Quake 4 - Data Processing Terminal, 1024 x 768
CL 3 2T
CL 3 1T
CL 2 1T
You really have to hand it to both id and Raven, even with all the details in Quake 4, the game still runs smooth and behave predictably with each run. Of course, using a GeForce 7800GTX helps. We can definitely see the same trend here: Command Rate 1T is enough to gain just a little bit of performance. However, these are actually results from second, third and fourth runs - in the first runs, stuttering happens (predictably) at some parts of the level. So, if you really want to eliminate stuttering in Quake 4, you should use more than 512 MB of RAM.
SC: Chaos Theory - Lighthouse, 1024 x 768
CL 3 2T
CL 3 1T
CL 2 1T
Looks like we'll go no further with memory timings in this game - it's probably already running as fast as it can go on an Athlon 3500+ and a GeForce 7800GTX. Just look at the results, they're within decimals of each other.
Looks like Serious Sam II is quite sensitive to memory timings, though not in the performance department. We only gain 1 to 2 fps by changing timings and Command Rate. However, it looks like memory timings does have an impact when you're loading a level. So, while 512 MB is enough to play comfortably, you'd want more - just in case. Let's look at what the load times are for these games.
| In msec | In percent | ||||
| CL 3 2T | CL 3 1T | CL 2 1T | CL 3 2T to CL 3 1T | CL 3 2T to CL 2 1T | |
| Battlefield 2 | 156007.67 | 115587.67 | 152692 | -25.91% | -2.13% |
| Call of Duty | 5202.67 | 5223.67 | 5061 | 0.40% | -2.72% |
| FEAR | 46687 | 35371 | 33988.33 | -24.24% | -27.20% |
| Quake 4 | 67705 | 66463.67 | 69854.33 | -1.83% | 3.17% |
| Serious Sam II | 9843.67 | 9662.33 | 9960.33 | -1.84% | 1.19% |
| Average | -6.88% | -6.39% |
Outside of F.E.A.R and Battlefield 2, load times are pretty similar (1 - 2 % differences). Looks like from these games, only F.E.A.R and Battlefield 2 will really profit from more memory - not just in performance but loading time as well. These games takes longer to load probably because the operating system has to write back the data into virtual memory on the hard disk. Quake 4 and Serious Sam are still very playable on a 512 MB system, but having more memory wouldn't hurt.
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