Choosing Memory

[lackofrespect]

I was looking at either one of both of these sets of RAM. Not sure which is the better options. I plan to get a total of 16GB. I thought I would go with the 2x4GB because the Cas latency is 8 but then I am maxed out on RAM and not really sure how much the latency really matters. Which would be the better option for me? Thanks!

G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2x4GB) 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (PC3 12800) – 2 Sets would be $90
Cas Latency - 8
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231548

G.SKILL Ares Series 16GB (2x8GB) 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (PC3 12800) – $93.50
Cas Latency - 10
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231558&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL053112&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL053112-_-EMC-053112-Index-_-DesktopMemory-_-20231558-L06A

Components I have so far:
I7-2600K
ASUS P8Z77-V Motherboard
Crucial M4 256GB SSD
Radeon HD6850 Graphics Card

 

[abekl]

G.SKILL Ares Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9Q-16GAO - $95.00 CAS 9
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231545

 

[lackofrespect]

G.SKILL Ares Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9Q-16GAO - $95.00 CAS 9
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231545

Wouldn’t it be a better idea to get 2 sets of the G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2x4GB) 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (PC3 12800) for $44.99 each or $89.98 total. The Cas latency is better on these as well. The set I was looking at has a Cas Latency of 8 and the one you suggest has a latency of 9 and is $5 more.

 

[abekl]

What you say is true, but it's not 4 matched sticks of memory.

 

[J_E_D_70]

As I understand it, going to 4 sticks of RAM can cause you to need to relax the timings, depending on how your mobo handles it.

Anyone have any info on that?

 

[lackofrespect]

What you say is true, but it's not 4 matched sticks of memory.

So if I buy two sets of the same exact memory they wouldn't be matched? What do you mean by matched? Sorry still new to this.

 

[abekl]

As I understand it, going to 4 sticks of RAM can cause you to need to relax the timings, depending on how your mobo handles it.

Anyone have any info on that?

Not relax timings, but on some badly behaved MB's, up the voltage by a skootch.

 

[abekl]

So if I buy two sets of the same exact memory they wouldn't be matched? What do you mean by matched? Sorry still new to this.

Correct. Within a set they are matched, but not between sets.

Matched means that they have been tested to work together as a set.

 

[geofelt]

Buy a single 16gb ram kit.
Ram is sold in kits for a reason.
Ram from the same vendor and part number can be made up of differing manufacturing components over time.
Some motherboards can be very sensitive to this.
That is why ram vendors will not support ram that is not bought in one kit.
Although, I think the problem has lessened with the newer Intel chipsets. Still,
it is safer to get what you need in one kit.

My preference would be a 2 x 8gb kit. It is easier for a motherboard to manage two sticks vs. 4.

Buy supported ram.

You want documented ram compatibility. If you should ever have a problem, you want supported ram.
Otherwise, you risk a finger pointing battle between the ram and motherboard support sites, claiming "not my problem".
One place to check is your motherboards web site.
Look for the ram QVL list. It lists all of the ram kits that have been tested with that particular motherboard.
Sometimes the QVL list is not updated after the motherboard is released.
For more current info, go to a ram vendor's web site and access their ram selection configurator.
Enter your motherboard, and you will get a list of compatible ram kits.
While today's motherboards are more tolerant of different ram, it makes sense to buy ram that is known to work and is supported.

Lastly, do not worry about ram speeds or latencies.
The current Intel cpu's have an excellent integrated ram controller. It is able to keep the cpu fed with data from any speed ram.
The difference in real application performance or FPS between the fastest and slowest ram is on the order of 1-3%.

Synthetic benchmark differences will be impressive, but are largely irrelevant in the real world.

Fancy heat spreaders are mostly marketing too. In fact, they are not good because they can interfere with some cpu coolers.

Only if you are seeking record level overclocks should you consider faster ram or better latencies.
Read this Anandtech article on memory scaling:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4503/sandy-bridge-memory-scaling-choosing-the-best-ddr3/1

 

[lackofrespect]

Best answer selected by lackofrespect.

 

[nikorr]

This topic has been closed by Nikorr