Memory/CPU compatibility with EVGA Z77 FTW?

[exxoid]

Hi,

I have a EVGA Z77 FTW (151-IB-E699-KR) motherboard that I need to get some mem/cpu for. I was thinking..

CPU
Intel Core i7 3770 Quad Core Hyperthreading Processor LGA1155 3.4GHZ Ivy Bridge 8MB

MEMORY
Kingston KHX1600C10D3B1K2/16G 16GB Kit 2X8GB 1600MHz DDR3 240PIN DIMM CL10 1.5V

or

G.SKILL 16GB (4 x 4GB) Ripjaws Z Series DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) 240-Pin Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL11Q-16GBZL


Any EVGA Z77 owners or experts able to drop in their opinion? Will either RAM work? Is there a large advantage of going with higher clocked ram (2133 vs. 1600 above?).

I plan to use my computer for Gaming and also virtual environments (VMWare with 4-5 VMs for labs) for lab testing (ms exchange/sql/etc.).

I am thinking the Kingston is a better option as I will be able to add another set of 2x8GB to max out the motherboard if neeeded?

 

[Techhog]

The CPU is fine, but with multiple VMs running I'd consider maxing out the RAM to 32GB if you can afford it.

 

[mfenn]

The CPU and both RAM kits will work. However the Kingston is a better choice for two reasons, (1) a discrete GPU system gets next to no benefit from faster RAM, and (2) a 2x8GB kit is preferable when taking future upgrades into account.