The right memory

[amerifax]

I saw on a different forum a request for a regimentation for memory and he got shot down in flames. I want to try the same thing and see if I can get a pro response or the red baron. I also asked the same question on a well respected Magazine forum and my topic was deleted.

On a Asus P8Z77-V Premium here are my choices:
4 x DIMM, Max. 32GB, DDR3 2800(O.C.)/2600(O.C.)/2400(O.C.)/2200(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/2000(O.C.)/1866(O.C.)/1800(O.C.)/1600/1333/1066 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory

What would be a faster memory solution. All the numbers are not working for me since I lack the knowledge in this area.
Bob

 

[Vectronic]

Faster = Bigger digitsuseses.

But anything above 1866 you're basically paying a lot for nothing. Check the qualified vendor list.

If I was going to suggest something, I would say go for 1600, 1.35v that overclocks well. I'm not going to bother listing specific manufacturers and models though, you'll get plenty I'm sure and all of them differing.

I pretty much picked mine randomly based on a quick double-check and the colors it came in... 1600 1.5v... will overclock to 2000 without even changing the voltage, and 2200 with ~1.55v.

There's no change above 1600 really, it's milliseconds over 2 minutes kind of stuff. 2 sticks is generally easier to work with (4 sticks sometimes requires playing with voltages on lower-end boards)

 

[amerifax]

Thanks for the very exacting message. You put it in a very understanding way.
Bob

 

[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 purchease to G.Skill, Mushkin, 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

 

[amerifax]

>>>Blain<<
What is CAS. I heard that "where did this dumby come from".
Bob

 

[Vectronic]

CAS is basically how quick something in memory can be accessed. For DDR3 this is generally between 6 and 10, where 6 is the fastest. However the differences are nanoseconds, which can add up obviously, but it's probably not worth paying twice the amount for CAS6 rather than CAS9.

You want to match or beat these:
DDR3 1333 <= 8
DDR3 1600 <= 9
DDR3 1866 <=10

Most decent RAM will allow you to reduce the timings from stock anyways... CAS9 will probably go to CAS8. So paying an extra $10 for something that takes a few seconds to change is a bit silly.

 

[bryanl]

Memory found on qualified vendor lists is not more compatible or reliable than unlisted memory, and the chips are typically overclocked, by as much as 100%. Some premium 2600 DIMMs now may have 1866 chips on them but more likely they're 1600 or even 1333. Rare exceptions are Samsung and non-Ballistix Crucial DIMMs.