There is one disturbing fact about DDR3. The timings will go bad but the speed of the memory will increase.
DDR3 800 memory will work at CAS latency 5 and 5-5-5 timings and as we all know DDR 2 can beat these settings as some good DDR 2 modules work at 3-4-4 timings and CAS Latency 3 (CL3). Well, that is not the worst latency you will see with DDR3. Some DDR3 800 modules will work at 6-6-6, CL6 timings but it will probably end up cheaper. We will probably call this memory a devilish design.
DDR 3 1066 will start with CL7, 7-7-7 timings and DDR 2 at this speed works well at 5-5-5, CL 5 settings.
DDR3 1333 will work at CL8 with 8-8-8 settings while the fastest DDR 3 at 1600 will end up at 9-9-9, CL 9 settings. The good part is that all of these modules should work at 1.5 V.
We are sure that the companies such as OCZ and Corsair or similar ones will make these modules with even better settings and timings but these are the numbers to start with. Cebit, the world’s biggest IT tradeshow will reveal a bunch of motherboards and DDR 3 memory modules and the show starts in just three days from now.
You can learn more about upcoming DDR 3 memory at Samsung DDR 3 memory website here.