I was wondering if anyone could help me with a question I had regarding RAM. I'm building a new PC and a friend of mine recommended G.Skill RAM. More specifically, this
I was wondering if anyone could help me with a question I had regarding RAM. I'm building a new PC and a friend of mine recommended G.Skill RAM. More specifically, this
Am I missing something here? It seems like the second link will give me not only faster ram, but more of it for a cheaper price?
Thanks in advance for any explanations
I have five GB's of this. Micron chips and easily clocks beyond 1000mhz. near or at PC8500 and some get beyond 1066 mhz. This is the good stuff. The other is good RAM, just not as overclocker friendly. Depending on your other system specs, the PC6400 RAM in this link is the more overclockable of the two.
What a pleasant surprise then to find G.Skill DDR2-800 4-4-4-12 memory, with a mid-range price, built with Micron D9 memory chips. In fairness it is not exactly the same chip, since these Micron D9, designated D9GMH, are binned for lower performance than the very best, which are designated D9GKX. Still, we are dealing with the same excellent base memory chip, which have come through different sorts.
This same chip, binned to a lower speed and timings, does manage to reach the same performance level as the best at DDR2-800, but it requires much higher voltage to reach the 3-3-3 timings. However, if you are willing to compromise a bit, you can achieve the rated DDR2-800 at 4-4-4 timings with a very average 1.9V memory voltage. The G.Skill also became one of the few DDR2-800 kits tested at AnandTech that actually reached DDR2-1067. That memory speed required all our board could deliver at 2.35V to 2.4V and the timings still could not match the best D9 we have tested - 5-5-5 with G.Skill compared to 4-3-4 with the best D9-based DIMMs. However, this mid-priced memory acquitted itself very well, delivering more than we expected in our memory test suite.
The G.Skill DDR2-800 4-4-4-12 is not a ringer as you still get more with the very best money can buy - at DDR2-1067 and beyond. In other words you get what you pay for in this case. However, if DDR2-800 is as high as you will go, or DDR2-1067 at slower timings is still fine, then the G.Skill does deliver great value. It can be driven to the exact same memory speeds and timings as the best you can buy up to DDR2-800, although it will require more voltage to get there. If you don't want to use, or don't have that higher voltage available, then the G.Skill still perform\s at rated timings at a very respectable and always available 1.9V at DDR2-800.
We asked in the beginning if the G.Skill mid-priced DDR2-800 4-4-4-12 delivered value. Since you can reach all the same timings up to DDR2-800 if you have the voltage to supply, then it certainly can perform just as well as top-line to DDR2-800. The F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ can also reach to DDR2-1067, with the performance improvements that can bring, although it does require slower timings than the best DDR2 tested at AnandTech. Finally, for those budget buyers who are using motherboards that can not supply voltages above 2.0V to 2.1V, the G.Skill will run at DDR2-800 4-4-4-12 at a very modest 1.9V. Overall, the G.Skill DDR2-800 gives excellent value, matching or coming close to the best we have tested to DDR2-800 with excellent overclocking beyond. There are certainly better performing DDR2 kits available, including some from G.Skill themselves, but for the money you will pay you definitely receive excellent value with this G.Skill 2GB DDR2-800 kit.
Message edited by badge on 02-04-2008 at 06:58:43 AM
All the RAM you have listed runs great in the latest Intel x38 boards. Don't know about the 780i compatibility or performance, but Nvidia chipsets are generally much more picky with RAM. Maybe someone has experience with the 780i.
badge you seem pretty knowledgeable in the RAM department, I was wondering what you think would go best with the Wolfdale E8400, an Artic Freezer 7 for cooling in terms of memory. I already use some G.Skill DDR800 with incredibly low timings, but I haven't tried to overclock them much, you said most ram can hit 890MHZ (to match up with the FSB correct?) but good ram will hit 1000MHZ to allow for a nice CPU overclock..
I have a few questions
1) Which DDR2 800 sticks of RAM would you suggest for hitting 1000mhz with a 780i EVGA mobo
2) If the timings on the G.Skill beat out the competition but can only achieve say... 890, would it be better to stick with them or drop them for higher latency ram to overclock the processor more?
3) I read about RAM a long time ago and read that DDR and maybe this applied to DDR2 and DDR3 modules... that their advertised speed (DDR 400) meant that if you divided it by 2 you would get the memory modules clock speed.
4) I usually overclock AMD processors so I haven't messed with a Intel processor overclocking wise yet, but since AMD has an on die memory controller how will this effect the RAM with intels on the motherboard memory controller?
Some of these I have a good feeling about but you seemed pretty knowledgeable from the posts I've read, and I just wanted to get some questions answered.
Message edited by nossr50 on 02-04-2008 at 07:53:16 AM
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All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts
-Shakespeare
I have 4GB of the first ram sticks that I bought before it went up in price so much. I works great. To find out if the cheaper ram will work with the EVGA motherboard I would send an email to EVGA and ask.
1) Which DDR2 800 sticks of RAM would you suggest for hitting 1000mhz with a 780i EVGA mobo
Like Bob Knight said, send EVGA an email and ask. You can send the RAM mfg.'s tech support an email and ask specific questions also. Or use a RAM configurator like this one:
2) If the timings on the G.Skill beat out the competition but can only achieve say... 890, would it be better to stick with them or drop them for higher latency ram to overclock the processor more?
Try to loosen the timings and have your RAM clock to higher speeds. Increasing the voltage to the RAM and NB can help to achieve higher RAM speeds if needed. The better the quality of RAM chip, the better the overclocking ability obviously. My G. Skill PC6400 overclock real well like the Anandtech article said.
3) I read about RAM a long time ago and read that DDR and maybe this applied to DDR2 and DDR3 modules... that their advertised speed (DDR 400) meant that if you divided it by 2 you would get the memory modules clock speed.
RAM speed is measured in Mhz. (example 800 mhz.), and at the same time in GB/per sec. transfer rate to the CPU (PC6400 =6.4 GB/sec transfer rate). DDR means Double Data Rate no matter DDR, DDR2, DDR3.
Quote :
4) I usually overclock AMD processors so I haven't messed with a Intel processor overclocking wise yet, but since AMD has an on die memory controller how will this effect the RAM with intels on the motherboard memory controller?
AMD or Intel, either chipset will require the RAM speed to increrase in speed when you overclock the system's bus or FSB. There are a lot of variables there and it's a simplified answer to a complex question. Let's just say, if your asking your question in an extreme overclockers forum having "Value' RAM is an obstacle you will have to overcome.
Message edited by badge on 02-04-2008 at 12:16:43 PM
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