New
#10
Not necessarily. With ultra-fast memory, the processor would just read the address and the memory controller would present the data. It's that fast! As it is now, the processor has to search through up to four levels of various memory types. The image below-left shows how it is now. Purely conceptual, but on the right would be the new memory configuration. Imagine, if you can, 196+GB of memory that would be 1000 times faster than current L1 cache. (L1 cache is already faster than DRAM but much smaller--On the order of a few MB of on-die memory.)
Well, at least there's something to justify for the Next Big Upgrade (tm).
Now if only MS released that new filesystem they keep putting off...
I'm kind of excited for this, but at the same time, meh....
DDR4 in my eyes is like going from DDR2 to DDR3, lower latencies and faster speeds with lower voltages. DDR3 is pretty fine as it is, especially since it's dirt cheap too! This will only affect Windows slates and laptops, servers, and such, not so much desktops. Even then, overclocking DDR3 RAM is really only beneficial if your processor is able to process data swiftly enough for RAM to be operating at 1600MHz. To me, it's better to have more RAM than faster RAM, that's the trade off I make.
But isn't it the case that most people already have enough RAM? At least, I can't see the need for the average home user to have more than 8GB, and 8GB is dirt cheap (my SSD cost me way more). Having a faster RAM option would certainly be nice.
Also, the cynic in me says prices won't stay low for long, as production ramps to cater to the new type, consequently lowering the supply of the old type and thus driving prices back up.