RAM speed and engine strength

Discussion of anything and everything relating to chess playing software and machines.

Moderators: hgm, Rebel, chrisw

Zenmastur
Posts: 919
Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 8:28 am

Re: After re-reading my previous post...

Post by Zenmastur »

corres wrote:Thanks for the detailed answer.
Based on the lot of tests what can be read about this subject I think that:
1, Behavior of a given PC is decisively determined by the CPU and the motherboard used and not the RAM.
2, In the case of very memory sensitive tasks the effect of RAM parameters on the power of a given PC is not more than 10 %.
3, Chess programs are more sensitive to the parameters of CPU and CPU cashes than the parameters of RAM. The only one parameter of RAMs
what important to a chess program user is its bigness in GB.

Best regards

Robert
I mostly agree with your statements. But I will note that #2 is not always true. In some case the latency or bandwidth, or a combination of both can be the dominant impediment to higher performance. In those cases higher ram performance equates to higher over-all performance. The CPU manufactures know this and are constantly looking for new ways to improve the performance of their CPU's by increasing the performance of their memory subsystems. e.g. if you were forced to use the same ram as was in common use 30 years ago modern CPU's wouldn't perform that much better than much older CPU's simply because they would be memory bound all the time. At least with the newer memory technology they're only memory bound most of the time.

Regards,

Forrest
Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you.....Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
Cardoso
Posts: 362
Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:39 pm
Location: Portugal
Full name: Alvaro Cardoso

Re: RAM speed and engine strength

Post by Cardoso »

Dann Corbit wrote:I am waiting for Naples.
With baited breath.
Give me Naples, or give me death.

Ok, maybe not that serious.
Uff for a moment you had me worried about you :)
Milos
Posts: 4190
Joined: Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:47 am

Re: After re-reading my previous post...

Post by Milos »

Zenmastur wrote:The CPU manufactures know this and are constantly looking for new ways to improve the performance of their CPU's by increasing the performance of their memory subsystems. e.g. if you were forced to use the same ram as was in common use 30 years ago modern CPU's wouldn't perform that much better than much older CPU's simply because they would be memory bound all the time. At least with the newer memory technology they're only memory bound most of the time.
Please stop writing nonsense, this is getting more and more ridiculous.
Today's CPUs have for order of magnitude more cache than maximum addressable memory 30 years ago.
Milos
Posts: 4190
Joined: Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:47 am

Re: After re-reading my previous post...

Post by Milos »

corres wrote: Based on the lot of tests what can be read about this subject I think that:
1, Behavior of a given PC is decisively determined by the CPU and the motherboard used and not the RAM.
2, In the case of very memory sensitive tasks the effect of RAM parameters on the power of a given PC is not more than 10 %.
3, Chess programs are more sensitive to the parameters of CPU and CPU cashes than the parameters of RAM. The only one parameter of RAMs
what important to a chess program user is its bigness in GB.
1. Correct
2. Correct in at least 90% use cases.
3. Yes up to the point of 16GB. Due to the way memory is managed in CPUs, more hash than 16GB often hurts performance, and improvement when going from 4GB to 16GB even when using large pages is not measurable.
Zenmastur
Posts: 919
Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 8:28 am

Re: After re-reading my previous post...

Post by Zenmastur »

Milos wrote:Please stop writing nonsense, this is getting more and more ridiculous.
And your supporting evidence for this ad hominem attack?

The fact is, there is nothing nonsensical or ridiculous about my post. What I wrote is a matter fact and can be easily checked by reading any of the various pages on the web that deal with the history of computer memory.
Milos wrote:Today's CPUs have for order of magnitude more cache than maximum addressable memory 30 years ago.
Yeah...

...Normally I would ask what your point was.

But considering the content of your previous posts, it seems like your ad hominem and glib response is specifically designed to hide your lack of knowledge on the subject.

I see no point in arguing with an unarmed person. So, I think I'll call it a rap on this thread.

Regards,

Forrest
Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you.....Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
Milos
Posts: 4190
Joined: Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:47 am

Re: After re-reading my previous post...

Post by Milos »

Zenmastur wrote:
Milos wrote:Please stop writing nonsense, this is getting more and more ridiculous.
And your supporting evidence for this ad hominem attack?

The fact is, there is nothing nonsensical or ridiculous about my post. What I wrote is a matter fact and can be easily checked by reading any of the various pages on the web that deal with the history of computer memory.
Milos wrote:Today's CPUs have for order of magnitude more cache than maximum addressable memory 30 years ago.
Yeah...

...Normally I would ask what your point was.

But considering the content of your previous posts, it seems like your ad hominem and glib response is specifically designed to hide your lack of knowledge on the subject.

I see no point in arguing with an unarmed person. So, I think I'll call it a rap on this thread.
Point is discrediting charlatans that are giving ppl wrong information and pretending to be some experts but actually knowing nothing about the subject.
As this thread progressed your answers and "explanations" become more and more as if they were coming from some parallel universe. At the end you even ran out of those imaginary "facts" so the only remaining thing is to run around and shout ad hominem, ad hominem. Sorry but when someone says 1+1=5 and I shout nonsense that has absolutely nothing to do ad hominem. Your response just reflects your hurt ego.
User avatar
Ozymandias
Posts: 1532
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2009 2:30 am

Re: RAM speed and engine strength

Post by Ozymandias »

I've read the entire thread, but found no tests run about chess performance. Have I missed something or hasn't anybody with high speed RAM bothered to check just how much they're getting out of their investment?
Leo
Posts: 1078
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2016 6:55 pm
Location: USA/Minnesota
Full name: Leo Anger

Re: RAM speed and engine strength

Post by Leo »

Advanced Micro Devices fan.
syzygy
Posts: 5557
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2012 11:56 pm

Re: RAM speed and engine strength

Post by syzygy »

That's from over a year ago.

At the moment we're stuck with a few memory-chip makers that, given the current price levels, have no incentive to do anything.
Leo
Posts: 1078
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2016 6:55 pm
Location: USA/Minnesota
Full name: Leo Anger

Re: RAM speed and engine strength

Post by Leo »

I am fired up about DDR5. Hopefully they will make it.
Advanced Micro Devices fan.