Introduction

Upgrading memory is always somewhat of a pain - it never really yields the performance increase like new CPU or a graphics card, making it harder to justify the extra cost when buying more expensive modules.

DDR-3 makes the decision even harder as it carries an extreme cost at the moment but do those dollars actually translate into extreme gaming performance? Technically speaking, in pure megabytes per second, it is fast, thanks to the attainable speeds 1500MHz double data rate and beyond which can be achieved, without too much effort. However, the big issue with DDR-3 memory right now is the fact that its latency is high, much higher comparatively to more finely tuned DDR-2.

What does this all really mean for the gamer, though? Are we going to be pushing an extra 1FPS? Maybe 10? It all remains to be seen.

In our latest performance analysis we are going to have a look at what upgrading to DDR-3 really means for gamers. So, strap yourself in for the ride of your life! Alright, to be clear, we do not actually promise this will be the ride of your life and you do not really need to strap in, that is optional.

Let's continue on and see if there is any sense in buying DDR-3 memory right now if you are a gamer.