Intel i7-4790 - 1600MHz DDR3 or faster?

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martinch

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Mar 21, 2014
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Hi all,

I'm looking to build a new PC soon, based around a Core i7-4790 (probably with a Noctua NH-U12S cooler as it's quiet), and an ASUS Z97-Pro. It will mostly be used for editing "raw" files from my digital camera (24MP 14-bit/channel - approx 75MB when losslessly compressed), as well as some gaming, software development, and running virtual machines.

I was originally looking at fitting 16GB of 1600MHz CL9 DDR3 (Corsair Vengeance Low Profile), as that's the upper limit of the published specification for Haswell. However, talking to a colleague, they've said that Haswell "likes" faster memory.

So, four questions:
1. Will I notice a difference if I fit faster memory? Looking on Crucial's web site, it indicates roughly a 2GB/s increase in bandwidth by going up a notch in speed.

2. As Intel publish a spreadsheet of "certified" memory, which includes 2400MHz kits for the i7-4770, am I right in thinking that this won't have an impact on the lifespan of the CPU, despite the memory controller being over-clocked by doing this? (I tend to keep my PCs for 5+ years)

3. Is there an "optimal" speed rating to opt for?

4. Is there a difference in quality between the manufacturers, or are they all pretty-much the same? The last time I looked (when DDR2 was new), Corsair's published return rate and "tested defective" rate was lower than the others (and I've used them since for that reason), although I've read comments that imply that might not be the case so much these days..?

Being in the UK I can easily get Corsair and Crucial memory. Kingston, Avexir, and G.Skill are available, although somewhat harder to find.

Looking at Corsair's memory, I can get 1600Mhz CAS 9-9-9-24 (either Vengeance Low Profile or Pro), 1866MHz CAS 9-10-9-27 (Vengeance or Vengeance Pro), 2133MHz CAS 11-11-11-27 Vengeance Pro), or 2400MHz CAS 10-12-12-31 for £125 (the difference is literally pence). For Crucial, I can get their 1600MHz CAS 9-9-9-24 (Ballistix Sport Low Profile) for £105 or CAS 8-8-8-24 (Ballistix Tactical Low Profile) for £110, and their 1866MHz CAS 9-9-9-27 (Ballistix Tactical or Elite) for £125-135 - they don't seem to make anything faster than 1866MHz.

Thanks :)
 
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Tradesman1
Yes Haswell does utilize DRAM and scale to it better than previous gens of Intel CPUs:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7364/memory-scaling-on-haswell

If going with a non-K CPU would suggest 1866/9 or 1866/8, the 1866/9 is basically the same price as the 1600 sets these days and provides more bandwidth. Some non K CPUs can carry 2133, but there's no guarantee (can always go 2133 (if price is good) and if no joy then drop to 1866 with tighter timings for near 2133 performance.

As to voltages, Intel is rather contradictory - they state (for Haswell) 1600 - 1.5 is recommended, yet they certify a wide variety of DRAM up through 3000 or so and 1.65, I normally try and keep voltage to 1.5 on 1600 and mid/low performance 1866 sticks, and...
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photonboy

photonboy

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#1 and #2) You CAN notice a difference with faster memory in some applications, however there is some confusion on this issue because while your system may run faster it can wear out quicker if the voltage runs higher than 1.5Volts for the DDR3 memory.

Since you mention longevity I advise you to not run above 1.5Volts though I think some 1866MHz can still run at 1.5Volts at this frequency.

3) There is no OPTIMAL speed. There is an optimal VALUE. If the memory is faster than needed it's just a waste of money.

4) There appears to be a quality difference. Look at a high average with Customer Feedback.
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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Other:
On the QUALITY front, and the CPU you listed->

If you get a "Devil's Canyon" Haswell refresh you want a compatible motherboard like the Asus Z97 Gryphon. I recommend one of the Asus "TUF" series for you as they have a 5-year Warranty (must register in 30 days. can do with installation software).

You also didn't mention the "K" version of the CPU which I recommend since it overclocks a bit more.
 
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martinch

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Ta - wasn't sure if it was a "well, there's a difference in benchmarks" difference, or a "the program actually feels faster" difference. :)


Yeah, I'd read that running above 1.55V was not a good idea (although I've also seen some posts that contradict this). Of all of the ones I mentioned, only the Corsair 2400MHz were 1.65v - all of the others were 1.5v. :)


Agreed. :) I was more asking if there was a point of diminishing returns, e.g. if there was a big bump going from 1600MHz to 1866MHz, but then only a small one going on to 2133MHz.


Just had a look on NewEgg (Amazon only had single-digits reviews), and the Corsair Vengeance seems to get worse reviews (more failures, flimsier heatsinks) than the Vengeance Pro's. The Crucial ones seem to get more positive comments, although there's not many reviews of them.


I did have a look at the Sabretooth, although it was a little expensive for my liking (£185). I can't find a UK stockist listing the Z97 Gryphon at the moment (although, personally, I'd rather have a full ATX board).


I'm keeping half an eye on the upcoming "Devil's Canyon" unit, if only for the possibly improved thermal characteristics, although, to be honest, I wasn't really thinking of over-clocking it. Free performance is tempting, though. :)
 
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Tradesman1

Tradesman1

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Jun 5, 2013
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Yes Haswell does utilize DRAM and scale to it better than previous gens of Intel CPUs:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7364/memory-scaling-on-haswell

If going with a non-K CPU would suggest 1866/9 or 1866/8, the 1866/9 is basically the same price as the 1600 sets these days and provides more bandwidth. Some non K CPUs can carry 2133, but there's no guarantee (can always go 2133 (if price is good) and if no joy then drop to 1866 with tighter timings for near 2133 performance.

As to voltages, Intel is rather contradictory - they state (for Haswell) 1600 - 1.5 is recommended, yet they certify a wide variety of DRAM up through 3000 or so and 1.65, I normally try and keep voltage to 1.5 on 1600 and mid/low performance 1866 sticks, and then look at 1.6 - 1.65 for 2133 and up sticks...reasoning is 1.65 is ridiculous for 1600 sticks when over 90% of 1600 sticks (even high performance CL7 and 8 sets) are 1.5 or lower, 1.6 - 1.65 can be indicative of old models and/or cheap/weak memory chips better suited to 1066/1333 sticks
 
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