Help picking new RAM sticks

[Rapret]

Hey guys! I usually dont post in this part of the forums, but I need some advice here! I need some new RAM, but there are just too many different makes!, and it's impossible to qualify a winner!

I need 12-16 gb RAM, because I like to do many other things at the same time. I would prefer to keep the total price below 150 dollars. It has to be DDR3, as far as I understand, because that's what I'm using right now.

I was about to buy Chaud's unicorn sticks, the 8GB G.Skill DDR3 PC3-12800 1600MHz Ripjaw Series (9-9-9-24) Dual Channel kit for Intel LGA1156/AM3 But it turns out G.Skill isn't that common at swedish retailers or web shops, which is a problem to me.

What would you guys recommend as second best option?

[noteworthynerd]

There's really no reason to buy more than 8GB of memory... You claim to be doing a lot of things at once, but I'd be willing to bet that you aren't capping your memory (Internet browsing, gaming, watching videos, etc are not gonna cap 8GB).

That being said, here are some recommendations:
8GB Corsair Vengeance: http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=650412
8GB Corsair Vengeance low profile: http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=641124

The only difference between the two is the lower heat-sinks on the second set.

[Rapret]

Thanks man! Btw, why does some products sell kits like 6x 2gb sticks, and some 2x6 gb sticks etc.? What is the point of making many smaller sticks?

[GG you got me]

There's really no reason to buy more than 8GB of memory... You claim to be doing a lot of things at once, but I'd be willing to bet that you aren't capping your memory (Internet browsing, gaming, watching videos, etc are not gonna cap 8GB).

That being said, here are some recommendations:
8GB Corsair Vengeance: http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=650412
8GB Corsair Vengeance low profile: http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=641124

The only difference between the two is the lower heat-sinks on the second set.

That and potentially better binning. One set is rated to perform at 1.5, the other perform the same at 1.35v.

I back up these recommendations though, particularly the low voltage. Using 2 4gb sticks of it myself and have had zero issues of any kind with it.

[Deleted]

There's really no reason to buy more than 8GB of memory... You claim to be doing a lot of things at once, but I'd be willing to bet that you aren't capping your memory (Internet browsing, gaming, watching videos, etc are not gonna cap 8GB).

That being said, here are some recommendations:
8GB Corsair Vengeance: http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=650412
8GB Corsair Vengeance low profile: http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=641124

The only difference between the two is the lower heat-sinks on the second set.

Listen to the doctor, he speaks the truth.
If you render alot, buy more. If not, stay with 8gig. Corsair Vengeance / Dominator. Its the only sticks i would buy.

[DeltrusDisc]

eh, he has $100 to spend on RAM, let him get 16GB. :P

[Deleted]

I bought this one few days ago and its really nice! http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-DOMINA...0293171&sr=1-2

a big upgrade from my last one, think theyre a bit better than the ones you linked but i guess 2x the price

[noteworthynerd]

Tiing, I'm almost willing to bet that your motherboard/CPU cannot make full use of that memory, nor are you likely overclocking it. Meaning that you, very likely, wasted your money.

[Deleted]

Tiing, I'm almost willing to bet that your motherboard/CPU cannot make full use of that memory, nor are you likely overclocking it. Meaning that you, very likely, wasted your money.

I don't understand what you mean by that? Unless you know what motherboard/cpu i have....
More detail would be nice! if you seem to be sure of your case

[noteworthynerd]

That and potentially better binning. One set is rated to perform at 1.5, the other perform the same at 1.35v.

According to the site, they're both 1.5v.

I don't understand what you mean by that? Unless you know what motherboard/cpu i have....
More detail would be nice! if you seem to be sure of your case

I took an educated guess, based on the fact that you only mentioned upgrading your memory, and assumed that you've got an old(er) CPU/MoBo combo. If I'm wrong, feel free to say so.

And the reason I say that the Dominator is overkill is because it is clocked high, higher than most old(er) MoBos can handle. Therefore, it would be auto-downclocked.

[GG you got me]

According to the site, they're both 1.5v.
.

Oh you know what, I mistook them for being the low-voltage, not simply low-profile. You're right that is my mistake. In that case, personally I would recommend the 1.35v 8gb 1600mhz vengeance, but anything up to 1.5v falls in line with sandy bridge specs.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820233199

[Deleted]

According to the site, they're both 1.5v.



I took an educated guess, based on the fact that you only mentioned upgrading your memory, and assumed that you've got an old(er) CPU/MoBo combo. If I'm wrong, feel free to say so.

And the reason I say that the Dominator is overkill is because it is clocked high, higher than most old(er) MoBos can handle. Therefore, it would be auto-downclocked.

Dunno if this is relevant to what you're saying?

[vesseblah]

I don't understand what you mean by that? Unless you know what motherboard/cpu i have....
More detail would be nice! if you seem to be sure of your case

Only older Intel processors (i5-7xx/8xx and i7-9xx) with extreme overclocking as well as new AMD Bulldozer (FX-xxxx) processors benefit from RAM faster than 1600MHz, so the educated guess says you arent getting much out of 1866MHz sticks.

Dunno if this is relevant to what you're saying?

Yep, as mr. Noteworthy said above, you aren't getting any benefit from RAM that costs three times more. Your computer will run at exactly same speed with 1333MHz and 1866MHz RAM unless you overclock the shit out of both the processor and the RAM.

[noteworthynerd]

Dunno if this is relevant to what you're saying?

It is indeed, and it proves my point. To put it simply: you paid for memory that your system can't even come close to using to the memory's full potential (unless you overclock the sh** out of your CPU and the RAM). You could have bought RAM for $30 and seen the exact same performance increase. Edit: vesseblah beat me to it.

In the future, I highly recommend coming here and asking for advice, not because we like to point and laugh at users, but because we genuinely like to help people. I hate to see people spend money needlessly...

[senshu]

There's really no reason to buy more than 8GB of memory... You claim to be doing a lot of things at once, but I'd be willing to bet that you aren't capping your memory (Internet browsing, gaming, watching videos, etc are not gonna cap 8GB).

That being said, here are some recommendations:
8GB Corsair Vengeance: http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=650412
8GB Corsair Vengeance low profile: http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=641124

The only difference between the two is the lower heat-sinks on the second set.

Doing just those activities you have listed in parentheses, I regularly go over 6GB of memory usage. I'm not sure why you'd talk someone out of getting more memory unless they were on a very, very tight budget.

[Deleted]

It is indeed, and it proves my point. To put it simply: you paid for memory that your system can't even come close to using to the memory's full potential (unless you overclock the sh** out of your CPU and the RAM). You could have bought RAM for $30 and seen the exact same performance increase. Edit: vesseblah beat me to it.

In the future, I highly recommend coming here and asking for advice, not because we like to point and laugh at users, but because we genuinely like to help people. I hate to see people spend money needlessly...

So to actually benefit from my ram what cpu within decent price range would be recommended?

[noteworthynerd]

Doing just those activities you have listed in parentheses, I regularly go over 6GB of memory usage. I'm not sure why you'd talk someone out of getting more memory unless they were on a very, very tight budget.

Because I don't see the point in wasting money, 6GB =/= 8GB... If the OP really is multi-tasking to the point that they'd cap 8GB, then they can just pick up two of either bundles I suggested.

So to actually benefit from my ram what cpu within decent price range would be recommended?

To put it frankly: There isn't one. Memory like that only matches well with top-of-the-line CPUs like the i7 2600k and above (or highly overclocked CPUs like the 2500k). The only thing you can really do is learn from the mistake, there's really no reason to go spend $500 (for the CPU and a MoBo) just to get your monies worth from your RAM...

[senshu]

Because I don't see the point in wasting money, 6GB =/= 8GB... If the OP really is multi-tasking to the point that they'd cap 8GB, then they can just pick up two of either bundles I suggested.

No, but once you're nearing 7GB there's very little headroom for anything else. It's not really a waste of money if it will last you longer and keep your system relevant longer. Memory is still pretty darn cheap right now.

[DeltrusDisc]

So to actually benefit from my ram what cpu within decent price range would be recommended?

I suggest you return the RAM and get some 1333MHz clocked RAM of the same amount and save $100~.

[Rapret]

Thanks for the information guys, I went with the Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600MHz 8GB CL10 as recommended by Noteworthynerd. Now on to the real challenge, how to actually install them :P

To google!