RAM...what's the difference?

[Deleted]

I've been trying to figure out what ram sticks to buy since my old ones started acting up. but I have no idea what the difference between the vengeance, G.skill performance, dominator and xms3 is...IS there any actual performance difference?
ANd what's up with the 1.5v / 1.65v?

[DeltrusDisc]

Some of those are simply brand difference.... some are higher or lower grade sticks from each respective manufacturer.

In terms of the voltages, that's simply what they are, a couple different voltage amounts that can go into RAM.

We then get to you asking for help more or less about figuring out your RAM, why don't you provide us with the rest of your computer details so we can properly help you get what you need.

[Deleted]

Alright, here it goes:
Case: xigmatek elysium
Mobo: ga-870a-ud3
Cpu: amd 1055T
Cpu cooler: noctua nh-d14
Current ram: crucial ballistix
Gpu: sapphire radeon hd6950
Storage: 128gb ssd 1tb hdd 500gb hdd

I'm typing on my phone, so excuse me for typos/lines

[DeltrusDisc]

Woopsss

/10char

[Deleted]

I think you meant to post in the Post Your Gaming Setup thread. ;p

BUt...you asked for my setup? :S

[DeltrusDisc]

BUt...you asked for my setup? :S

woooooops. My bad, didn't look at your name, and I've been in the middle of so many conversations and deprived of sleep, sorry about that.

Yeah I'm pretty sure the 1055T needs dual channel RAM, last I checked. Might be triple though, and I'm not sure the voltage they like, probably 1.65, but I'd wait for an AMD genius, I'm not well versed in that department. =X If I get the time I'll do some research.

[leorana]

in a nut shell , these are the things you need to look in ram :

1) lifetime warrenty
2) multiple sticks are better than single stick with same capacity . this becaseu of performance improvement with dual/triple channel and the fact that if you lose a stick in multi-stick combo you can still work while in the single stick option you'll have to replace the entire stick and will be unable to work .
3) some kind of cooling mechanism . doesn't need to be fancy . cooling ribs are fine
4) voltages . lower voltages allow better overclocking results (meaning you can tweak your ram for better performance with better stability ) but if you're not into overcloking you don't need low volatge rams unless they're in good price
5) speed and latency : the higher the number before the MhZ the faster the ram and the lower the latency numbers the faster the ram . mind that lower latency sticks are slightly faster but much more expenssive than the mainstream ones .

6) brand....
most of the stick if not all are manufactured in the same plant/assembly line in south korea/china even they they carry different brands . that's why you should go with one that gives you a lifetime warrenty and a solid reputation .

one last thing , you can use benchmarks results that can be seen in websited like Tom's hardware to get a crude comparrison between diff rams .


hope it helped .

[jtgizmo]

what does it mean when it says : limited lifetime warranty
compared to just lifetime warranty

CORSAIR high performance Vengeance memory module 8GB (2x4GB) 1600MHz 8-8-8-24, 1.5V for motherboards using AMD, Intel dual channel processors and upcoming 2nd Generation Intel Core platforms. Vengeance memory modules provide users with outstanding memory performance and stability. Each module is built using carefully selected DRAM to allow excellent overclocking performance, and has a limited lifetime warranty.

[Deleted]

I have no iidea what dual / tripple channel means, but aye, let wait for an AMD expert to explain everything I need to know to

[Senicide]

all thats a bunch of crap buy the cheapest dual channel kit you can buy 2x4GB in 1600mhz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...CE&Pagesize=20

any of those will work perfectly 1.5 or 1.65v doesnt not matter all motherboards will be able to use either 1.5v memory is just more efficient and they were able to get the same clock/lat at a lower voltage.

[Maerad]

AMD is dualchannel, meaning you have two channels from your cpu to your ram. Just read your mainboard manual - it's discribed there. To take adv. from it, you have to put one RAM into each bank (with a 2x KIT)

Bank 0
Slot 1 <- one Stick here
Slot 2

Bank 1
Slot 1 <- one Stick here
Slot 2

Done! Dualchannel! But check your manual, it's really all written there

If you just use the RAM and don't want to overclock them, you are fine with the cheap sets (DDR3-1600+). Using all 4 Slots can be bad for the performence, using Slot 1 + 1 is better. The higher voltage is needed for overclocking the RAM.

And yeah, all slots full IS bad for performence, because the cpu has to seperate the Data for Slot 1 or 2 ... best is one slot in each bank and done

[leorana]

what does it mean when it says : limited lifetime warranty
compared to just lifetime warranty

limited lifetime warrenty mean that as long as the module died on it own (dead on arrival or simply stopped working without you contributing to its premature demise) - you will get a replacement one .

however if you break it , burn it , wet it , a power surge kill it or overclocked it to death you will probably void the warrenty .

also , AMD mobos use dual channell .

this one is very nice :

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820233144

you can't go wrong with corasir/kingston/g.skill .

[Deleted]

what does it mean when it says : limited lifetime warranty
compared to just lifetime warranty

This can mean anything and nothing at all. You're best to ask the company if you want to be sure.
It can mean, aslong as the memory is alive, you have warranty.
But it can also mean that you get warranty when it dies.

[Doylez]

in a nut shell , these are the things you need to look in ram :

1) lifetime warrenty
3) some kind of cooling mechanism . doesn't need to be fancy . cooling ribs are fine

Why you'd need a life time warranty for the single cheapest item in your PC that is also very unlikely to fail is beyond me.
Also RAM cooling is 100% useless.

[Deleted]

I just have to ask - the xms3, are they good enough? I'd like to have some sticks that can be oc'd on a beginners level. THat is nothing fancy, doesn't have to be anything major that gives a noticable performance boost, but so I can start to learn and someday step it up a notch?

[Sethlol]

And yeah, all slots full IS bad for performence, because the cpu has to seperate the Data for Slot 1 or 2 ... best is one slot in each bank and done

Let me see if I understood this correctly but are you saying that if I have 4GB ram (using 2gb x2 dualchannel) and want to upgrade to 8GB (with another 2gb x2 dualchannel) this would actually be BAD for performance?

Also, I didn't want to create a whole new thread for this but I have a question:
I'm thinking of upgrading my RAM to either 8GB or 12GB overall. Would there be any difference in games between those two? And what about the overall performance of the computer and especially editing software like Sony Vegas and Adobe After Effects?

[DeltrusDisc]

Let me see if I understood this correctly but are you saying that if I have 4GB ram (using 2gb x2 dualchannel) and want to upgrade to 8GB (with another 2gb x2 dualchannel) this would actually be BAD for performance?

The effect would be almost impossible to notice. Most current CPUs or recent CPUs will have no issue. He's making it out to be terrible. I have 4x4GB sticks in mine with a CPU OC of 4.5GHz.... >_> lol?