ok, since you say that everything is the same except for the Type of memory, then the next thing to look at would be the Speed of those 2 types of memory, the DDR266 or PC2100 is 2100mb per second speed, the PC1066 is 4200mb per second speed, the RDRAM is Double the memory bandwidth than the DDR, which will allow your processor to run at Maximun efficiency. so just in my opinion I would choose the system with RDRAM because it is currently the fastest memory. 

P.S. I think why most people say that DDR is better is because it is cheaper in price, but its also slower so you get what you pay for.     

Message Edited by MViani on 12-22-2002 12:14 AM

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@obrien040362 wrote:

Recently I configured an 8250 system and 4550 system with everything the same except the type of ram of course.  The  8250 PC1066 RDRAM system was $10 cheaper (it had a better rebate).

My question is with every the same (processor, front side bus, price, hard drive size, etc) would you choose a system with PC1066 RDRAM or DDR SDRAM at 266 MHZ ?

Everyone so far I have talked to says the DDR is better.

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Hi,

Add me to the list.
A would choose the 4550 also.

Mis Dos Centavos,
Darrell
Helping Dell talkers here since 1997
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For what it's worth, I agree with Mitch

Dimension 4400
Windows XP Home Edition, SP1
1600 megahertz Intel Pentium 4
D845PT AAA67834-304 Mother Board
512 Megabytes PC2100 DDR RAM
BIOS: Intel Corp. A04 02/12/2002
40 Gigabyte WDC Hard Drive
16MB ATI Rage 128 Ultra
SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio
16X CD-RW Drive
Realtek RTL8139 PCI Fast Ethernet
Lexmark X83, Multipurpose
Norton Anti-Virus 2002
External 100MB Iomega Zip Drive
Dell 206, 120V Speakers
Phillips 17" Monitor
Motarola SB4100 Cable Modem

RDRAM all the way. Your starting behind the game if your buying DDR.

The benchmark test i have seen show pc1066 faster but not twice as fast as  ddr  ?  I  think some of the comments against RDRAM were heat issues.  Also I have seen comments on weather it has the ECC feature.  Does all PC1066 have ECC feature.

from http://www.acme.com/build_a_pc/memory.html

• PC2100 (DDR266), 133MHz DDR, 2.1 GB/s
• PC1066, 533MHz DDR, 2.1 GB/s

obrien,

According to the Acme website, it is showing that RDRAM PC1066 is only 2.1gb/s this info is for single channel the Dell Dimension 8250 RDRAM is Dual-Channel memory so you have to double the numbers, RDRAM PC1066 is 4.2gb/s not 2.1 like the DDR. Now as for Real life performance, SiSoftware Sandra Benchmarks show PC2100 (DDR266) as being anywhere from 1600-2070mb/s Range on Intels i845 series chipsets and PC1066 RDRAM as 3340mb/s on Intels i850 series chipsets, so the PC1066 is still between 1.5 - 2 times faster than PC2100 DDR. 

http://www.deviantpc.com/articles/systembus/p4.shtml

 

Message Edited by MViani on 12-22-2002 02:16 PM

The RDRAM that Dell utilizes is Non-ECC, and yes I'll get on the bandwagon and say RDRAM as I Have an 8250 which replaced a 6mo old 8200 and yes it is very fast. My wife had a 4550 for about one week and decided she wanted at that time an 8200 which we arranged and she is very happy with its performance. Just my opinion.

does dells ddr memory come with the ECC feature. 

I believe that by default all dell systems ordered thru their Home division ship with the Non ECC memory, and on their Small Business division most systems come with the ECC memory. you can specify which one you want at the time you place your order.

Not sure, but I have been told that the PC1066 produces a LOT of heat and that it runs faster than even a 533mhz FSB (motherboard) can keep up with.  I just bought a 4550.  I also compared it with the 8250.  While the prices are very comparable, remember that the 4550 supports 1 GB max RAM at 266 or 333 mhz (depending upon the system) and the 8250 supports 1.5 GB PC1066 RAM.  So, if you need more than a gig of memory, go with the 8250.  The main factor that made me choose the 4550 (besides the bottleneck and heat issues) is price.  PC1066 is, as far as I know, produced exclusively by Rambus and thus very expensive.  I compared prices and found the PC1066 to be roughly twice as expensive as the 333 mhz (PC2700).  Keep that in mind if you plan on upgrading!