Ram choices for DDR3-2133

[Andrew Buck]

(WARNING: LONG. I have included options if you want to skim through what has been going on at the bottom of the thread. Specs are there too as well as being in my signature.) I have been on TomsHardware a lot helping people bring their systems back into working condition, and I did realize myself that I have a bad RAM setup. Despite upgrading my CPU many times because I thought I was bottlenecked by it, then I got suspicious after my FX-8320 was bottlenecking (or so I thought) my single R9 270X. I decided to get another because I could afford it at the time, and I was extremely satisfied with results considering my framerates went up a good bit. Then I realized that those same BF4 maps (Siege of Shanghai, Flood Zone, every other stock map, etc) ran at the SAME fps. I looked and saw my GPU usage was cut exactly in half. Now at this point I thought it was my CPU and for whatever reason, it didn't like my GPUs and wasn't strong enough (probably was good for one, maybe not the best for 2 GPUs). I always knew Intel was so awesome and have an Intel chip in my Mac, great performance for only dual core with hyperthreading (Core i5-3210M). I knew the 4770K was so great and always had a craving for buying it. I thought for then my 8320 was fine, but I finally got the chance to upgrade to a 4770K. At this point I could have waited for the 4790K, but I thought, hey, the 4790K doesn't have the motherboard bundle at MicroCenter, while the 4770K does, so why not save $60? I installed it, and everything worked extremely well - except for those Battlefield 4 maps. My usage was better, as was my FPS, maybe 5-10 fps better, finally hitting 60 in those maps (I should be in the 100s with this setup) on Ultra. I still did drop down to 50 fps (unbearable to me), but like my 8320, my CPU usage was in the 60s-70s for each core (more like 70s-80s, sometimes 90 with the 8320), so it wasn't a CPU bottleneck. I also use PassMark and 3DMark/3DMark11 for my benchmarks, and noticed that in PassMark, my Prime Number Calculations (also happened with 8320, about the same amount, too) were very low. My physics was even lower (Didn't happen with my 8320). In 3DMark11, my 8320's physics score was always a tiny bit low, but I didn't really think much of it. My 4770K was low there too and I started to get suspicious. I remembered that my physics score on my 8320 was around the same, too. I had an unsuccessful thread here (people stopped responding), and because I am ambitious and do not stop until I fix something, I did what I would do if I helped people on here - I tried overclocking my CPU. Physics scores got higher, as I expected from my CPU, but they were still pretty low. I am talking 9600 physics score in 3DMark FireStrike at 4.6 GHz (1.45 volts, that is another story.). I should have been getting at least 11000, maybe 12000 with that setup. That got my thinking. I noticed that others with Windows 8.1 had lower physics scores, and that is what I heard was the problem, but then I also found Windows 8.1 users with great scores. I messed with some RAM settings because I had nothing else to do with the CPU, and I wanted to see what I could do. I bumped up the frequency to 1866 MHz, and tested. I noticed my scores got a little bit better. That was also the first time I was ever ABLE to overclock my RAM, because it was never really stable with my AMD systems (another point for Intel) and that got me excited. Now, I have single channel RAM, and that made me wonder. I tried going to 2000 MHz and moved the Voltage up to 1.65 (I saw RAM around there with that voltage) and things got better. I moved up to 2133 MHz at the same voltage, and things were almost normal, with Prime Number Scores sometimes up to 31.5 (I think it is millions of operations per second), with the 3770K reference being at around 33. I usually got around 23 at stock to 28.5 at 4.2 GHz (pretty much my max stable, because Windows acts retarded and gives me WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR when I hit 4.4. I am stable at 4.3 @ 1.275, but when I go to 4.4, I can't boot. Not sure of the voltage required there. Just to BOOT into the OS and not get the BlueScreen, I need 1.4 Volts at 4.5 GHz, 1.45 to 1.46 for 4.6 GHz, but hey, it is stable enough to get some benchmarks, and my H105 handles it like a champ, never touching 70 in any of the benchmarks. My physics score was around 400 fps at 1600 MHz and the 3770K is usually around 590 fps. With 2133 MHz, it is around 510-535, depending on what kind of day I am having. Now, I have not tested the RAM for stability, but it is pretty damn stable. It handles multiple (5+) hour gaming sessions without a freeze. When I overclocked to 2400 MHz, I booted, but about 15 seconds into the benchmark, my system blanked out and restarted. That is when I knew 2133 was my limit. I know that one DDR3 interface gives me a set ability to relay numbers and equations to my RAM, with 1 stick running at 2133 MHz (CL11 I think my system set it to), it could only handle about 2,133,000 data transfers per second. Common sense (I am not a RAM expert, only know a lot about video cards, CPU, motherboards, troubleshooting, and how RAM works in terms of Frequency and the CAS timings, don't even ask about the others. Most of my logic for fixing issues is common sense) tells me that with 2 2133 MHz RAM sticks and 2 slots, the CPU could transfer information twice as fast (4,266,000 times per second). Now, this is probably correct in a way, but I am thinking my RAM is bottlenecking my CPU. Now, at 2133 MHz, those maps in question let me touch 75 regularly only dropping a little bit below 60 (maybe 57 or 55 at worst, still stuttery and laggy as hell for me), but I am wondering about my other scores. Now I haven't really been organized to compare the 2 RAM differences in 3DMark, but the PassMark differences should explain it pretty well. I have seen that dual channel increases performance by 10-15% for most, but I think with my setup, it will seriously increase over 1600 MHz RAM. I got looking for RAM, looking for the HIGHEST performing for a reasonable price, and found 3 options. I can either get the http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmy8gx3m2a2133c11r RAM, which is at 1.5 Volts CL11, which I figured I could overclock to CL9 with a voltage increase to 1.65 V. Now, my second option is the http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmy8gx3m2b2133c9r RAM which is the exact same, but at 1.65 V and CL9, which I am aiming for. I just need low timings to make my extra frequency endeavor worth it, but am not guaranteed to hit CL9 with the 1.5 V memory, but I could maybe get lucky and hit CL8 at 1.65. On the other hand, the CL9 memory at 1.65 Volts is probably pretty much the limit. The first option that I had was the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231554 because I looked at a PassMark rating with that RAM and it got over 4000 points, while most other high end RAM got around 3000. It is 1.65 V CL9 2133 MHz RAM, but G.SKILL ARES RAM. I figured that Corsair was pretty much the best you can get when it comes to RAM with their high end Corsair Dominator Platinum. This is Corsair Vengeance Pro RAM. I know that Corsair Vengeance is pretty much Entry-Level RAM, but this is pro. I just need to know which would render (I render a lot, no pun intended) me the most performance. Thank you. I am sorry for the long backstory and other stuff. Please also explain to me what the other RAM timings are. I know CAS Latency, the main number, but what are the others? Thanks in advance, and if you make it this far, I PRAISE you. Now. unfortunately I cannot test anything right now, because I am on vacation and will not be back until the 15th of July. Specs are below and in my signature.

SPECS:

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K overclocked to 4 GHz at 1.2 Volts
CPU Cooler: Corsair H105 Extreme Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z97X-SOC Force
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 1600 MHz CL9 RAM overclocked to 2133 MHz CL11/12 (I forget)
GPUs: 2 x MSI Radeon R9 270X Gaming 2G with latest 14.6 Beta Drivers
Hard Drive: Western Digital WD10EZEX 1 TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache
PSU: Corsair CX750 (Goes against my own beliefs, especially not being modular)

Again, thank you for helping me! If you skipped down here: The options:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmy8gx3m2a2133c11r
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmy8gx3m2b2133c9r
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231554

 

[Andrew Buck]

I understand your reasoning for all of this. The reason for the overpriced motherboard - I read great reviews and live by a MicroCenter that had an awesome deal on it and the processor. The 4670K just wouldn't cut it, though. I got Haswell for high frequency RAM. I am not getting serious yet about rendering, but soon will be. That is why I am currently getting ready and turning my highly-budget oriented gaming PC into an enthusiast / high end workstation bit by bit. I will be wanting every big of performance that I can get, and can lower to a 256 GB SSD if needed. I will for sure eventually get 16 GB and maybe 32 (distant future), but for now, I need great RAM that will increase rendering and responsiveness in editing and rendering. Oddly enough, 8 GB seems to do quite the job (not the best, keep in mind I am running single channel) at rendering my test files that I have prepared for my system to see what frequencies it likes and how it will perform. Any bit I can get can make a big difference. By the ways, you use a lot of periods... lol

 

[swifty_morgan]

I don't believe in run-on sentences.

 

[Andrew Buck]

That aside, my budget it around $145, so the Trident X 2666 CL10 just barely fits in there. I can't afford 16GB at the moment. I wish I could, but I just can't. I need high end parts for my system. My 1 TB cuts it for now, it has 150 MB/Second Read/Write.