question bout memory timing!

[Emir]

Hi,
I want to know how much is the difference in performance between a 8G 1600 bus ram with CL9 and same ram with CL10?
and my second question is I want to buy 1*8G 1600 ram, I've been told 2*4 will be better due to dual channel, but I just want to buy 1*8G and add another 8G later (maybe next year) I think this way since there are 4 slots on main, I can upgrade ram up to 32G instead of 16G (when I setup 2*4G)!
will the performance (especially in games) be fine with just one 8G 1600 ram?
thanks

 

[Tradesman1]

Diff is about 12,800MB per clock cycle so relative little in that sense, though it can add up if you multi task a lot or use memory centric apps, for 1600 I recommend CL9 as a minimum and preferred id CL 7 or 8

Mixing sticks is not a good idea, tolerances are so high and tight, even two separate sticks of the same model number might not want to play, which is why they make sets of sticks, each package contains sticks that have been tested to work together

 

[Emir]

good point about separate sticks, no one had been told me about that before, thanks
what about dual channel, does it have sensible effect?
and if I buy 2*4G 1600 then for how long you think it can perform well in games? then when I decide to add another ram, will that make a problem if I add 1*4 (as third ram) or in order to have a good performance I should add another 2*4 again?

 

[Tradesman1]

Dual channel provides appr a 10-15% gain, and again while mixing sticks is not suggested for the above reasons, also XMP only works by the packaged set, if you want to try adding a second set, give me a yell, I've had tons of practice getting them to work together if they don't initially want to,,,though it's much harder if you were to go to a higher freq like 1866 and up

 

[Emir]

so if I got it right, it's better I buy 2*4 1600 (CL at least9) for now, then whenever I decide to add another ram, I should buy the same brand and model and of course again it must be 2*4 too, right?

 

[Tradesman1]

Best bet if your going to mix sets

 

[Emir]

thanks buddy,
just you didn't say if I buy 2*4g ram now, you suggest for how long that will perform well in games and I won't need adding ram?
as the last question may I know what do you think about this one:
Kingston HyperX 8GB 2x4GB DDR3 1600 Ram

 

[Tradesman1]

Not a lot to work with on that question, sorry, Kingston has about a dozen sets of 2x4GB in 1600 and I'd stay away from basically all of them, if I remember right all but 2 of the HyperX are 1.65 sets....JEDEC standard for DRAM is 1.5 until you get into high freqs like 2133 and above which is where voltage tends to come in at 1.6 - 1.65....another tell on the HyperX is they (i believe) are all CL9....which is middle of the road, just basic sticks...but if it takes 1.65 to run sort of bland CL9/1600 sticks it seems indicative they are running cheap ICs (memory chips) that need that extra voltage just to run at 1600, there's over 120 or so 2x4GB sets available on the market and only about 15% use 1.65 and some of those are true high performance sets that come in at CL7 (Mushkin)