Which memory is better for overclocking ?

[Mixman]

I am trying to decide between these two sets of memory :

Geil


Patriot

I want to be able to achieve about a 2750 Mhz OC on my X2 3800. I am wondering whether I should go for the low latency ram, Geil and use a divider or should I go for the 1:1 ratio and get the Patriot ?

Which ram would actually feel faster in real world apps ?

 

[overst33r]

Memory does not matter much with A64 because of the integrated memory controller...if youre going to spend that much money spend it on a better video card or something that will actually have a better bang for the buck ratio. If you do choose to spend money on expensive RAM, make sure it is TCCD memory.

 

[Mixman]

Well both are TCCD chips, which I prefer. I don't want to have to have a fan just for my memory like with CH-5 chips.

So you would recommend against any memory upgrade for me. Right now I have to run a 5/6 divider on my memory to get my cpu to 2600. I would like at least a 9/10 divider.

 

[evilharp]

First, look at this thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=28&threadid=1475190&enterthread=y

Ask yourself if expensive ram is really worth it for you.

If it is, look at the timings that the ram is rated for and the timings that people have successfully run the ram at. Look for 1T over 2T (big impact). The patriot you linked seems to run at 2T. Your Geil link goes to the Patriot ram as well.

Careful with Geil, there have been stories of serious incompatibility with certain motherboards/CPUs. Read the reviews carefully.

As for the chips to use, it is hard to summarize everything, but I'll try

TCCD = low volts to achieve high speed - but - loose timings
BH5 (classic and new) = low to mad volts, capable of high speed with tight timings
CH5 = ? Honestly, people have a love/hate relationship with CH5 chips
The Rest (UTT, etc..) = depends on manufaturer of the chips and how they are used by the DIMM maker (OCZ, Geil, Corsair, Mushkin, etc..)

Make sure your motherboard can give you the volts you need (some top out a 2.7v to 2.9v) to reach the rated speed. Important: if you go above 2.9v make sure you are actively cooling your ram (using a fan) as it will get hot.

Also, if you are going to spend serious cash on ram, look into the RAM's PCB as well. Brainpower PCB seems to be rated as the best. Not everyone uses Brainpower.

 

[Mixman]

Thanks fixed the Geil link. Well I have the OCZ gold ram now and I can RMA it back to Newegg and only spend another $41 for the Patriot . the Geil will cost another $69. Is that worth it ?

 

[evilharp]

Ultimately it is up to you. The thread I refered you to is a good reference for A64 users when it comes to RAM selection.

High speed ram is expensive, and its impact varies from application to application (benchmarks love it, real apps see varied gains).

As for Geil over Patriot:
-Geil is a big established name (global) whereas Patriot seems to be unique to Newegg
-Geil offers cas 1.5 at DDR400 (not every mobo/chip supports this) and Patriot doesn't.
-Geil is TCCD as is Patriot (question: who is better at "Speed Binning")
-Geil is more expensive
-Both have "lifetime" warranties

But like mariok2006 said, with the A64 ram isn't as important. You'd notice a huge difference if you upgraded your video card instead (your "value" vid card seems like an odd duck in your rig)

 

[lifeguard1999]

Check dfi-street.com to make sure the memory is compatible with your DFI motherboard.

 

[charloscarlies]

Originally posted by: evilharp

-Geil is a big established name (global) whereas Patriot seems to be unique to Newegg

Patriot is not unique to Newegg at all.

 

[jiffylube1024]

I'd go for the Patriots since they are rated up to PC4800 speeds, meaning they're very good TCCD's; those GeIL's may or may not hit PC4800 speeds.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Originally posted by: Mixman
Well both are TCCD chips, which I prefer. I don't want to have to have a fan just for my memory like with CH-5 chips.

So you would recommend against any memory upgrade for me. Right now I have to run a 5/6 divider on my memory to get my cpu to 2600. I would like at least a 9/10 divider.

You wouldn't see a real world difference in those settings & RAM setups.

 

[Mixman]

Originally posted by: evilharp
Ultimately it is up to you. The thread I refered you to is a good reference for A64 users when it comes to RAM selection.

High speed ram is expensive, and its impact varies from application to application (benchmarks love it, real apps see varied gains).

As for Geil over Patriot:
-Geil is a big established name (global) whereas Patriot seems to be unique to Newegg
-Geil offers cas 1.5 at DDR400 (not every mobo/chip supports this) and Patriot doesn't.
-Geil is TCCD as is Patriot (question: who is better at "Speed Binning")
-Geil is more expensive
-Both have "lifetime" warranties

But like mariok2006 said, with the A64 ram isn't as important. You'd notice a huge difference if you upgraded your video card instead (your "value" vid card seems like an odd duck in your rig)

I am going to replace my video card soon. Just bought it to build the rig. I am not really a gamer, but I still want a fast as hell computer.

So should I just stay with my current memory ? I want to take the processor up to about 2750, but I will have to bring the memry doen to about 150Mhz to do so. Will this hurt performance ?

 

[imported_wyrmrider]

I'd say IMHO keep the memory you have unless you are being paid by the hour and some specific application benefits from the faster or quickedr memory and pays back in your valuable time saved
also consider the moe memory vs faster memory question depeding on your application mix
many times more inexpensive memory will give more benefits than just fast memory
wyrmrider

 

[Mixman]

In my situation would I need 2 gigs of ram ? I don't really play games, but I do like to multitask.

 

[lifeguard1999]

Multitasking web browser & email? No, you do not need 2 GB of RAM.
Multitasking Adobe Photoshop, Video encoding? Yes, you may need 2 GB of RAM.

 

[Fallengod]

I would say you never need 2gb of ram personaly. I dont see an instance of it offering anything, except minimal improvements that isnt worth the cash value. Except the random person who always says "BF2". 1GB is plenty. I do maya, photoshop, CCE(mpeg2, dvd encoding), dvd authoring, compiling in scenarist, video editing, and hardcore gaming. If I dont have problems in those apps with only 1gb, its not going to be a problem in anything else. I suppose if you got money to burn.....but id rather see someone spend the extra cash on a faster cpu or vid card first. My 2 cents.

 

[cfrage]

2GB would be nice if your going to be playing FEAR. I had 1.5GB with my old barton system and fear ran w/o swap file activity. Now with only 1GB in the new system it writes to swap quite often. I hope they optimize the retail game so its not such a memory hog.

 

[Fallengod]

Originally posted by: cfrage
2GB would be nice if your going to be playing FEAR. I had 1.5GB with my old barton system and fear ran w/o swap file activity. Now with only 1GB in the new system it writes to swap quite often. I hope they optimize the retail game so its not such a memory hog.

You cant really base a game off a beta demo. I would be very supprised if fear "needed" 2gb... I dont see how. My brother played it with 1 gb of value ram non-dual channel , and it played flawlessly.

 

[lifeguard1999]

Investigations into Socket 939 Athlon 64 Overclocking on the front page answers some of the questions here. The difference between inexpensive and expensive memory in real applications is about 5%.