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Noname CAS 2.5 400MHz or Corsair CAS 2 333Mhz

S

Spearhawk

Member
I'm planing on geting two 512 sticks for my new rig (nForce mb, Athlon XP) and are wondering wehter to go with a Noname CAS 2.5 400MHz DDR Ram or with the Corsair CAS 2 333MHz DDR Ram. I hear that while it's posible to run the memory buss at 400 MHz and the cpu at 333 it's actuly better to run them both at 333, is that corect?
I'm not really intresting in overklocking but I do want a stable system, so on that point a well known memory name appeals to me, but it's a bit more expensive.
Anyone got any sugiestions?


Thanks
 
Thanks, unforsulantely I can't get mushkin from the place I'm ordering my system from. Yes I know, in order to get the best parts as cheap as posible I should be ordering the parts form diffrent places and puting them togheter my self. It's just that if a faluty part is deliverd to me it'll take weeks to get a replacement, if the place I'm ordering form gets a faulty part they just take it out and replace it whit another one. Costs a bit more (not too much) but on the other hand I'm garanteed to get a working system.
 
Mushkin only guarantees 2-2-2 with one DIMM slot populated for PC2700. Corsair doesn't specify any limit on the 2-2-2-5 rating of their PC2700LL Low Latency modules, and also has matched pairs specifically guaranteed for dual operation.

Naturally 2-2-2 Mushkin will outperform the regular CAS2 rated Corsair, but that's comparing Mushkin's highest rated line to Corsair's next-highest rated. Both brands have 2-3-3 rated modules that will perform the same. A matched set of Corsair PC2700LL modules is cheaper from Googlegear than 2 of Mushkin's black PCB 222 modules, and Mushkin also charges high shipping (Newegg is higher than both).

The same applies with each brand's "CL2" modules rated for 2-3-3 -- Corsair will come out cheaper, and perform the same as the similar rated Mushkin.

Long story short, go with Corsair, and Googlegear.com is a good place to get it.

However, you could also go with Crucial, which is very good if you have any problems and need to RMA something (less than a day usually for delivery of a replacement module if you let them charge you for it and then refund the charge when they get the dead one back), and the price is outstanding compared to Corsair or Mushkin. Their CL2.5 rated modules will easily do 2-3-3, the same as the Mushkin and Corsair modules, but costs half as much.

Stay away from generic brand modules if you're looking for reliability and are concerned with being able to easily return things, since you're more likely to have to do so. Also with generic modules, they're less likely to be compatible with your motherboard at high speeds.
 
Can someone explain the latency codes. Some use 3 numbers like 2-2-2, other four 2-2-2-5, etc... I assume smaller numbers = faster but I haven't a clue. I've checked the Anandtech FAQ and nothing addresses this question specifically...
 
Mushkin has a few brief descriptions.

ArsTechnica also has a good memory article (or 3), with this page describing latencies.

Used to be you could just look at the CAS latency of 2 or 3 and know whether you had fast memory, but now overclocking BIOSes and high speed memory means you get control over lots of other latencies.

The numbers apply to the latencies and precharge times. Lower is of course better, but the impact on performance and value for the dollar is debatable.

Corsair also seems to add the access time to their ratings (the higher last number), whereas Mushkin doesn't. Crucial only provides a CAS latency rating and doesn't reveal a rating on the others (for compatibility, they want you using the SPD programmed timings).

Some of the modules of 400MHz memory have relaxed timings in order to get them able to reach the 200MHz bus speed required. This started when the first 400MHz DDR modules came out, when it was harder to get them to that speed. They (notably Corsair) advertised extreme frequencies and ratings like PC3500, which required delays and access times worse than the cheapest PC2700 modules sometimes. Corsair and others now have better manufacturing, so they're able to get 400MHz modules without having to increase latencies, but you pay through the nose to get that performance. The older style modules are also available still as a "value" 400MHz module, for users who need the memory bandwidth more than the low latencies (but really ends up being sold to people who just think DDR400 is always better).
 
Whether it will work that way and whether you're guaranteed reliability, stability, and error-free operation are two different things.
 
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