New DDR3 ram on X38 chipset

[Thater]

I have an older Asus P5E3 Deluxe WiFi-AP@n with an E8500. It's an x38 chipset with DDR3. Recently the RAM I bought with the motherboard bit the dust, so I was going to order some new sticks.

I'm seeing a lot of RAM now is specifically designed for AM3 and P55 chipsets though, and I'm worried about dishing out $80 for 4 gigs if it won't work on my motherboard. I plan on getting 1333 so no overclocking or anything. Will my machine be unstable, and if so is there anything I can do to mediate the problem?

 

[Lmeow]

Generally speaking, with most RAM kits and most motherboards, if it fits, it works. Compatibility wouldn't be a big issue, in fact, since the IMC isn't on the CPU, you can buy higher voltage DDR3 kits as far as I'm aware. If you're not overclocking, just buy the cheapest kit you can find, with decent reviews and the lower the timings, the better.

 

[Crashman]

I have an older Asus P5E3 Deluxe WiFi-AP@n with an E8500. It's an x38 chipset with DDR3. Recently the RAM I bought with the motherboard bit the dust, so I was going to order some new sticks.

I'm seeing a lot of RAM now is specifically designed for AM3 and P55 chipsets though, and I'm worried about dishing out $80 for 4 gigs if it won't work on my motherboard. I plan on getting 1333 so no overclocking or anything. Will my machine be unstable, and if so is there anything I can do to mediate the problem?

Get the P55 RAM, it's higher quality. I use it on my X48, which is the same thing as an X38. Really, Intel started validating the X38 at FSB-1600 and added the newer X48 label without changing anything on the chipset.

Basically, stuff that's labeled "for AM3" is often the "old" stuff, which requires higher voltage (overclocking) to run at speed above DDR3-1066. You can get DDR3-1333 at 1.50V now, the stuff is great, and I've not had problems with most brands (RAM testing is part of my job).

The one product line I have had problems with is OCZ Gold. Around 1/3 of my OCZ Gold kits have had a bad module. If you cross off OCZ Gold, you still have tons of options.