Memory for EVGA P55 Micro

[inac]

The memory specs for the evga P55 Micro varies on the website (DDR3 2000+) and on the actual box (DDR3 1600+)... (Are the two equivalent?)

Also, the only i7 available for LGA1156 seems to run at different freq's (DDR3-1066/1333).

Which memory (what frequency) would you suggest for a build with the evga p55 micro and i7-860?

(Currently, I've ordered 2x2 Corsair 2 X 2GB PC3-10666 1333MHz TW3X4G1333C9DHX. This mobo seems to have 4 DIMM's, so I'm assuming it works best with 2 or 4 sticks, rather than 3 or 6, even with an i7 cpu...)

 

[saint19]

Hi newcomer and welcome to the Tom's hardware forum.

Don't worry about the RAM specs, because you won't see a any difference between 2000 and 1600.

For the RAM, you can go with 4GB 1333 or 1600, both are very good. Be sure that the CL is 8 or less and the voltage is 1.65V or less, because a high voltage can affect your CPU.

 

[inac]

Hi newcomer and welcome to the Tom's hardware forum.

Thanks!

Don't worry about the RAM specs, because you won't see a any difference between 2000 and 1600.

For the RAM, you can go with 4GB 1333 or 1600, both are very good. Be sure that the CL is 8 or less and the voltage is 1.65V or less, because a high voltage can affect your CPU.

The RAM I ordered is 9-9-9-24 with 1.5V - It looks like DDR3 CL's are all high like that, would 9 make a big difference over an 8?
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16820145198

 

[saint19]

A very big difference maybe not, but for the speed that you want is very high.

Check this two options:

1- G.Skill 1333 CL7, same price BUT with a better CL.
2- G.Skill 1333 CL8 less price with CL8.

 

[ekoostik]

Either of the sets recommended by saint19 are good. You might find the following article interesting: LGA 1156 Memory Performance: What Speed DDR3 Should You Buy?

Also, for socket 1156 CPUs (Lynnfield or Clarkdale) while at stock the fastest frequency you can run the RAM at is 1333 MHz, except for the i7 8xx CPUs which can run at 1600 MHz. Of course you can overclock your CPU to get your RAM to higher speeds.

To clarify a couple things:

Also, the only i7 available for LGA1156 seems to run at different freq's (DDR3-1066/1333).

There are two i7 CPUs available for socket 1156. The i7 860 and the i7 870. They are both capable of running at many different frequencies (up to 1600 at stock, higher if you OC).

This mobo seems to have 4 DIMM's, so I'm assuming it works best with 2 or 4 sticks, rather than 3 or 6, even with an i7 cpu...

It's not the name of the CPU (i.e. whether or not it's an i7), but the generation/architecture/socket that tells you how many sticks of RAM go in a set. The Lynnfield socket 1156 CPUs are dual-channel (designed for sets of 2 - or 4) while the Bloomfield socket 1366 are tripple-channel (designed for sets of 3 - or 6). Of course you can run any number of sticks in the boards, but they were designed to be dual or tripple channel.

 

[inac]

I just tried installing 3 sticks of ddr3 2gb OCZ 1600MHz ram (OCZ3G1600LV6GK) in the P55 Micro mobo.. It's a LGA1156, so I suppose that only supports 2-channel instead of 3-channel (which means the OCZ ram advert's "triple channel designed for i7" is bull). The system is extremely unstable and auto restarts (deadly pop sound, like a circuit's blown) after just a few moments.

Do I need to change the RAM voltage?

 

[inac]

Windows Memory Diagonistics Tool: "Hardware problems were detected. To identify and repair these problems, you will need to contact the computer manufacturer."

Does this mean the RAM is doa?

 

[ekoostik]

First - Have you run memtest86+ yet? If not, download and follow instructions here: http://www.memtest.org/

Second - wow it's been a long time since you started this thread! Is this a new problem or did you just put the build together?

 

[inac]

Problem is I can barely get it to load Windows 7 x64 desktop before auto restart (again, with evga p55 micro's sickening pop, sounds like something's fried, but it's an auto reset). Windows Mem Diagnostic runs in the black screens before Windows.


Reopening the thread - changed the RAM in basically the same system (still fits the thread subject line).

 

[ekoostik]

That popping sounds bad. Try running with just 1 stick of RAM in the first slot (second physical slot from CPU). Memtest86+ is not run from Windows, you burn it to CD and then boot to it so if you can get it burned from another machine then you don't have to worry about getting into Windows.

Please provide an updated spec list. The mobo link is now dead. Mobo, PSU, etc, etc.

Last question, after installing RAM did you make any changes in BIOS? Try loading the defaults, or configuring the new RAM timings by hand.

 

[inac]

no changes to bios the first time. the second time, i tried setting mhz to 1600. that was when nothing would start. powered off the mobo and reset bios - it barely works. something is up with the RAM!

i7-860
evga p55 micro
3 x ddr3 2gb OCZ 1600MHz ram (OCZ3G1600LV6GK)
tried with both msi geforce gts 250 and evga geforce gtx 460

 

[ekoostik]

The RAM was intended for the i7 9xx / X58 / 1366 platform. But it should still work with your system.

I find it funny (and a little disturbing) that the OCZ web site claims these are "low voltage" but they are spec'ed at 1.65V. That is the maximum for 1156 and 1366 sockets. I suppose at the time 1366 came out RAM typically required more V so in a sense this RAM was lower voltage than before. Anyway, back to your issue...

After you swapped RAM, did you load the BIOS defaults? Try that and see if it makes a difference. It will set your RAM at 1333 MHz but you should get it stable there before moving up to 1600.

If you already tried that, take out 2 sticks leaving just 1 RAM stick in DIMM slot 1 (the 2nd physical slot from the CPU) - how does that run? If it seems stable, run memtest86+ against it.

 

[Xman15]

no changes to bios the first time. the second time, i tried setting mhz to 1600. that was when nothing would start. powered off the mobo and reset bios - it barely works. something is up with the RAM!

i7-860
evga p55 micro
3 x ddr3 2gb OCZ 1600MHz ram (OCZ3G1600LV6GK)
tried with both msi geforce gts 250 and evga geforce gtx 460

The dual channel motherboards (p55) are designed to run a balanced load of RAM per channel and that means the mobo will work best if both memory channels are populated with the same amount of RAM.