Ballistix without overclocking?

[sl33p]

How will the Ballistix PC3200 run compared to cheaper ram, like lets say corsair valueram, both 512. ?
Would there be a large difference to purchase the ballistix to run without O/C'ing or would it be a better buy if i were to overclock it?

 

[bdjohnson]

the memory would be faster if you oc'd it. Since they are designed for oc'ing ballistix are probably more reliable than cheapo valueram.

 

[blodhi74]

Originally posted by: bdjohnson
the memory would be faster if you oc'd it. Since they are designed for oc'ing ballistix are probably more reliable than cheapo valueram.

ditto

 

[Odeen]

I doubt it.. Ballistix rated for 2-2-2-5 timings will be faster at THEIR stock speed/timings than "valueram" rated for 2.5-3-3, which, in turn, is faster than the 3-4-4 stuff.

However, I doubt that AT RATED SPEED there's a significant difference. As long as you're dealing with branded chips (Infineon, Kingston, Micron, Samsung) and/or a reputable manufacturer (Kingston, Samsung, Crucial, OCZ, Mushkin), you'll be fine. Now, the off-brand stuff (i.e. "Spectek" or "Elixir") is suspect, especially when it claims to be 400mhz or faster. I've yet to encounter an off-brand PC2100 module (Even Elixir) that can't pass Memtest86+ overnight at stock speed timings and voltage. I've seen some cheap DDR400, though, that won't do DDR400 unless you're standing on one foot, baying at the moon, and hitting the Enter key.

Saying that OC'ing memory is more reliable at stock speeds is, in my opinion, saying that a Ferrari going 65 MPH is more reliable than a Honda going 65 MPH. That's plainly not the case. However, I'd expect both to outlast, say, a Daewoo. 🙂