Does RAM type make a difference in encoding times?

[BrianK]

I am thinking of getting a new computer soon, and was wondering if I should go for RDRAM, or the cheaper DDR SDRAM. I am looking at a Dell P IV system, and the only difference is the type of RAM I would get.

I was wondering if a system with a P IV 3.06 GHZ with 512 mb RDRAM would be faster at encoding DV movies than the same system with SDRAM? The price is quite a bit more. So much so that I could probably get 1 gig SDRAM for the same price as 512 mb RDRAM.

I appreciate all advice.

Thanks!

[Gazorgan]

I went from 256 MB of 133 Mhz SDRAM to 512 MB of DDR RAM and it made zero difference in encoding times. I benchmarked before and after. Encoding is pretty much CPU dependent. There are other factors, but the #1 factor is CPU speed(assuming you aren't running a P4 with a PIO mode 1 drive). That's why Duron and Celeron make good encoding boxes.

256 MB RAM minimum, 128 will affect your encoding speed due to small cache available.

[energy80s]

Q. Does the amount of RAM affect encoding times?

A. No.

... now onto the Middle East problem ...

[hwoodwar]

I "suspect" it probably does, but only to a certain point. What I'm trying to get at is "probably" if you were running 32 or 64meg RAM and increased it to 128meg RAM I suspect you would see "some" performance boost while encoding (due to less usage of the swap file.) I have never actually tested this out, as I don't have any memory sticks less than 128meg in capacity. Beyond 128 or 192meg I would not expect to see any performance boost while encoding. On my system I rarely see memory usage go above 192meg during an encode, unless I have other programs/processes running.

[BJ_M]

the amount of memory hardly maters unless your start with too little anyway (128 meg running XP for example)