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What is the most reliable DDR3 brand and 1.5 or 1.65 volt

N

nine9s

Senior member
I jsu trecently built a system with Ivy Bridge and Asus Z77 motherboard. After a week, I got a few blue screen errors. I tested my Corsair DDR3 4GBX2 1.5 volt memory and one of my Corsair Vengeance DIMMs tested bad. I am RMAing it for a full refund and plan to buy new memory.

Was my problem a likely fluke and I should get Corsair again or is there a more reliable brand?

Also, should I get 1.5 volt again or 1.65 (seems there is more 1.65 volt out there)? Pros and Cons of 1.5 vs 1.65?
 
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Just run your failing 1.5v memory at 1.65v. That is what manufacturers do to get better yield, and why you see more 1.65 ..

The pro of 1.5 is it runs cooler and uses less power ..

Any major brand is as reliable as the other.. Go for best warranty ..
 
nine9s said:
I jsu trecently built a system with Ivy Bridge and Asus Z77 motherboard. After a week, I got a few blue screen errors. I tested my Corsair DDR3 4GBX2 1.5 volt memory and one of my Corsair Vengeance DIMMs tested bad. I am RMAing it for a full refund and plan to buy new memory.

Was my problem a likely fluke and I should get Corsair again or is there a more reliable brand?

Also, should I get 1.5 volt again or 1.65 (seems there is more 1.65 volt out there)? Pros and Cons of 1.5 vs 1.65?
Click to expand...

all the major memory manufacturers will have roughly the same reliability. the only advantage is in warranty and customer service.

i've had excellent customer service from corsair. 70~% of the ram i've bought has been from corsair, so they're also the only manufacturer that i have had RAM fail outside of the in-store warranty. (i've had PNY and unbranded ram fail immediately after installation, both got returned to FRYS the same day). turnaround was quick, and i had working ram soon after sending it in.

i will buy (in no particular order of preference)

corsair
gskill
kingston
crucial
patriot

i've heard good things about GeIL and mushkin as well.

i will not buy outside of this list.
 
Samsung 30nm. 1.35v but can go to 1.5v no problem.

FYI: a lot of memory uses Samsung ICs but put fancy logos and heatspreaders on top.
 
Samsung or Crucial, except for 'enthusiast' products from the latter. These major manufacturers have better overall reliability than the rest.
 
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for Ivy bridge, get 1.5 V memory or lower if possible. 1.65 is too much for the Ivy memory controller.
 
Shmee said:
for Ivy bridge, get 1.5 V memory or lower if possible. 1.65 is too much for the Ivy memory controller.
Click to expand...

I hate to disagree but guys have ran 1.7v+ on sandy without any issues. I have never met someone who killed his processor from too much memory voltage
 
nine9s said:
Was my problem a likely fluke and I should get Corsair again or is there a more reliable brand?
Click to expand...
It was just a fluke.

Also, should I get 1.5 volt again or 1.65 (seems there is more 1.65 volt out there)? Pros and Cons of 1.5 vs 1.65?
Click to expand...
The 1.65v is a marketing ploy where the mhz and timing printed on the box are not what the RAM is capable of at normal operational voltage (1.5v) but what its capable of at maximum overvolt (the intern memory controllers are not safe to overvolt above 1.65v; that is, going above 1.65v is known to ruin them, just going above 1.5v voids your warranty on your CPU is highly unrecommended)

The specs on the 1.65v is a "guarenteed overclock" not the actual specs of the memory... and this can and will cause trouble so you best avoid them and get proper ram. This is a scam memory makers have had going on since forever, it was the same with DDR2, and DDR1.

If you are comparing a 1.65v and a 1.5v modules and both say DDR3-1600 9T then the 1.5v one CAN be ran at 1.65v to get even better performance, and the 1.65v can be ran in 1.5v but only if you drop its mhz or loosen timing.
 
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High voltage, high speed memory offers no real world performance gain with IB or SB ..

However, if you run SuperPi for a living then there may be some justification for running it..
 
nine9s said:
I jsu trecently built a system with Ivy Bridge and Asus Z77 motherboard. After a week, I got a few blue screen errors. I tested my Corsair DDR3 4GBX2 1.5 volt memory and one of my Corsair Vengeance DIMMs tested bad. I am RMAing it for a full refund and plan to buy new memory.

Was my problem a likely fluke and I should get Corsair again or is there a more reliable brand?

Also, should I get 1.5 volt again or 1.65 (seems there is more 1.65 volt out there)? Pros and Cons of 1.5 vs 1.65?
Click to expand...

1.35V Samsung is what I'd recommend. $48 for 2x4GB, they consistently run stable at 1600MHz CL9 1.35V, 1866MHz CL9 1.5V, 2133MHz CL10/11 1.5V.
 
taltamir said:
Rather then buying two singles, here is a proper 2x4GB kit:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electr.../dp/B00592002W

Newegg is sold out on that kit and only has the singles, but you can buy those kits though amazon.
Click to expand...


My Fry's has the match Samsung pair for $47. http://www.frys.com/product/6798205?...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG But how do you check motherboard compatability for Samsung? I find no such guide on Samsung's site like Crucial's site has.

Crucial's site shows compatability for my exact motherboard for http://www.directron.com/ct251264ba1339.html

It is lower speed, but I doubt I would ever know the difference and as cheap as RAM is, I can buy different ram down the road if actually needed increase in memory bandwidth.

What do you think?
 
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bakaapollo said:
Does it matter if singles were used instead of matched pairs? The 2x4GB kit seems to be out of stock just about everywhere..
Click to expand...

There are benefits to having the modules be the same.

Most if not all of ram manufacturers typically use bait and switch tactics, where they release a product, get it reviewed, and then release many inferior products under an identical name (lower cost to them while keeping profits high).

Buying a matched pair ensures you are getting identical hardware in both.

They claim or at least imply that there is some sort of verification going on to ensure match-up but that is baloney.

nine9s said:
My Fry's has the match Samsung pair for $47
Click to expand...

thats a micro dimm. Its sized for a laptop and will not fit in your desktop.
 
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taltamir said:
There are benefits to having the modules be the same.

Most if not all of ram manufacturers typically use bait and switch tactics, where they release a product, get it reviewed, and then release many inferior products under an identical name (lower cost to them while keeping profits high).

Buying a matched pair ensures you are getting identical hardware in both.

They claim or at least imply that there is some sort of verification going on to ensure match-up but that is baloney.
Click to expand...

Sorry. The last two sentences seem contradictory to me but it is late and half my brain is asleep.

For clarification: There are benefits for having a matched pair but there is no way to actually verify that I am getting a matched pair. Won't it be the same as buying the singles?

My first build after 3 years of dedicated laptop usage is really hurting me :|

*update* NVM. Read the thread over @ OC.. your explanation makes sense now.
 
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Buying a pair, they SUGGEST there is TESTING going on to ensure compatibility. And perhaps binning (where they match them based on careful measurements with specialized hardware, a claim I have heard before). Those I am saying is baloney (marketers lie)

The fact they come together does guarantee they are the same hardware though, it just wasn't binned or tested
 
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