Unbranded ram vs Kingston ram question

You sometimes just pay for the brand really, RAM comes from only a couple of manufacturer's before they go to aftermarket so the price difference is not worth it as they are all the same really

It's going to vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and from build shop to build shop. If you want to know the exact model and specs of the RAM, Google the manufacturer+ laptop model/SKU+ something like "what kind of RAM" or "RAM spec" and you can usually find something. Usually it will be decent but unspectacular and medium to high CAS.

What I recommend is comparing the cost of the branded upgrade to the cost of upgrading the RAM after purchase (taking whatever the lowest cost RAM option is in the build, and then replacing it later). Go with whichever is cheaper with the desired performance.

Well maybe the branded ram has warranty? That's all i can think of really, they are all made from the main manufacturers, hynix, samsung etc. so performance won't be that much different between the 2, both have same clock speed aswell so nothing noticeable will be different

yeah, changing ram IF a problem came up wouldn't be too hard but unbranded is fine, you mainly pay for the name really

Here's a thread that illustrates my comment about indentifying stock RAM and the performance differences between types: http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2219613/ram-sager.html

Even if you subscribe to the philosophy that all RAM is the same and it doesn't matter, the price comparison method I described still works. Let's say that 1 x 8GB unidentified RAM is the lowest, cheapest option available on that particular build site. If the cost of buying an additional stick of identical RAM off Amazon (or even a matched pair out of compatibility concerns) is less than the cost of the upgrade, then the best value option is obvious.

These are perfect examples. Unfortunately, I have to handle the kids for a while. I'll post a purchase comparison in an hour or two.

If only DRAM were as simple as so many believe - to read some of the above you think that only a couple places or so make DRAM and everybody buys it and sticks their name on it which simply isn't true...to a degree it can be but the process is much more involved - there are manufactrers that make memory chips, the chips we might call one model brand X are somewhat binned by the manufacture of the memory chips and to meet certain tolerances they may be offered for sale to DRAM manufactures as three different (or more) lots based on the tolerances they meet in the binning process so now instead of simply Brand X we have BrandX1, BrandX2, and BrandX3... - these are sold to the actual manufacturers. The manufactures then further break them down in their own binning process or in the case of various no name Brands they simply buy the chips with the worst tolerance levels and crank them into sticks of DRAM, again using cheap solder, cheap PCB boards, etc. The Name Brand manufacturers then take what they buy and further bin them out to higher tolerance standards, some of the chips based on testing may end up in sticks of 1600/8 or 1600/9, 1866/9, 2133/10 or whatever.....getting back to the earlier makers rebranding sticks, can be seen in the AMD brand of DRAM, which are actually made by Patriot and VisionTek, so in that case the AMD 'brand' isn't made by AMD but contracted through these two other DRAM manufacturers

With what you'll be doing, I'd go with higher freq DRAM, though to provide a better recommendation would need to know CPU and mobo. As far as the no name, it's often hit or miss, you could happen onto a pair with very strong ICs or a set with extremely weak ones. You'll often see looser timings on lower end sticks like 1600/10 or 11 1333/9/10 etc....You also might see them requiring higher voltages (i.e. for 1600 and below I won't touch sticks that call for more than 1.5 - sticks wanting 1.6-1.65 at those freqs are indicative of weak memory chips being used. What mobo/CPU and do you plan to OC?

To most people, a cigarette is a cigarette, they look the same, smoke the same, come in the same size pack. Yet I would rather go without and nic-fit for hours, if I ran out of mine, and the only other option was a Pyramid. I can imagine sdram being the same. For some things, generic is just not the same.

Very nice summary from Tradesman1, as usual. In answer to your question about whether the performance/quality difference is worth the extra money, that requires a value judgement on your part. The vast majority of PC users wouldn't know the difference between good DRAM and bad DRAM, and couldn't care less. There's a small segment of society (many of whom populate this website) that does know the difference and care greatly. It's like the difference between someone who will shell out money to add an aftermarket exhaust or air-intake to their vehicle in order to get more horsepower and/or better gas mileage, compared to folks who only have a vague idea of what kind of MPG or horsepower their car gets in the first place. If you fall into the first category, then yes it's worth it. If you're in the second, then no it's not.

Anyway, on to the purchase comparison I mentioned earlier. I'll use the Sager build as an example since I'm more familiar with them:

Having recently purchased a Sager build, I know that the stock memory that I got was Samsung M471B1G73QH0-YK0. I just got the model off the stick itself, but I also found that info online and was expecting it when I purchased it. I have no way of knowing whether every custom build with stock SDRAM will come with the same, but being pretty familiar with the economics of component stocking, I feel safe assuming that Sager got a good deal on them with a bulk purchase and will ship them until that lot is depleted. That being said, here are your options:

Option 1: 16GB stock SDRAM at 1600MHz - 2 X 8GB [+$90.00]

Option 2: 8GB stock SDRAM at 1600MHz - 1 X 8GB [+$0], then add a matching stick for @ $116 on eBay or $147 at Memory4Less. [+$116]

Option 3: 16GB Kingston HyperX CL9 at 1600MHz - 2 X 8GB [+$160.00]

Option 4: 8GB stock SDRAM at 1600MHz - 1 X 8GB [+$0], then replace with 16GB G.SKILL Ripjaws Series at 1600MHz - 2 x 8GB for $155 at Newegg [+$155]

For the stock SDRAM (Options 1 & 2), it's obvious that it'll be cheaper to get it with the build rather than trying to add in a matching stick later. The main reason for this is that particular SKU is not commonly available, since it's normally sold as an OEM part under contract rather than retail. The major drawbacks to this option is that, aside from being CAS 11, the lot was probably not binned for quality beyond basic specs (see Tradesman1's post), and the two sticks will be tested together prior to shipping your laptop, but they will not have been binned together as a matched set.

For the name-brand SDRAM (Options 3 & 4), for such a slight difference in price, it would seem easier to just get the Kingstons with the build for only $5 more. If you go with Option 4 however, in addition to saving $5 you'll get a set of sticks that were binned, tested and matched together. There's no way to know if the same is true of the Kingstons. Again, they'll be tested prior to shipping, but that's pretty much all you can take for granted. An additional benefit to Opt 4 is that you'll also get the 8GB stick of stock SDRAM. You can sell it, use it to upgrade another laptop, or try it out with the two Ripjaws - if they play well together, the set won't be as fast as the Ripjaws alone but you'll have 24GB of usable SDRAM.

Note 1 - This comparison process works for other components as well, like the SSDs, HDDs, etc.

Note 2 - I currently own two Sager gaming laptops and love them, but if you decide to buy a Sager I highly recommend you buy it through xoticpc.com rather than direct. You get the same or more build options, the component prices are the same as Sagers, and xoticpc has great customer service. If you need to RMA, repair, send in for upgrade, etc, they'll deal with Sager for you which is huge because Sager customer support sucks.

Note 3 - Make sure that if you're going to do upgrades yourself, the system you get allows it. I could be wrong, but I believe simply removing the back cover voids MSI's warranty. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

The difference between them is marginal. If the price difference is marginal also, I'd go for the 4810. The most glaring difference is the 4810 has a 100MHz higher base clock, which means that across the board it will be slightly faster than the 4800. That puts you in the exact same judgement-call arena as the RAM discussion

De nada. Good luck and feel free to hit us up if you have more questions.