Lowest latency 2400MHz or 2800MHz DDR3 memory?

[mathew70]

I'm building my first PC and would appreciate advice on what is the lowest latency memory I can get at either 2400MHz or 2800Mhz.
I want the PC to be able to playback 4K Blu-ray.

The fastest I can find for 2400MHz is this:
http://www.amazon.de/G-Skill-RipJaw...cher+16GB+(2400MHz,+CL9,+4x+4GB)+DDR3-RAM+Kit

And 2800MHz:
http://www.amazon.de/G-Skill-F3-280...448380&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=ddr3+2800MHz+CL9

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I'm building my first PC and would appreciate advice on what is the lowest latency memory I can get at either 2400MHz or 2800Mhz.
I want the PC to be able to playback 4K Blu-ray.

The fastest I can find for 2400MHz is this:
http://www.amazon.de/G-Skill-RipJaw...cher+16GB+(2400MHz,+CL9,+4x+4GB)+DDR3-RAM+Kit

And 2800MHz:
http://www.amazon.de/G-Skill-F3-280...448380&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=ddr3+2800MHz+CL9

First time? Some of us over the years became over-enthusiastic for incremental performance gains before we did the homework -- or without more than casual benchmark testing.

This issue about RAM speed has been explored in recent threads. Keep in mind that I'm rocking a Sandy-Bridge K processor three-generations-old. It became apparent that anything beyond DDR3-1866 added little in performance.

I call upon our colleagues to chime in about Ivy Bridge or Haswell, but I don't think this has changed that much, even with newer IMC's (integrated memory controllers).

You will find with some memory-manufactures that there is symmetry between high-speed/higher-latency settings and lower-speed/lower-latency settings for RAM spec'd at any particular speed. G.SKILL techs had confirmed this to me in e-mails. You can buy DDR3-1600 or 1866 RAM with latency-specs like 9,9,9,24 -- and then overclock it to a higher speed and looser timings. You can increase the voltage on those modules. Conversely, you can buy the high-speed RAM such as you show in links, down-clock the speed and tighten the latencies. In all these scenarios, you can raise voltage or lower it.

I also think the consensus follows with regard to voltage: best to use RAM of WHATEVER the spec or speed at lower voltage -- say 1.5V or something under 1.65.

You will spend more money on the faster-spec'd RAM. The question remains: Will you truly realize significant bang-for-buck benefits? This is (at the moment) my view -- my perspective -- my opinion.

The G.SKILL "Z" modules you linked have a very low CAS latency for that speed spec, and that's good. The CAS latency has a bigger impact on performance than the other latency settings. [Disclaimer: I use G.SKILL almost exclusively now and over the last five years. But I made that choice, because they've been consistently "ausgezeichnet!" ]

 

[mathew70]

Thanks for the reply.
I am not a technical person so everything you said about down-clocking the RAM
goes over my head lol

Could you please recommend the fastest 1866Mhz or 2400Mhz RAM with very low latencies.

Thanks for the info

 

[Blain]

If I were shopping for high quality memory, I would use the following parameters as a guide...

* DDR3 rated at 1.5v or lower
* DDR3 rated at the lowest CAS I could afford
* DDR3 rated at the highest clock speed I could afford
* Limit the scope of my purchase to G.Skill, Mushkin, Samsung, Corsair XMS or Crucial (non-Ballistix)

While not wavering on the voltage point, I would balance the other issues with my budget.

Remember, my goal is not pure "benchmarking" performance, but simply finding the highest quality memory I can afford. ^_^

The only reason I pay a premium for low latency, high speed, low voltage memory is...
Quality and quality alone.

1.5v is the JEDEC DDR3 voltage standard.
Stay with 1.5v or less if you can afford it..

What he said

> Click Here <

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Thanks for the reply.
I am not a technical person so everything you said about down-clocking the RAM
goes over my head lol

Could you please recommend the fastest 1866Mhz or 2400Mhz RAM with very low latencies.

Thanks for the info

You'd be best to do several searches at known/established resellers. Blain mentioned the Mushkin 1600's with what is a really decent set of latencies or 9-9-9-24. This is the same spec as some G.SKILL 1600's (RipJaws "GBRL") that I had initially used in my system. To up-clock those modules to 1866, the latencies had to be loosened to something like 10-10-10-32.

But I'm now running these DDR3-1866 "GZH" or Ripjaws Z modules, at the SAME voltage (1.5) and the SAME latencies (9-9-9-24).

You're just going to find that the higher the speed spec (say 2400), the higher the voltage requirement and/or the looser the timings. Look at these, for instance:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=1&amp;PageSize=50

For any set of RAMs at some LOWER speed which you want to increase, you will either need to RAISE the voltage to run at the SAME timings, or loosen the timings to use the same voltage. Buying lower-speed RAM with that purpose carries the risk that they won't scale the way you want.

You'll just have to sort through the offerings, look at any reviews for the most promising kits. It sometimes happens that a manufacturer will "over-rate" the modules in some specification, and they won't quite come up to snuff. Customer reviews can sort that out, as well as lab-test reviews for particular kits. Once you find THE kit you want or like, you'll have to find out how to obtain it from your own "available" resellers.

 

[mathew70]

If I decide to buy 1600Hz memory instead of 2400Hz, I think I will buy this:
Corsair Dominator Platinum Series DDR3-1600, CL7
http://www.caseking.de/shop/catalog...num-Series-DDR3-1600-CL7-8-GB-Kit::27676.html

 

[BonzaiDuck]

If I decide to buy 1600Hz memory instead of 2400Hz, I think I will buy this:
Corsair Dominator Platinum Series DDR3-1600, CL7
http://www.caseking.de/shop/catalog...num-Series-DDR3-1600-CL7-8-GB-Kit::27676.html

Are you planning to use an after-market heatpipe cooler like the Noctua NH-D14? If you do, and you want to avoid mistakes, make sure the memory modules you choose have a profile low enough to fit under the cooler's fins.