What's important when choosing RAM?

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imported_Jid

Member
Jan 3, 2009
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0
71
Hey guys,

if I'm buying ram for an i7-870 build and plan to try an OC what specs should the ram meet?

Sorry about the stupid question, I was going to do my first build last year but that fell through. I was given lots of advice then but because it was so long ago I can't remember this ram thing. I think lower voltages are good, and higher speed rating for the OC like 1333 or even 1600? Latency and timing is not so important if I remember correctly right? I want to get 2 x 4GB sticks so that I can go 16GB in the future if I need so I'm thinking something like this:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...ILL-_-20231311
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL


price is good, not on the mobo QVL list but I think it's not up to date because there's hardly any 4GB sticks on there to begin with.
 
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Emulex

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2001
9,759
1
71
1.5V only - first off for standard ram

then worry about timings. but if you are going to cheap junk g.skill (it really is no better than anyone else from china) then i wouldn't sweat timing.
 
tweakboy

tweakboy

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2010
9,517
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www.hammiestudios.com
fffblackmage said:
Eh? Mushkin is an American brand.

I'd say both Mushkin and G.Skill are solid brands for RAM.
Click to expand...

I totally agree, G KILL is just fine. however the timings are very important your mistaken. The higher in Mhz you go on RAM like 1600Mhz the timings are going to be high like 9-9-8-24 or something if I remember correctly.

Where as a 1333Mhz RAM would be 7-7-7-24 for example.


The RAM latency is very important. Personally I say you dont need 1600Mhz bandwidth,, Get 1333mhz and youll have lower timings and a much less price. You will not see a difference from 1333 and 1600mhz because usually your not taxing the RAM that much for high bandwidths.... The higher the Mhz the more bandwidth, but that bandwidth wont really get used fully, soo 1333 with low timings is much better and latency will be better then a 1600Mhz and believe me anyway you wouldnt tell a difference , the rig is already fast, people can even still get away with PC 800 RAM and what not.

I say go with 1333 4GBx2 and you will see youll have better timings thus better latency and it will do great with your CPU.. gl
 
B

Blain

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
23,643
3
81
This guy said it all...
Blain said:
If I were shopping for the highest quality memory I could afford, 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 kids my goal is not pure performance, but simply finding the highest quality memory I can afford. :colbert:
I want to avoid having to post any "Is my memory bad" threads here, just because I saved a couple of bucks on the initial purchase price.
Click to expand...
 
J

jackace

Golden Member
Oct 6, 2004
1,307
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Which is better lower CAS timings or higher clock speed?

For example, 1333 ram at CAS 7 or 1600 at CAS 9, which is the better option considering both are about the same price?
 
E

Emulex

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2001
9,759
1
71
what are you running your cpu/memory at?

if just 1333 then i'd go 1333/7

no guarantee 1333/7 will run 1600/9 - likewise no guarantee 1600/9 will run 1333/7
 
tweakboy

tweakboy

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2010
9,517
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www.hammiestudios.com
jackace said:
Which is better lower CAS timings or higher clock speed?

For example, 1333 ram at CAS 7 or 1600 at CAS 9, which is the better option considering both are about the same price?
Click to expand...

I said that, If you read my post, You dont need that bandwidth.. lower latency is better then higher clock speeds. Latency is more important then bandwidth. End of story!
 
M

mv2devnull

Golden Member
Apr 13, 2010
1,539
169
106
7/1333 = 0.005251
9/1600 = 0.005625
Therefore, the (CAS) latency is almost 7% less in 1333 than in 1600.

I do follow the same thought pattern as Blain.

Where does Kingston lie on the cheap--junk scale?
 
G

GundamF91

Golden Member
May 14, 2001
1,827
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More importantly, can your brain think so fast enough to perceive the difference?

If not for all these numerical statistics, no human brain would be able to recognize the difference between CAS 7 or 9.

I've learned from experience that all memory can have problems from factory, so be sure to test with Memtest86+ when you get them. As for brands, anything with a brand in essence is a good sign. If it's a store brand, or no name "generic" then I would stay away from that.
 
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Emulex

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2001
9,759
1
71
yes usually its Q&A (nobody has time to test every module) and design of the board and process. some folks use cheaper board to cut a few cents profit - at the expense of stability etc.

i can ask a buddy who actually makes ram here in the usa (not a big brand) to comment here. he will tell me you want the cheap or the good? lol. since i'm on an ECC kick i don't care much about cheap ram any more
 
tyl998

tyl998

Senior member
Aug 30, 2010
236
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I don't quite understand the RAM timing. Is my RAM rated at 9-9-9-24 1333 Mhz bad then? It's from Corsair.
 
fffblackmage

fffblackmage

Platinum Member
Dec 28, 2007
2,548
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tyl998 said:
I don't quite understand the RAM timing. Is my RAM rated at 9-9-9-24 1333 Mhz bad then? It's from Corsair.
Click to expand...
No. Timings hardly matter much except in memory benchmarks.

Still, if I was to choose between CAS 7 and CAS 9 DDR3-1333 ram at the same price, I'd go for the CAS 7, as long as it still used the standard 1.5V.
 
n7

n7

Elite Member
Jan 4, 2004
21,281
4
81
fffblackmage said:
No. Timings hardly matter much except in memory benchmarks.

Still, if I was to choose between CAS 7 and CAS 9 DDR3-1333 ram at the same price, I'd go for the CAS 7, as long as it still used the standard 1.5V.
Click to expand...

Well stated.

Other than in primarily synthetic benchmarks, you'll never notice the difference between most "high end" & cheaper RAM.

Basically you always want to find a balance of higher frequency + tighter timings with reasonable voltage requirements & price.
 
B

Blain

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
23,643
3
81
n7 said:
Well stated.

Other than in primarily synthetic benchmarks, you'll never notice the difference between most "high end" & cheaper RAM.
Click to expand...
Until the cheaper quality memory dies and you end up posting a "Help me" thread.
 
n7

n7

Elite Member
Jan 4, 2004
21,281
4
81
Perhaps i didn't explain myself well.

When i said cheaper, i meant going with something like DDR3-1333 9-9-9 vs. spending much more on DDR3-1866 8-9-8 (just as random example)

Also, your comment brings up a rather interesting point...where are the statistics backing up claims of "cheaper" RAM failing @ a higher rate than "higher end"?

I have a feeling there are none, especially since "cheap" RAM is almost always going to be run @ default voltages, & the majority of "high end" RAM is higher than that for rated voltages.
 
B

Blain

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
23,643
3
81
n7 said:
Also, your comment brings up a rather interesting point...
where are the statistics backing up claims of "cheaper" RAM failing @ a higher rate than "higher end"?

I have a feeling there are none, especially since "cheap" RAM is almost always going to be run @ default voltages, & the majority of "high end" RAM is higher than that for rated voltages.
Click to expand...
"High end" can be a rather ambiguous term when talking about PC memory.
By "high end" do you mean "High quality" or so-called "High performance" or simply referring to higher price?
 
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bryanl

bryanl

Golden Member
Oct 15, 2006
1,157
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81
It's not the brand of the modules but the brand of the chips that matters more.
 
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