Which memory and type

[StriperMike]

I currently have the Asus P5KE board with 4GB of Crucial Ballistix DDR2-800 filling up all 4 slots. I just upgraded to Vista x64 and want to move up to 8GB total. I do a lot of stuff with VMWare, gaming, video editing, converting, etc and think the extra RAM will come in handy.

I'm confused at which type of memory to get for this upgrade. Asus says this board accepts DDR2-1066 natively using Asus Memspeed technology but the chipset itself "officially" supports up to DDR2-800.

Which memory should I get and why? I don't currently overclock but want the option for the future.

Thanks for your help.

Mike

 

[Samalama]

Well it depends on what CPU you have. To figure out what speed RAM you need, just find your CPU's rated FSB and divide to by 2. So if it's 1333 Mhz for example, you would want to run DDR2-667. Now if you want to overclock you'll most likely want DDR2-800 because that will allow you to increase the FSB up to 1600 Mhz and CPU up to ~3.6 Ghz (that's assuming a 9x multiplier on the CPU).

Edit: Also, you should read the stickies before posting: Frequently asked questions about memory and storage

 

[StriperMike]

I have the Q6600 CPU. And thanks for the link. I totally overlooked that sticky.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: StriperMike
Which memory should I get and why? I don't currently overclock but want the option for the future.

I have the Q6600 CPU.

Mike, IF you're locked into 8GB to run with your default Q6600, you should sell off all your Ballistix now, while it's still working, and buy the memory liked below...

2 x 4GB G.Skill PI Black kits
JEDEC DDR2 voltage standard is 1.8v. These G.Skill kits are able to run very tight timings on only 1.8-1.9v.
One of the indicators of quality memory is it's ability to run tight timings and maintain stability at lower voltage.
Many other 4GB DDR2 kits require 2-2.2v in order to run stable at DDR2-800 speed.

Another reason for the G.Skill kits are the companies reputation for quality, value and their lifetime warranty.

One last issue is DDR2-800 speed for OCing your Q6600 in the future.
Your Q6600 runs on a FSB of 1066MHz, which calculates out about 133MHz FSB slower than DDR2-800 is rated for.
Bottom Line: DDR2-800 gives you plenty of headroom for OCing your Q6600. You don't need exotic speed memory for your application.

 

[Denithor]

Originally posted by: Blain
2 x 4GB G.Skill PI Black kits
JEDEC DDR2 voltage standard is 1.8v. These G.Skill kits are able to run very tight timings on only 1.8-1.9v.
One of the indicators of quality memory is it's ability to run tight timings and maintain stability at lower voltage.
Many other 4GB DDR2 kits require 2-2.2v in order to run stable at DDR2-800 speed.

+1 FTW !!

 

[StriperMike]

Any thoughts on this RAM for the $$$?

4GB DDR2 PC6400 DUAL BALLISTIX

 

[spinejam]

Originally posted by: StriperMike
Any thoughts on this RAM for the $$$?

4GB DDR2 PC6400 DUAL BALLISTIX

just ordered that stuff ~ 45min ago!

 

[Samalama]

Originally posted by: StriperMike
Any thoughts on this RAM for the $$$?

4GB DDR2 PC6400 DUAL BALLISTIX

From what I can see that RAM is fairly middle of the road, which is exactly what you need. Great price, too :thumbsup:

 

[StriperMike]

Sold Out! Son of a bit... Figures. Snooze you lose.

 

[Blain]

Memory is so dirt cheap now, you shouldn't worry about a couple of bucks here or there...
Buy Quality! :thumbsup::laugh:

 

[VulcanX]

Yeah there is always a place for good memory in this world and GSkill running tight timings with such low V's is CRAZY, i am running Corsair XMS2 4-4-4-12 2T 800MHZ at 2.1V... WOW! Definitely go for the GSkill! But now im wondering, wat bout Patriot Viper? I read a review on that being the best OC and stable and performance RAM u can run, esp the 4gb kit(2x2gb)? So what u guys think of that stuff?

 

[Denithor]

Blain's got it right - buy quality.

Look for DDR2-800 @ CAS 4 or 5 @ 1.8-1.9V (G.Skill PI Black kits highly recommended).

Higher memory speed isn't necessary unless you're going for fairly extreme overclocks.

Ballistix: high voltage = high temps = premature death
Just look around the net for examples of this on the Ballistix memory - rated at 2-2.2V they've had extremely high RMA rates over the last two years.

 

[StriperMike]

This has been a very helpful thread so far. I have another question. So I have narrowed down to DDR2-800 Cas4, most likely the GSkill recommended above. Now if I'm running a Q6600 and increase the FSB to 333 to get my CPU from 2.4 to approx 3ghz, and have my RAM ratio 1:1 essentially I would be running it at DDR2-667 instead of 800. Is that correct? And if so do I still use the timings of 4-4-4-12 at 1.8 to 1.9v running it as DDR2-667?

 

[spinejam]

rec'd my fry's order in 20 hr's (OH to NC) using cheapo shipping!


(currently running 1066 @ 555 15 w/ 2.05vdimm)

 

[Samalama]

Originally posted by: StriperMike
Now if I'm running a Q6600 and increase the FSB to 333 to get my CPU from 2.4 to approx 3ghz, and have my RAM ratio 1:1 essentially I would be running it at DDR2-667 instead of 800. Is that correct? And if so do I still use the timings of 4-4-4-12 at 1.8 to 1.9v running it as DDR2-667?

You're correct, and it would also give you enough headroom to reach 3.6Ghz if the rest of your hardware were to allow it. As for timings, when you take a memory such as DDR2-800 and underclock it, it opens up the possibility of lowering timings even more than 4-4-4-12. However, your particular CPU won't see much of a benefit in real world performance, so I would recommend you just leave them at 4-4-4-12. As for voltage, 1.8v is the standard for DDR2 400-800, so it's probably best to just leave that alone unless you run into stability issues.