AMD Memory?

[TheGreatSatan]

Looks like Patriot will make memory for AMD

https://www.retailaccess.com/retailpro2/pdf/AMD_Memory_Brand_Introduced_for_Entertainment.pdf

[TheMainMan]

I think moves like this are important for the DIY community as it takes out a large part of the hassle that comes with QVL lists. When AMD makes the rest of the components in your system, knowing your RAM will be compatible with everything may reassure first time builders.

[DemonDragonJ]

I find this news to be most fascinating. I am a strong supporter of AMD, and I would like to believe that this tactical decision may help AMD to recover from the somewhat disappointing debut of their Bulldozer line of processors by giving them a greater variety of products to offer their customers.

Will this late entrance into the memory market work for AMD, or do such companies as Patriot, G.Skill, and Corsair already have too strong a presence in that market for AMD to have a great impact?

[Kayin]

The AMD memory is about compatibility with Llano more than anything else. Llano wants FAST memory to perform best, and this is the best way for AMD to QVL the stuff.

[Datech]

I find this news to be most fascinating. I am a strong supporter of AMD, and I would like to believe that this tactical decision may help AMD to recover from the somewhat disappointing debut of their Bulldozer line of processors by giving them a greater variety of products to offer their customers.

Will this late entrance into the memory market work for AMD, or do such companies as Patriot, G.Skil, and Corsair already have too strong a presence in that market for AMD to have a great impact?

RAM is another value product for me. If the price point is right, I check the user reviews and pull the trigger. If two similarly priced and specced items are available, I still go by the user reviews instead of the company. The 8GB of DDR3-1333 I just got are Mushkin. I hardly hear that name thrown around anymore, but I know the name from as far back as I've been building PCs. I had the option to go with Kingston, Crucial, GSkill, and Corsair for similar RAM, but I had no problem going with Muskin at a 5 egg rating and a Shell Shocker price.

In other words it'll be the same for AMD memory, whether or not it's made by Patriot. If it works well, and especially if it is optimized for my specific set up, I've got no problem checking them out. I imagine that the 'new entry' designation won't affect them as much as it would other no-name companies too. A first timer picking up a Phenom will flip over to RAM and will probably be more likely to grab the matching AMD RAM too, whether or not they know about RAM-Proc-mobo compatibility and recommendations. That's probably the executives' thinking as well.

[Konrad]

I generally ignore QVL. What matters are the technical specs; speed, timing, etc. And cost. If the specs match and the price is right then it doesn't matter who made it and whether or not it's on some approved list. Plug it in, it works (or it doesn't), end of story.

Perhaps I'm cynical because of my bad experiences with megacorporate technical bureaucracy crap ... where companies like IBM and HP go out of their way to build slightly proprietary or - when they have no other choice - they brand and rebrand the parts (hiding all the real specs and manuals) so much that it's impossible to tell what's what without a ton of chasing circles around idiotic corporate part lookup indexes.

[Kayin]

I'm having to dump my quad-socket Opty setup for QVL issues. It matters sometimes.

FB-DIMMs, here I come. Least they all work.

[Twigsoffury]

. where companies like IBM and HP go out of their way to build slightly proprietary or - when they have no other choice - they brand and rebrand the parts (hiding all the real specs and manuals) so much that it's impossible to tell what's what without a ton of chasing circles around idiotic corporate part lookup indexes.

hahha why wasn't Apple the very first in your mention of companies who do that?


I mean come on... We all know thats a caviar black in that mac, i can see it in the CPUID man.

But i guess if people knew that then they couldn't charge 400% more for it.

Well damn apple does still list the price of a GTX280 at 359.99$ to this day and like ATi 5870's go for 450$ so i guess they're just confident that there herd of macaholics will purchase it despite the price.

[AmEv]

TGS, your side-by-side comparison of Apple vs. home-built comes to mind.


Can you do one of the laptops, perhaps? Same specs and all?

[Konrad]

I suppose Apple is a leading bastard in that practice. I've just had no real experience with their products - but IBM and HP systems have caused me a lot of headaches. Just overpriced versions of Gateway junk, they might as well paint the same cow markings on their stickers. At least companies like eMachines don't pretend their junk is not junk, nor overinflate their junk prices (too much).

Dell is not really junk, mostly, but I feel it's overpriced and wouldn't buy Dell for myself. However, when people (like my parents) ask what sort of computer they should buy - without knowing what they want, or why, or how to use it - then I'll often recommend Dell.

[Twigsoffury]

I suppose Apple is a leading bastard in that practice. I've just had no real experience with their products - but IBM and HP systems have caused me a lot of headaches. Just overpriced versions of Gateway junk, they might as well paint the same cow markings on their stickers. At least companies like eMachines don't pretend their junk is not junk, nor overinflate their junk prices (too much).

Dell is not really junk, mostly, but I feel it's overpriced and wouldn't buy Dell for myself. However, when people (like my parents) ask what sort of computer they should buy - without knowing what they want, or why, or how to use it - then I'll often recommend Dell.


How's about them modern Alienware or Voodoo PC's?

thats a damn shame what happened to VooDoo Gaming... damn shame.

[Konrad]

You don't really have a lot of choices if you're buying a laptop. Unless you wanna "build your own" paying the premiums on a Sager or Clevo.

Meh, even back in the day Alienware was boutique ... you could build the same systems yourself (without the cool logo) for the same price or less. No doubt the TBCS crowd already knows the benefits of build-your-own and the terrible "surprises" found within prebuilt systems.

[AmEv]

Bloatware, per se?



Oh, if only you could TRULY build your own laptop.
(With ITX systems getting thin enough, and single-slot graphics cards,... battery........)

[Konrad]

Junkware is only the tip of the iceberg ... software can always be installed clean. Assuming they gave you a real copy of Windows, not just a little sticker on the case. (Yeah, the ugly truth is that we may prefer linux but still we all run Windows. What gaming rig doesn't these days?)

I'm talking hardware surprises, they're never pleasant. You can always bet that if something isn't proudly advertised as one of the hot selling points for the system then it's simply stock or overstock which just barely meets required spec. Every component, woe be to ye who paid not for upgrades on PSU and cooling. Even the cables are measured right to the exact minimum length required, not a single millimeter more. Besides, why pay $25 for 2 optional gold USB connectors when you can instead pay $0.50 each for as many as you like?

I find that if a company is willing to cut a corner or two then they usually go far out of their way to cut every corner they can. Not the sorta junk I want to buy.

You can build your own laptop. More accurately, you can have Sager or Clevo assemble one unit (or more) which meets your very exact specifications, chosen from the list of parts they carry or that you provide them; the parts are reasonably standardized, assuming you can procure them in consumer quantities. It's an expensive option, but you get what you pay for. It's always nice to deal with people who are computer nerds first and salesmen second, of course they'll try to upsell you but at least you'll get kickass machinery as a result, and they won't ship it to you until it's done right.

[AmEv]

Oh, I know what you mean.

300W PSU on a Pentium D system, w/ Radeon x300 graphics?




Wait, I'm one to be talking.....
Phenom Quad @ 2.8 on a 15-yo PSU >_<




The other unpleasant surprise is proprietary hookups.



Hello, Dell???? Why can't I upgrade my MoBo? Oh, RIGHT!!! BTX, and your funky AIO front-panel header!