[Solved] Which 6GB RAM is better? G.SKILL PI CAS7 or Corsair Dominator XMS?

Hey everyone. I'm trying to finalize my build, and I have two remaining parts left. First, I will try to choose the RAM. I have some questions regarding the compatibility of RAM with my motherboard.

Here's what I currently have:

CPU: i7 930
Mobo: Asus P6T SE
GFX Card: PowerColor HD5850 OC
HD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB
DVD-RW: An Asus DVD-RW
Case: Antec 900
Power Supply: Antec TruePower 650W

So I still need some RAM. I was hoping to get a 6GB triple channel kit (3 x 2GB) to maximize my CPU and motherboard. However, I was not sure which RAM would work. The motherboard states that it can support frequencies of the DDR3-2000, DDR3-1866, DDR3-1800, DDR3-1600 under "OC" (ticked asterisk on the mobo specs), and normally without OC DDR3-1333 & DDR3-1066. My questions are then as follows:

1) I wanted to know if I am not overclocking anything (leaving the CPU & RAM @ stock, just planning to build the computer and go), would I still be able to use the DDR3-1600 speeds? Looking at the RAM prices, there is not much of a difference between DDR3-1600 vs DDR3-1333. It almost seems like everyone is using the 1600 speeds nowadays. I've heard of XMP profiles that can be set in the BIOS, but some ppl say it can also be risky to the motherboard (I've read a case where the mobo was destroyed due to incorrect XMP settings?). The other thing is that would the 1600 speeds always be able to revert back to 1333 speeds in case it doesn't work? Should I get the 1600 or 1333 speeds if I am not OC'ing at all? Are the 1600 speeds future proof if I do any OC later on?

2) The next thing is: what RAM do you recommend for my system specifically? I have heard stories where RAM is not compatible with certain mobos while other mobos are very picky. Please help me choose some RAM. My budget is probably a max of $180 (or so) including cashback/rebates for the RAM.

Thank you!

1. You can buy faster RAM .... as to whether it will do anything for you, I'd say very little.

Stock:
133 BCLK x 21 CPU Multiplier = 2.80 Ghz
133 BCLK x 8 Memory Multiplier = 1066 Mhz

25% Memory OC:
133 BCLK x 21 CPU Multiplier = 2.80 Ghz
133 BCLK x 10 Memory Multiplier = 1333 Mhz

50% Memory OC:
133 BCLK x 21 CPU Multiplier = 2.80 Ghz
133 BCLK x 12 Memory Multiplier = 1600 Mhz

However what most peeps are looking for .....

25% System OC:
167 BCLK x 21 CPU Multiplier = 3.50 Ghz
167 BCLK x 8 Memory Multiplier = 1333 Mhz

50% System OC:
200 BCLK x 21 CPU Multiplier = 4.20 Ghz
200 BCLK x 8 Memory Multiplier = 1600 Mhz

The latter setup OC's your entire system . If you are not going to OC, I'd just get 1066.

If you think you might OC in the future, get DDR3-1600, lowest CAS # you can afford. See the THG sample builds, they include RAM modules that have been found to perform better than their labels would indicate.

The Corsair Dominators are very good and will be ample for your setup. You can easily set the bios to run these modules at 1600. You should have no issues.

Wow! That price is amazing that runs at a lower CAS & lower voltage.

However, I had bought the Corsair Dominator series already for about $9 more. They are already shipped.

It seems my motherboard can support both memories although the Corsair Dominator is on it's qualified memory list. G.SKILL may just be newer.

Nevertheless, what is the difference between this G.SKILL and the Corsair Dominator series? How are the G.SKILL able to have a lower CAS + voltage at the same speed? Which one is better in your guys' opinion?

Would I be at a disadvantage NOT to get the G.SKILLs since they are running at lower CAS + a lower voltage? Lower voltage would mean less heat production, correct?

Awesome. What I had in mind originally was: leave everything at stock with the exception of the RAM. I would most likely have to bump up RAM at either 1333 speeds or 1600 speeds. I would leave my i7 930 at 2.8 until later when I decide to add a CPU cooler and truly OC it. So I was not sure if the G.SKILL were superior in this case...

In a high-end gaming rig (I am not sure if I consider my system one) or under intensive applications, would the lower voltage and lower latency mean a sure difference?

Also, is it true that if you indeed have a lower voltage on your RAM, your CPU cores also runs cooler? I was under the assumption that this was the case. If this is, by how much cooler would you think changing the memory voltage from 1.65V to 1.5V gives?