RAM Brands

Aldaris2002

Member
Jul 11, 2002
48
0
66
Looking to buy 2 sticks of 512MB PC2700 DDR. The generic brand is $214.99 (CAN) each and OCZ brand is $239.99 (CAN) each. Is it worth the extra money to go for the OCZ brand DDR? How does OCZ stack up in comparison to Samsung, Crucial and Corsair that I hear so much about? As a side note, these will be going on a Granite Bay motherboard that I plan to overclock to 166Mhz FSB.

Aldaris
 

wicktron

Platinum Member
Aug 15, 2002
2,573
0
76
OCZ is decent. They're better than how they used to be. But stick with the big boys if you plan to do any serious OC'ing.
 

Aldaris2002

Member
Jul 11, 2002
48
0
66
I see. Well, the Crucial memory and the OCZ will work out to be the same cost for me in the end so is best to just go with the Crucial since I think it has a little bit better latency than the OCZ? Also, is it really necessary to go with 1GB of RAM or should 512MB still do me fine for the next little while?
 

CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
5
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OCZ? Die, and then burn in hell. :disgust:
buy the Generic for $215, you'll be glad you did.
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
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Get the Crucial. It has a lifetime warrenty, so if it goes bad send it back, no biggie.

I have Crucial in my system as they are well respected, and make a great product
 

KingofFah

Senior member
May 14, 2002
895
0
76
geil = crapshoot, you might get good ram.
OCZ EL 3500 = highest overclock at 2-2-2-5 at 2.6v (492mhz).
Seriously fast memory, but only the EL 3500. The regular 3500 and anything below I would say get corsair, crucial, etc.
I bought generic (turned out to be spectek a division or micron) memory rated at 166FSB at CAS2.5 with regular timings. I am doing 166FSB CAS2-2-3-5, pretty sweet for what I paid.

EDIT - Samsung = bad for overclocking, do not expect too much out of them. BTW, why is this on the motherboards section?
 

sumrtym

Senior member
Apr 3, 2002
633
0
0
Why is it that almost all the manufacturers (Corsair, OCZ, etc) are using Samsung DDR 333 modules underneath those useless heat spreaders the other companies put on them with their names like it's their chips if it's so bad at overclocking???
 

Hamburgerpimp

Diamond Member
Aug 15, 2000
7,464
1
76
Samsung DDR 333 modules underneath those useless heat spreaders the other companies put on them with their names like it's their chips if it's so bad at overclocking???

Because Samsung is one of the top 3 makers of memory modules in the world.
 

sumrtym

Senior member
Apr 3, 2002
633
0
0
I know. ;)

My point was that almost ALL memory that is being sold rated at 3200, 3500, etc., is really overclocked Samsung DDR 333.

Buy the original, skip the other guys. The heat spreaders are just there to cover up that fact (and may actually PREVENT proper cooling).
 

KingofFah

Senior member
May 14, 2002
895
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I figured someone would say that. In fact, I expected to see it when I got back.
I honestly do not know. My samsung always craps out before the rest and will take less agressive timings. Apparently it is not just my sticks, it is others as well, from what I have read.
 

sumrtym

Senior member
Apr 3, 2002
633
0
0
KingofFah:

Read this article (I just linked the conclusion).

This shows that most others memory is running Samsung chips and that to achieve proper overclocking, one has to burn in the Samsung chips. That's probably your problem. This article also talks about how to do that. Basically, the Samsung memory kicked the stuffing out of everything else in the test.

Memory tests on various chips

Since the link to his answer on burning in the RAM doesn't work now without some "tweaking", here's the answer on that:

"I shouldn't use the word "burn in" actually as it will be mistook for running the RAM for many hours. Since Samsung initally doesn't run well under high FSB and doesn't like voltage above 2.8V therefore i will have to start running the RAM from a lower voltage of 2.7V and done some benchmarks. Progressively i increase the VMem 2.8V and up the FSB and continue with the benchmarks and so on until i can run the RAM stable at 3V and achieve highest FSB."
 

oldfart

Lifer
Dec 2, 1999
10,207
0
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Why is it that almost all the manufacturers (Corsair, OCZ, etc) are using Samsung DDR 333 modules underneath those useless heat spreaders the other companies put on them with their names like it's their chips if it's so bad at overclocking???
Corsair uses Winbond on PC3000 - 3500. They use Samsung on some of the PC2700. The Samsung PC2700 I run does PC3200 cas 2.5. When I bought it, it was the best stuff available. Now Corsair is the stuff to get.
 

KingofFah

Senior member
May 14, 2002
895
0
76
I had the stick very briefly, so obviously I did not run it very long. I guess if, initially, the samsung does not like high FSB and vdimm, then you are probably right.
I just have had people buy the samsung 2700's and never get much overclock, they would never think to burn in the ram. The samsung I did have was someone else's and I told them they might want to do some benchmarks; however, "they do not have the time" and I do not really care.

Other than that, the benchmarks on various sites, obviously not vr-zone's, never show samsung on top (some of them show it on the bottom). I guess it is possible that they did not burn them in. That is one too many hypothetical situations for me to accept that the samsung is best. If in your situation it has performed well, then you have obviously settled the issue for yourself. Until I get my hands on some more samsung sticks, I will remain undecided on that issue; however, you have made me change my view somewhat, since I will no longer consider them bottom of the barrel in the overclocking category (for stability at stock settings I have always thought samsung to be the best).

I never did get my question answered. Why is this in motherboards section? He said on a side note that the memory he wants to get will be for a granite bay. Just a side note. We need a memory section for this forum. It is fine to post in overclocking if you are overclocking RAM. If you are not, then there should be a place to ask questions about how they compare (Aldaris2002 never directly said that he wants to overclock).
 

oldfart

Lifer
Dec 2, 1999
10,207
0
0
Why is this in motherboards section?
Um...cause there is no ram forum? ;)

I dont think there is enough ram questions to justify a new forum. The questions usually end up here, CPU/overclocking, or sometimes in GH.
 

KingofFah

Senior member
May 14, 2002
895
0
76
Hehe, ever considered the fact that maybe people would post more ram messages if they had a place to put them? I often decide to not post a ram question that is not about overclocking, simply because I have no where to put it :)
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
I bet my PC that Corsair XMS3500C2 would overclock higher than any other memory out there. It's rated at 434Mhz at cas2
 

Viper96720

Diamond Member
Jul 15, 2002
4,390
0
0
I seen samsung has some new cas 3 pc3200. They say it's not overclocked pc2700. Does anyone know if you could run them at cas 2.5. I got the pc2700 cas2.5 samsung and I can run it at cas 2. This is the model #M368L3223DTM-CC400
 

Aldaris2002

Member
Jul 11, 2002
48
0
66
Thanks for all the input. My other question was how much should I buy? Is 1GB really necessary or is 512MB enough? I play a lot of games, internet and then just basic apps like office, etc. No video assembling/encoding or crazy stuff like that. Thanks.
 

Lizardman

Golden Member
Jul 23, 2001
1,990
0
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Originally posted by: Viper96720
I seen samsung has some new cas 3 pc3200. They say it's not overclocked pc2700. Does anyone know if you could run them at cas 2.5. I got the pc2700 cas2.5 samsung and I can run it at cas 2. This is the model #M368L3223DTM-CC400

The samsung stuff is made good. I can run one stick of pc2100 at pc3200 speeds by SPD. Samsung chips are made and then tested to see how high they can run at. So the cas pc3200 they sell could very well be from a batch of pc2700 cas2.5 chips.
 

Originally posted by: Aldaris2002
Thanks for all the input. My other question was how much should I buy? Is 1GB really necessary or is 512MB enough? I play a lot of games, internet and then just basic apps like office, etc. No video assembling/encoding or crazy stuff like that. Thanks.

Id like to hear what others think as well. I have had 512 for a long time for gaming.... Counter strike and such...
 

kadajawi

Senior member
Dec 29, 2000
549
0
0
hmm, unless you play games like Gothic 512 MB should be enough. Heard that Gothic takes TONS of RAM... but CS will probably even work with 64 MB :p Better get 512, you can still upgrade later if neccessary (just that it will be cheaper).
 

kadajawi

Senior member
Dec 29, 2000
549
0
0
similar question:
Intend to buy PC2700 CL2 RAM, 256 MB (will upgrade in future... when prices have dropped).

CORSAIR PC2700-Speicher 256MB CL 2 2-3-3-6-1T @ 166MHZ (X2) 129,95?
CORSAIR PC3200-Speicher 256MB CL 2 2-3-3-6-1T @ 200MHZ (X2) 139,95?
GEIL ULTRA PC2700 Speicher 256MB CL 2 2-2-2-5-1T @ 166MHZ (X2) 124,95?
OCZ REV. 3.2 PC2700-Speicher 256MB CL 2 2-2-2-5-1T @ 166MHZ (X2) 119,95?

What do you think? The GeIL looks quite cool :) and the price is ok... :) What is the problem with GeIL? Too slow? Won't overclock? I read that quite a high voltage is required so that it overclocks well... but other than that? Review are quite ok...

What I want to do is OC a Athlon XP from 266 to 333 MHz FSB (at least) at the fastest possible timings. Which one to choose?