Quick Answer Please!!!

[Havoc2510]

Hello,

I will be ordering my PC in a couple of hours, and I only need to work out what RAM to use. I would really like to put 2x4GB 2400MHz RAM in my build. Anyway, question 1 is will this RAM definately work in this motherboard without fault?

http://www.kingston.com/us/memory/hyperx/predator

http://uk.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4325#ov

I am really happy with the motherboard, and if this combination won't work, will this RAM work instead?

http://www.kingston.com/us/memory/hyperx/predator/beast

My last question is: I am getting an i5 3570k processor. Is XMP RAM better for this build and if so, what is it? I haven't got a clue, from what I understand is better though??? Thanks in advance for any help .

 

[darkhelmet41290]

Disclaimer: Medium level pc guy at best here.

The mobo you mentioned says it goes up to 2800, but I remember reading somewhere that for gaming, there is no appreciable difference after about 1600. (Thoughts? Anyone?) Honestly, 8gb of RAM is gonna be a lot for a lot. What video card are you gonna run?

 

[EzioAs]

Such high speed is almost pointless. Anything above 1600MHz shows miniscule improvements but I prefer 1866MHz since they're about equal in price these days.

 

[darkhelmet41290]

Actually, more importantly, what are you going to be using the computer for?

 

[Havoc2510]

The computer will be used for heavy gaming and multi-tasking. The reason I really want to grab the 2400MHz memory is because it is so cheap in the UK at the moment. While 1600MHz is £35, 2400MHz is £40, and for the purpose I am using this computer, I would have thought that the much higher memory is worth it. I have been watching a lot of youtube videos also, and a lot say that if the extra memory speed is affordable, go for it .

I think the main concern I have is will the motherboard be able to handle this RAM, and will have any negative effects on my PC? I read somewhere else on this forum that having a high powered memory can deteriorate your CPU, is this true at all? I have never heard of that before .

 

[Onus]

The benchmarks I've seen didn't show any more than 1-3% improvement for RAM speeds over 1600MHz. Results with an AMD APU were not included, but are not relevant in this case. The RAM will run by default at either a JEDEC or XMP profile; you will need to manually adjust it if it is able to run faster.

 

[Havoc2510]

Just out of interest, what is XMP and how does it differ from the standard RAM?

 

[lunyone]

Not sure on your total build setup, but here's what I would recommend for most people on this site:

* CPU - i5 3570k will do 99% of tasks well!
* Mobo - z77 based mobo and not much more than $160
* RAM - DDR3 1600 mHz at 1.5v (stock voltage) and at least CAS 9 speeds.
* HD - SSD of at least 240-256 gb's for OS, Games, & Apps and/or mechanical HD of 500 gb's or greater for storage.
* GPU - Up to GTX 670/660 Ti or AMD 7850 2 gb/7870/7950 for best performance/$. Whatever you can afford.
* PSU - At least 450w or better, 500w for 7870 and up (quality PSU's from Antec, Corsair, Seasonic, PCP&C).
* Case - Quality Case w/at least USB 3.0 Front ports and minimum of 2 cooling fans. Good layout/design and can hold up to 10-12" GPU's (then you don't need to upgrade your case on the next GPU upgrade).


What is your build? Maybe we can help to define it better and save you some $ now??

 

[Havoc2510]

That is pretty much what I have
i5 3570k
Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H
120GB HyperX 3k SSD
2TB 7200rpm SATA III 6GB/s Seagate Barracuda
3GB Superclocked+ EVGA GTX 660
650W 80+ Bronze CM PSU
CM Storm Enforcer Case (has removable HDD cage for longer graphics cards)
Optical Drive
Wireless PCI-e Card
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo CPU Cooler

It is an awesome build, and I wanted some awesome RAM to go with it . I would really like to get the HyperX Predator 2400MHz RAM, and I was just wondering if it will work with my motherboard, and if it will have any negative effects on the overall build.

 

[lunyone]

There shouldn't be any issues with the faster RAM. Usually you have to up the voltage to get the faster speeds, so be aware of that. The spec on the link you listed said 1.5v (stock voltage) and 1.65v, so I would buy the 1.5v version to minimize any possible conflicts. I'm sure the 1.65v set would run at 1.5v too, but probably at a lesser speed. I really don't think the faster speed is going to be noticed at all, except maybe in a benchmark or two, IMHO.

 

[Havoc2510]

If having that beastly RAM will cause an issue for the build, I could settle with this:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/8gb-(2x4gb)-corsair-ddr3-vengeance-jet-black-lp-pc3-12800-(1600)-non-ecc-cas-9-9-9-24-xmp-15v

It's just that I wanted all the best parts I can get in their categories, and the 2400MHz RAM really isn't that much more expensive. Thanks for the help in advance .

 

[Havoc2510]

There shouldn't be any issues with the faster RAM. Usually you have to up the voltage to get the faster speeds, so be aware of that. The spec on the link you listed said 1.5v (stock voltage) and 1.65v, so I would buy the 1.5v version to minimize any possible conflicts. I'm sure the 1.65v set would run at 1.5v too, but probably at a lesser speed. I really don't think the faster speed is going to be noticed at all, except maybe in a benchmark or two, IMHO.

Ok, so you would pick this:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/8gb-(2x4gb)-corsair-ddr3-vengeance-jet-black-lp-pc3-12800-(1600)-non-ecc-cas-9-9-9-24-xmp-15v

 

[darkhelmet41290]

It's not that it will be an issue, it's that the money could be better used elsewhere in the system. If you're running a 660, that isn't bad in the least, but for gaming, you'd definitely see the biggest improvement by jumping to a 670.

 

[lunyone]

Either set will do. It's your $ and whatever makes you feel good. I just like to save $ where I can, especially if there isn't much performance difference for the $. The 2400 set should be fine. Most mobo's default to 1600 mHz and you have to manually adjust the timings/settings in the BIOS to get your desired speeds.

I would rather spend the extra $ on a better GPU, 660 Ti or AMD 7950 for an example.

 

[Havoc2510]

Ok, thanks everyone for your help, I will go with a 1600MHz RAM speed. Just one more question, is there any difference in these sets of RAM (apart from the colour lol)? What I mean is what is the benefit of having the extra height of the 2nd set?

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/8gb-(2x4gb)-corsair-ddr3-vengeance-jet-black-lp-pc3-12800-(1600)-non-ecc-cas-9-9-9-24-xmp-15v

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/8gb-(2x4gb)-corsair-ddr3-vengeance-racing-red-pc3-12800-(1600)-non-ecc-cas-9-9-9-24-xmp-15v

One last thing, lower CAS latency is better isn't it?

 

[darkhelmet41290]

It seems like the red one is more over clock-able. And significantly more badass looking. But they're pretty similar.

 

[Havoc2510]

Awesome, one FINAL question (sorry for wasting your time):

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/327780-12-really-quick-answer-please

 

[Havoc2510]

Best answer selected by havoc2510.