Re: AMD64-based laptops from HP/Compaq are crippled

From: NoNoBadDog! (no__at_spam_verizon.net)
Date: 07/05/05 

Date: Tue, 05 Jul 2005 04:08:24 GMT

"alex goldman" <hello@spamm.er> wrote in message
news:30288116.yHBXspxf0I@yahoo.com...
> I've been researching my next laptop purchase, and whether it will run
> Linux, and completely accidentally stumbled upon an alarming issue that
> people need to be more aware about.
>
> Apparently (and if my understanding is correct), HP/Compaq disables
> dual-channel memory access in Socket 939 motherboards, making CPU <-> RAM
> communication slower, and overall performance less than what people would
> expect when buying a system with the outward characteristics of what they
> think they are getting.
>
> http://zv6000forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=148

Since they are shipping with DDR and not DDr2, what would be the purpose of
enabling the dual channel?

Have you been to the AMD website and reviewed their white papers for the
AMD64 platform, and why they do *NOT* recommend DDR2 RAM?

There is no perceivable increase in performance with DDR2 over DDR in a 64
bit platform.
The margin of difference is so small as to be insignificant.

You should probably review the benefits of the AMD64 platform
(hypertransport, on board memory controller, etc), that give the platform
it's speed.

Bobby