Go for this RAM?

[ebalong]

Hi,


Still looking for a good RAM kit, $150 or less.

I saw this Gskill RAM dual-channel set -

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231560


....and was wondering if the sort of high latency (10) would hinder it a little and make it effectually not much faster than lower latency 1600 or 1333 RAM, or if it would be noticeably faster. I do lots of AutoCAD 2D drafting on my PC right now, so I want pretty responsive/fast RAM that my motherboard won't throw a fit over.

Speaking of which, with the ASUS P8Z68-V Pro/Gen3 motherboard, will the XMP settings be recognized automatically, or what sort of issues should I be aware of when attempting to run RAM that is faster than my cpu (i7-2600K) memory controller handles (1333)? I know that with my current machine, same motherboard (Pro but not Gen3) with an i5-2500K and Kingston HyperX 1333 RAM (non-XMP I think), there is no XMP option that shows up in the UEFI, at least not that I have seen; does it suddenly show up in the BIOS if RAM that supports XMP is installed? How does it all work?

Thank you.

 

[kajabla]

Get a 1600mhz set! Performance gains at higher frequencies are pretty minimal, but the price soars anyway. You can easily get a 16gb 1600mhz set for $90.
Just set the memory frequency to 1600mhz when it's installed. I don't think you have to do anything odd.

 

[ebalong]

Well, I wasn't going to look for the cheapest deal, I wanted more performance than my current 1333 RAM and am willing to pay a little more. I was under the impression that jumping from 1333 to 1600 wasn't significant, but 1333 to 1866 would be more of a gain, provided the latency of 10 vs 9 isn't too big a factor. Are you saying that you have to O.C. RAM to ~2400+ before you see any performance difference against stock 1333?

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Kajabla is correct 1.5v DDR3 1600 cas 9 is the sweet spot for your 2600k. Sandy Bridge processors have an integrated memory controller and just don't need speeds faster than DDR3 1600. Going over 1.5v RAM will void the CPU warranty as it overclocks the onboard memory controller.


http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/memory/2011/01/11/the-best-memory-for-sandy-bridge/4

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/memory/2011/01/11/the-best-memory-for-sandy-bridge/5

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/memory/2011/01/11/the-best-memory-for-sandy-bridge/6

As you can see faster RAM makes no difference in real world situations.

 

[ebalong]

Ok, what about these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231568



...and I can get $10 off if I act swiftly!!

 

[kajabla]

You already have 16gb of 1333 RAM? Just save your money. I promise you there's no way you'll be able to tell the difference. Your CPU is definitely your bottleneck in Autocad.

 

[ebalong]

You already have 16gb of 1333 RAM? Just save your money. I promise you there's no way you'll be able to tell the difference. Your CPU is definitely your bottleneck in Autocad.

Sorry, to clarify - I have 8GB (2x4) of 1333 RAM right now in my existing 2500K machine. The 2500K is running at 4.5Ghz so I'm pretty sure the CPU is not a bottleneck for 2D CAD.

I am building a second machine with a 2600K to serve exclusively as my CAD/work build; the existing i5 will be used for gaming and other stuff. I run multiple AutoCAD dwgs, tons of browser tabs, Google Earth, Visual Basic 2010, etc. simultaneously - I find that eats up 8GB pretty easily. So, I will be getting new RAM anyway because I am going to preserve the existing build as it is, so might as well get more/a little faster.

 

[dish_moose]

I thought there was a big difference between single/dual/triple chan mem and different speeds - turns out there isn't - the cpu cache makes it all work at similar performance levels. There was a Tom's article on this - I learned something.
OC your cpu - get a SSD - will feel the improvement.
-Bruce

 

[kajabla]

Just get another set of 2x4 identical sticks. It's not worth the money. Do you even notice lag in CAD?

 

[Deleted member 217926]

If I understand correctly you have a 2500K box and are building a second box with a 2600K? The RAM you listed will work fine although you can get a 16GB kit cheaper by going with a 4 x 4GB kit.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Like this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231497

Although with the 2 x 8GB sticks you have the option to add 2 more for a total of 32GB if you find you need it.

 

[RetiredChief]

Been awhile back and not sure if it was Tom's or Anandtech but it dealt with this question specifically - It tested Ram from 1333 to above 1600 with various software apps. The bottom line was there was not enough performance gain vs cost increase to warrent > 1333, but did state that DDR3-1600 was the "Sweet Spot", BUT ONLY worth getting if cost was very close. NOT ther is a gain but in many cases the gain ONLY shows up in benchmarks, not real world gain.

I'm running 16 gigs (4 x 4) Ripjaws DDR3-1600 CL7. However it requires 1.60 V and for two reasons this Ram voids my SB warrenty.

Intel ONLY warrents it SB CPU when run within specifications.
Any one of the following voids the Warranty:
.. Vcore over 1.50 V
.. Ram Voltage > 1.575 (spec is 1.500 V +/- 5% )
.. Ram Freq > 1333
HOWEVER Intel does sell a Overclock warranty for i5-2500k for $25, Slightly higher for i7. This is a one time free pass on blowing your CPU by exceeding specified values.

 

[ebalong]

If I understand correctly you have a 2500K box and are building a second box with a 2600K? The RAM you listed will work fine although you can get a 16GB kit cheaper by going with a 4 x 4GB kit.

Yes that is correct. Yeah, I could have gone with the 4x4 kit, but I wanted to be able to max out the board in a year or so without having to replace all the DIMM's. I'm going to use this build for AutoCAD, Revit, and some other design/rendering programs so I'm okay with having what some would consider an overabundance of memory.

 

[ebalong]

Best answer selected by ebalong.

 

[nikorr]

This topic has been closed by Nikorr