RAM Timings?

transitionality

Junior Member
Dec 23, 2008
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I'm looking at RAM options for an AM2 CPU. For about the same price, I can get DDR2-800 at 4-4-4-12 at 1.8V, or DDR2-1066 at 5-5-5-15 at 1.8V. AM2 can only use up to DDR2-800 so timings are the important criteria here.

Can the DDR2-1066 give me 4-4-4-12 when run in DDR2-800 mode, can I count on this? Which RAM would you get? Thanks.
 

Rifter

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,522
751
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my g/f has some corsair dominator 2x2GB sticks thats are spec 5-5-5-15 1066mhz at 2.1V, they will run 5-5-5-15 at 1.9v stable though in her ASUS board

They will run at 4-4-4-12 at 800Mhz but need the full 2.1V, i would not count on this though. Also timings are not nearly as important as they used to be 5 years ago, they dont make as much of a differnce nowdays. I would get the 800Mhz ram with the better timings though just because you said you were only going to use AM2 anyways and it does not support 1066. If you are going to upgrade though in the future to something still useing DDR2 it might be worth going with the 1066. Corsair makes great ram i have used them for years and never had a problem, and even if you do they offer a lifetime warranty. I also keep hearing good things about Gskill. I would stay away from OCZ as from surfing the forums it seems some mobos have issues with certain models of there ram. my .02