I5 2500k, Asus p8p67 Evo... What RAM?

[luke778899]

Hi guys, I am about to start building a gaming rig with the i5 2500k and the p8p67 evo motherboard. I will be overclocking and I need advise as to what RAM I should buy. I want something reliable, not too expensive and compatible with the new SB processors.
Any advise?

 

[rolli59]

For overclocking http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231419

 

[Eagle Eye_54]

For overclocking http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231419

I think you'll have lots of issues with 2000Mhz RAM. If you a stable platform, I'd buy good quality 1333 or 1600 RAM that runs at 1.5v and you can OC all you want.

 

[rolli59]

I think you'll have lots of issues with 2000Mhz RAM. If you a stable platform, I'd buy good quality 1333 or 1600 RAM that runs at 1.5v and you can OC all you want.

Could you please explain the issue's, to my knowledge it is easy to run ram under its specified speed trouble starts when exceeding the rated speed.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

In 1156 and 1366 platforms, you got most of your OC impact from raising BCLK. So changing BCLK from 133 to 167, took your RAM from 1066 to 1333 .... going to 200 took RAM speed to 1600.

With 1155 however, overclocking by BCLK is almost totally absent. Furthest I have seen anyone get was 107.5 from 100 and that was quite an effort....most are reporting an inability to get past 103.

With very little to be gained from OC RAM only, it's bound to be less significant w/ the 1155 chipset.

Also most 1.65 v RAM modules I have used run at 1.5 volts unless the XMP profiles are used which bumps it up to 1.65.

 

[geofelt]

Hi guys, I am about to start building a gaming rig with the i5 2500k and the p8p67 evo motherboard. I will be overclocking and I need advise as to what RAM I should buy. I want something reliable, not too expensive and compatible with the new SB processors.
Any advise?

For gaming, spend your extra cash on the graphics card first.

You will find that the 2500K is so good that there is not a big benefit in a large overclock. I bought a 2600K, planning on overclocking it, but at stock, it is so good that I am in no hurry. I bought a 8gb kit(2 x 4gb) of g.skil ripjaws. It is DDR3-1600 1.5v I used a P8P67-M pro.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314
It is running by default at 1333, with low latencies, and I have no reason to change. If you run ram at a higher speed, you also get higher latencies, so it is somewhat of a wash. The XMP allows it to go 1600 with higher latencies and still be 1.5v.
Since ram speed has little impact on FPS, I would not anguish over the choice.
Ram is cheap. It is better to spend on more ram than faster speds. Here is a Corsair document:
http://blog.corsair.com/?p=65

If you care, the newegg pictures do not do the G.slik ripjaws ram justice. The heat spreaders are red anodized aluminum and are gorgeous.

I sent an e-mail to G.skil support, and got a prompt answer back, answering all my questions, including compatibility with sandy bridge. I like that kind of customer service.

For overclocking, get a decent oem cpu cooler.

 

[Eagle Eye_54]

For gaming, spend your extra cash on the graphics card first.

For overclocking, get a decent oem cpu cooler.

Great advice and thanks a great link on the 8GB of RAM vs. 4GB. Glad I am not the only one finding no need to OC the crap out of my new setup to get decent speed....the SB is one fast Mother!

Did you get the Ripjaw X version? It is made for Sandy Bridge CPU's although I am not so sure they are very different than the non-X version.

Notice that my ASUS mobo instructions say any RAM 1800 MHz or more will be run at 1600 Mhz by default.

 

[geofelt]

Great advice and thanks a great link on the 8GB of RAM vs. 4GB. Glad I am not the only one finding no need to OC the crap out of my new setup to get decent speed....the SB is one fast Mother!

Did you get the Ripjaw X version? It is made for Sandy Bridge CPU's although I am not so sure they are very different than the non-X version.

Notice that my ASUS mobo instructions say any RAM 1800 MHz or more will be run at 1600 Mhz by default.

I got the regular version in the black friday sales. The X looks the same except for the fancier heat spreaders. Since I have a micro-atx case, I wanted small or no heat spreaders.
G.skil support said the ram would work fine if I removed the heat spreaders, but I did not have to.

My mobo says the same. I think it means to go faster, you need to OC the ram.

Mine is running at 1333 9-9-9-24-1T 1.5v with everything on auto. No need to change right now.

 

[luke778899]

So, is it better for me to get 8gb of 1333mhz or 4gb 1600mhz RAM? And have you guys seen the new G.Skill Ripjaws-X that are "designed for sandy bridge" are they on sale yet? Has anyone tried them out?

 

[Eagle Eye_54]

I would get 8GB over 4Gb any day. The performance difference between 1333MHz stuff and 1600Mhz stuff is very small. But the 1600Mhz RAM is more expensive usually. If you can afford 8GB of 1600Mhz 1.5v RAM, do that.

 

[luke778899]

I dont think I will be able to afford that... I think I will settle on purchasing the new G.Skill 4gb ripjaws x:
http://www.gskill.com/products.php?index=350
They should do fine... If I can find some at a decent price.

 

[luke778899]

I won't just be gaming... but I'll see if the RAM is suitable for what I do. If I need more i'll just buy another 4gb set later.

 

[luke778899]

OK... thanks man, but I honestly dont think i'll need to upgrade. For gaming and just normal usage I shouldn't need more than 4gb. Right?

 

[Eagle Eye_54]

Well, did you read the Corsair link? I would get 2x4GB sticks of RAM (even if it is slower stuff so it is more affordable) than starting with 2x2Gb RAM and expanding later. I prefer to only populate two RAM slots...cooler.

 

[geofelt]

I won't just be gaming... but I'll see if the RAM is suitable for what I do. If I need more i'll just buy another 4gb set later.

There is no guarantee that the same part number with the same specs from the same vendor will be exactly the same from batch to batch. Ram vendors can and do change the makeup of their patrs. Sometimes the difference is enough to cause incompatibility. That is why ram is sold in kits; to guarantee compatibility of all the sticks.

Most of the time you will be fine, but you will have no recourse if you buy a second kit later, and it does not work with the first.

I suggest a 8gb kit of slightly slower ram:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231426

Or, the same ram without the fancy heat spreader:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231422
It is only $10 more than your 4gb kit.

 

[luke778899]

Yeah... I guess that makes sense, but it requires extra cash. If I can get 8gb of 1333 I will otherwise I'll get 4gb of 1600.

 

[luke778899]

I'm getting the 2500K so... I will be overclocking the CPU most likely but not really the ram...

 

[luke778899]

Ok then I think I'm going to get these babies....
http://www.gskill.com/products.php?index=351&c1=&c2=
sound good?

 

[luke778899]

It's on the QVL... I am planning on getting the CM hyper 212 plus if it is compatible with the 1155 socket. If it is, will it interfere?

 

[geofelt]

It's on the QVL... I am planning on getting the CM hyper 212 plus if it is compatible with the 1155 socket. If it is, will it interfere?

On the P8P67 boards, you can put the ram in the same colored pair of slots more distant from the cpu cooler. That should give you plenty of room for the cooler and fan, even with tall heat sinks.

 

[luke778899]

Yes except the 1600 version:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231443