Help chose memory for KSP

[Broax]

Hi everyone!

First of all let me say I was unsure if this should be posted here or on the science labs. Obviously I've chosen this one... :-P

I'm buying some used parts to build a better PC then the one I currently have. I just started my own company so money is really tight but I'm sure this setup will blow my current computer away (I'm currently playing on a €500 laptop from 2009).

So the thing is.. The parts that I'm buying are:

• Gigabyte P35C-DS3R (Socket 775)
  
• NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (1GB DDR5)
  
• Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
  

That plus a random case and PSU will go for just under €100. My issue now is the following... If you check the MB page you see that I have the option to install 8GB of DDR2 or 4GB of DDR3 so for this price I have the option to use 4GB of DDR3-1066 or 8GB of DDR2-800.

My indecision is obviously about higher bandwidth with lower capacity vs lower bandwidth and higher capacity. I also posted this question on one of FB's KSP pages and people seem to prefer 8GB of DDR2 and pointed me to this

I totally forgot about.

So what is your opinion? 4GB clocking at 8533MB/s or 8GB with just 6400MB/s? Keep in mind this would be mostly to play a well modded KSP (that's why I'm posting this here).

I'll use a poll to make it easier to read the general opinion but I would appreciate if you could further elaborate.

[Hannu]

Memory bandwidth is typically not a bottleneck in games. Especially if you use mods you should take 8 GB. If you have only 4 GB operating system and other softwares take something and KSP is not able to use maximum amount of 32 bit program (practically about 3.8 GB).

I recommend also Linux and 64 bit KSP if you want to use many mods, especially graphical ones. Probably Squad gets also 64 bit Windows version to work at some day. You get a huge advantage with 8 GB if you use 64 bit KSP.

[steve_v]

I doubt memory bandwidth will make any difference to KSP, as it's CPU bound, So I'd go for 8GB of DDR2 myself. Unless power consumption is a really big thing for you, or DDR3 is significantly cheaper, which it is where I am.

If you're running 32bit KSP, you cant use more than 4GB anyway, if you're running 64bit those extra 4GBs will make it all worth while - AKA moar mods

- - - Updated - - -

On a semi-related topic, and not to say that 6600 isn't a good chip - they're excellent bang for buck. But... if you're up for some hackery, you can almost certainly load a socket 771 Xeon on that board, and ex-server 3GHz+ 771 xeons are dirt cheap on ebay ATM. I have a couple of 775 boards with x5460s on, they're about equivalent to the top end C2Q cpus (q9650 etc.) at <1/4 the price

Edited July 17, 2015 by steve_v

[klgraham1013]

Actual memory consumption by most people is way lower than they think. I'd be surprised if the average user goes above 3.5GB. That being said, this is KSP, go for the 8GB.

[radonek]

4G only make sense for 32bit windows.

[Broax]

Well... This is awkward.

Over at the facebook page someone suggested I should search if anyone with this board ever tried 8GB of DDR3 even though it's not officially supported... Sure enough there are tons of people who have tried it without any issue at all!

So I found a vendor the'll sell me 8GB DDR3-1800 for €25. I guess I'll give it a try! Still I'd like to thank everyone for the replies! I hope this thread helps someone in the future...

[Vanamonde]

Moved to Space Lounge.

[Robotengineer]

16gb.

[Flymetothemun]

16gb.

32's where it's at man. Get with the times. That Mobo should look like an aluminum heatsink with all the RAM you got.

/joke