Ram choices

[notyadaddy]

This what I feel like I'm doing I'm buying a new motherboard for 1155 Ivy socket and I plan on oc'ing the hell out of it and full water cooling so when I look at ram everyone I talk to says stay with 1600mhz are they right or should I get the 2133mhz that I think I should get it is going to be water cooled

 

[cadaveca]

1600 is sufficient, for sure, and very affordable. IVB memory support actually stops @ 1600 MHz, so that is part of it, for sure.

2133 MHz is faster, but has very little actual performance added overall to the system, yet costs twice as much, if not more.

myself, I feel 2600 or 2666 is where we should be looking, I mean, a jump from 1333 to 2666 and doubling frequency is pretty cool, no?


However, it seems many people out there are complaining that 2400 MHz or higher is impossible for some CPUs. I am not sure why, myself, to be honest, as running 2666 MHz for me has been really really simple. Some boards, nah, they don't like it, but it has nothing to do with my on CPU, for sure.

SO don't stop @ 2133 MHz mem if ya wanna that be a bit flashy...go all out.


I will say though FullinFusion, a memeber here, bought these Corsair Dominator Platinum sticks after he saw mine...he's pretty happy with them, and I understand why.

1.5 V @ 2133 MHz 9-11-10-27, and room to clock is kinda nice! Pricey...sure, but cost doesn't matter to me. IF it did, then yeah, I'd be sticking to 1600 MHz.

 

[notyadaddy]

1600 is sufficient, for sure, and very affordable. IVB memory support actually stops @ 1600 MHz, so that is part of it, for sure.

2133 MHz is faster, but has very little actual performance added overall to the system, yet costs twice as much, if not more.

myself, I feel 2600 or 2666 is where we should be looking, I mean, a jump from 1333 to 2666 and doubling frequency is pretty cool, no?


However, it seems many people out there are complaining that 2400 MHz or higher is impossible for some CPUs. I am not sure why, myself, to be honest, as running 2666 MHz for me has been really really simple. Some boards, nah, they don't like it, but it has nothing to do with my on CPU, for sure.

SO don't stop @ 2133 MHz mem if ya wanna that be a bit flashy...go all out.


I will say though FullinFusion, a memeber here, bought these Corsair Dominator Platinum sticks after he saw mine...he's pretty happy with them, and I understand why.

1.5 V @ 2133 MHz 9-11-10-27, and room to clock is kinda nice! Pricey...sure, but cost doesn't matter to me. IF it did, then yeah, I'd be sticking to 1600 MHz.

The board I'm picking is the sabertooth z77 with the 3570 ivy chip which I plan on taking to 4.7 maybe 5.0 water cooled so can I go over 1.5 v on the ram right off the bat and take it up to 2600mhz

 

[coolhand411]

I would be looking @ 2133-2400 kit this days if i were you ..IMC's on (retail) Ivy chips are pretty much hit and miss ,most won't hit 2600+ or even 2400 Mhz (i know and have one which won't go north of 2400) it takes binning ,there was one person on HWBOT that couldn't go over 2133 on his Ivy chip ..lol,if you can't hit this numbers why bother with 2600+ kit

I would recommend Team Xtreem TXD38192M2400HC9NDC-L (or 16 Gb)
this RAM is capable 2800 CL10 with good IMC ,the price is very reasonable and it's 2400 CL9,
you can also buy some generic HC9 Samsung RAM and see if your chip is up to the task
M378B5273DH0-CH9
source

 

[cadaveca]

I guess me running 2750 10-12-12-31 @ 1.65 V on the DIMMs and 1.05 V on my IMC must be amazing then. Good to know. Running 2666 Mhz with 0.9 V IMC right now(measured with a multimeter), testing mem.

 

[erixx]

I wonder how the speeds go up every day but also the TIMINGS...

Will stay with my HyperX 1600-8-8-8-24 for some while, until the 2800-8-8-8-24 arrives....

 

[coolhand411]

nice cadaveca ,..it took me few months until i found binned i7 capable of 2800

 

[cadaveca]

nice cadaveca ,..it took me few months until i found binned i7 capable of 2800

[url]http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/6828/2800c101t.png[/URL]

I didn't bin anything, really. Tried 5 others now, but the chip I use was the first I bought locally, so I could get Z77 board reviews done back in April or May.

In fact, I kinda find it hard to beleive that CPUs have issues with 2400 MHz, to be honest. As far as I am concerned, the problem is 100% related to board BIOS, and the memory used.


That 2666 Mhz you see pictured...some boards say heck no, and toss errors. Some require a BIOS update before they'l leven boot 2666...It's not the CPU or board causing that, at least in my instances, and I've seen countless "23" and "55" post codes you hear about so much...and I fixed it every time.

"23" for me is Tertiary timings, "55" is ram timings/voltage. Some boards show these errors before others. Heck, just booting with certain sticks with XMP profiles can be problematic...because some boards set silly timings. Yes, I'am talking about you, ASUS.

The timnigsz you are using, even, coolhand, show exactly what I mean. Set XMP SPD timings...shit doesn't boot. Go to another board, and it works perfectly. Set the stupid ASUS timings, like yours above, and and it works fine.

 

[coolhand411]

It's not about "errors" ,if your CPU's IMC can't make it happen you won't even post ,i have tested PCS,Hynix,Samsung =>same RAM/Motherboard but different CPU's<=and very different results ,Dumo would tell you more since his binning anything and everything lol ,2800+ Ivy CPU's are hard to get Dave,as for the timings ..they all a bit off no matter what board you have ,it takes time for Bioses to mature , XMP usually give me good ball park setting the rest should be up to the user ,i always have to make some timing adjustments on this UD5H but i don't mind i like messing around with RAM

 

[Jetster]

I bought 1866 and run it at 1600. My thinking is its stable and runs cooler so less stress. Then I overclock the CPU farther. That of course is based on no facts at all and is just a feel good thing. Or is it?

 

[cadaveca]

as for the timings ..they all a bit off no matter what board you have

ASUS is hte outlier here. THey have very different "settings" than what any other board does, especially on Z77. Everyone else...no problem....ASUS...ai ai ai!!!!


And it's getting worse.

Do keep in mind, I have no less than 14 SKT1155 Z77 boards here.

I differ in opinion here on the XMP thing, too, because I firmly beleive that XMP should take all of the guesswork out of timings for the user...or otherwise they shoudl just be using manual. It's great that ASUS's BIOSes are very imformative, and have more functionality than others when it comes to ram, but at the same time, they need to be dummied down about 500 notches so that normal users can understand what's going on as well.


Intel XMP is something much different to me than it is to you, clearly.


You are very right about BIOSes maturing over time, so much so that I'm currently re-testing every board I've tested in the past...with a recent BIOS. Some boards have outright changed...and others..not so much.

 

[coolhand411]

ASUS is hte outlier here. THey have very different "settings" than what any other board does, especially on Z77. Everyone else...no problem....ASUS...ai ai ai!!!!


And it's getting worse.

Do keep in mind, I have no less than 14 SKT1155 Z77 boards here.

I differ in opinion here on the XMP thing, too, because I firmly beleive that XMP should take all of the guesswork out of timings for the user...or otherwise they shoudl just be using manual. It's great that ASUS's BIOSes are very imformative, and have more functionality than others when it comes to ram, but at the same time, they need to be dummied down about 500 notches so that normal users can understand what's going on as well.


Intel XMP is something much different to me than it is to you, clearly.


You are very right about BIOSes maturing over time, so much so that I'm currently re-testing every board I've tested in the past...with a recent BIOS. Some boards have outright changed...and others..not so much.

lol...not just .."...ai ai ai!!!!"..

P.S. if you happen to find UP7 in your already tested pile of motherboards please PM me

 

[cadaveca]

I think you mis-understand me, coolhand.




I'm just saying, my experience is very different. Not that mine is the end-all, be-all. My chip behaves differently than yours, and that's a given. That leads to me having a very different perspective...and both are valid. That's the fun in overclocking.



Haven't found any sticks with low TRRD myself, and that's something I'd change myself if needed, too.

BTW:

http://hwbot.org/user/cadaveca/

I do read other sites for research, try other's ideas, etc...that's half the fun!


Memory tweaking has been what I like to do for YEARS. Like 10.

ASUS wil lallow you to go higher, overclocking, but whne it comes to stock, for normal users, it's a different ballgame. And hardcore clockers are a minority. Must prefer plug-and-play, so I'll advocate for that.

UP7? hrm, it's not retail yet, is it?

 

[coolhand411]

I hate you maaan...jk


P.s. some reviewers have them already