Gaming applications come next.

Both versions of the popular 3DMark benchmark yield similar results. The 400MHz bus gives a certain performance growth, but this growth is definitely lower than the improvement we saw on transition from the 266MHz to 333MHz bus, which AMD carried out some time ago.

The CPU test from 3DMark03 shows it even more clearly. By the way, we would like to point out the fact that CAS Latency is no longer the key memory timing. In many cases, you can have a faster system by increasing CAS Latency, but reducing RAS# to CAS# Delay, RAS# Precharge or Active to Precharge Delay.

The performance growth due to the transition from 333MHz bus to 400MHz bus and DDR400 memory makes 6% in Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

The performance growth is lower in Unreal Tournament 2003. Meanwhile, we haven’t seen it in any game that the faster system bus and less aggressive memory timings could negatively tell on the performance. So, if AMD does go over to the 400MHz bus, the gaming community should be pleased. Other users will have to spend some time and money to find and purchase high-quality DDR400 modules.