMs. All platforms will be using the exact same hardware configuration and hardware drivers, except for the drivers needed by the chipset or busmaster/IDE controller. All platforms will run at their rated, official clockspeed, which means that the Intel 440BX chipset will run at a 100 MHz FSB, the VIA 694X Apollo Pro 133A at 133 MHz FSB and the Intel i820 at a 133 MHz FSB respectively. Furthermore, for the Intel 440BX chipset the PC133 SDRAM will be run at 2-2-2 timing at 100 MHz FSB, the PC133 SDRAM at 3-2-2 timing at 133 MHz FSB and the PC800 RDRAM will run at 400 MHz with ECC enabled.

System Configuration Intel 440BX

CPU : Intel Pentium III ES at 600 or 800 MHz with a 100 MHz FSB
Motherboard : Soyo SY-6BA+IV Intel i440BX BIOS v2BA1
Memory : Samsung 128 MB GA PC133 SDRAM CAS3
Videocard : Elsa ERAZOR X² GeForce DDR 32 MB BIOS v7.05.00
Harddisk : Quantum Fireball Plus KA 13.6GB ATA-66
CDROM : Samsung SCR-3231 32X IDE-ATAPI
Floppy : Generic 1.44 MB
Case : Generic Midi-ATX
Powersupply : Enlight 250W AMD-Approved

Operating System : Windows98 SE, typical installation
DirectX Drivers : DirectX 7.0
Drivers Video: nVidia Detonator v3.68
Drivers ATA : HighPoint Technology HPT366 v1.22
Drivers Chipset : Intel Chipset Inf Update v2.2

System Configuration VIA 694X Apollo Pro 133A

CPU : Intel Pentium III ES at 600 or 800 MHz with a 133 MHz FSB
Motherboard : Soyo SY-6VCA VIA 694X Apollo Pro 133A BIOS v2AP2
Memory : Samsung 128 MB GA PC133 SDRAM CAS3
Videocard : Elsa ERAZOR X² GeForce DDR 32 MB BIOS v7.05.00
Harddisk : Quantum Fireball Plus KA 13.6GB ATA-66
CDROM : Samsung SCR-3231 32X IDE-ATAPI
Floppy : Generic 1.44 MB
Case : Generic Midi-ATX
Powersupply : Enlight 250W AMD-Approved

Operating System : Windows98 SE, typical installation
DirectX Drivers : DirectX 7.0
Drivers Video: nVidia Detonator v3.68
Drivers ATA : VIA 4-in-1 v4.20
Drivers AGP : VIA 4-in-1 v4.20 in Turbo mode
Drivers Chipset : VIA 4-in-1 v4.20

System Configuration Intel i820

CPU : Intel Pentium III ES at 600 or 800 MHz with a 133 MHz FSB
Motherboard : Asus P3C-E Intel i820 BIOS v1008
Memory : Samsung 128 MB PC800 ECC RDRAM
Videocard : Elsa ERAZOR X² GeForce DDR 32 MB BIOS v7.05.00
Harddisk : Quantum Fireball Plus KA 13.6GB ATA-66
CDROM : Samsung SCR-3231 32X IDE-ATAPI
Floppy : Generic 1.44 MB
Case : Generic Midi-ATX
Powersupply : Enlight 250W AMD-Approved

Operating System : Windows98 SE, typical installation
DirectX Drivers : DirectX 7.0
Drivers Video: nVidia Detonator v3.68
Drivers ATA : Intel ATA v5.01
Drivers Chipset : Intel Chipset Inf Update v2.2

The display resolution for all benchmarks was set to 1024x768x16 unless stated otherwise. The software used to test all combinations consists of the following:

Benchmark Software Configuration

Applications/business : Bapco SYSmark 2000 v1.0
CPU/FPU : SiSoft Sandra 2000 v2000.3.6.4
Multimedia/FPU : SiSoft Sandra 2000 v2000.3.6.4
Gaming/Multimedia : id Software Quake III Arena v1.11

Quake III Arena Graphics Settings :

Vsync : Disabled
GL Driver : Default
GL Extensions : On
Video Mode : 640x480 or 1024x768
Color Depth : 32-bit
Fullscreen : On
Lighting : Lightmap
Geometric Detail : High
Texture Detail : Maximum
Texture Quality : 32-bit
Texture Filter : Trilinear

Quake III Console Commands :

Timedemo 1
Demo001
Demo002

Skip To Page 1 Introduction 2 Rambus Direct RDRAM 3 Conventional Memory Systems 4 RDRAM Benefits 5 Reducing System Cost 6 RDRAM Pricing 7 RDRAM Pricing Continued 8 RDRAM Performance 9 RDRAM Performance Continued 10 System Performance 11 RDRAM Power Consumption 12 Benchmark Applications 13 BAPCo SYSmark 2000 • 14 Benchmark Setup 15 Benchmark Results Intel 440BX 16 Benchmark Results VIA 694X Apollo Pro 133A 17 Benchmark Results Intel i820 18 Benchmark Evaluation 19 Conclusion

Tools:

Add hardwarecentral.com to your favorites Add hardwarecentral.com to your browser search box IE 7 | Firefox 2.0 | Firefox 1.5.x