Best Gaming Memory

[gougeface]

The title says it all. I just want to get the best gaming memory that can overclock well. I'm looking at the corsair vengence or the g skill ripjaw. I got ivy bridge setup so you know.

 

[jaquith]

There's little advantage to anything > DDR3-1600 CAS 8 or 9 2x4GB @ 1.50v. Sure you might squeeze out +0~3FPS using > DDR3-2133 but the 'catch' is a much higher risk of instability. You'll have literally 10X better results OC'ing the GPU using MSI Afterburner - http://event.msi.com/vga/afterburner/download.htm

So any of the Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 kits available in difference colors, or G.SKILL F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM, or my favs the 1.35v kits: Mushkin Model 996988, Corsair CML8GX3M2A1600C9W or G.SKULL F3-12800CL9D-8GBXM.

 

[nikorr]

Yes^, OC the GPU.


RAM speed comparison - We're looking at a less than 2% difference from the fastest to the slowest.

 

[mmaatt747]

Thanks for that info Nikorr. I've been debating OC'ing my memory as well and you've convinced me not to even bother.

I have 2 GTX 570 factory superclocked cards in SLI. I've also been thinking about OC'ing both of those a little more. What are you're thoughts? These are Zotac cards clocked at 780 MHz instead of the normal 732 MHz.

 

[billj214]

Thanks for that info Nikorr. I've been debating OC'ing my memory as well and you've convinced me not to even bother.

I have 2 GTX 570 factory superclocked cards in SLI. I've also been thinking about OC'ing both of those a little more. What are you're thoughts? These are Zotac cards clocked at 780 MHz instead of the normal 732 MHz.

If you overclock any of your graphics cards there is a high risk of damage, where you may be good in GPU temps it's the other components on the card that get damaged from overclocking and you wouldn't even know it. I have seen way to many dead GPU's due to overclocking. Just say no!

As for memory, as others have said there is no real benefit to anything faster than DDR3 1600 for Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge CPU's, if you do buy memory the specifications to get are low voltage and low cas latency.

Good Luck.

 

[jaquith]

RE: OC'ing the GPU(s) as long as the temps are high the risk to damaging a GPU is very low. It's no different than OC'ing the CPU. A Cheap and/or Undersized PSU has the greatest risk to damage a GPU. If the temps and/or OC is too great from the GPU(s) to handle then like a CPU it will 'drop-out' (often a RSOD) or 'throttle-down' to protect itself.

99% of the builds I do offer OC'ing profiles for both the CPU and GPU(s) so I'me very comfortable at least with the rigs I build OC'ing. Most are indeed fully blocked aka water cooled.

I recommend OC'ing non-reference GPU's and/or carefully monitoring the temps. MSI Afterburner has a 'graphical chart' so either run a GPU bench or Game for a while and then examine the temps carefully.

Reference GPU ; no so great for OC'ing

Non-Reference GPU ; great for OC'ing