What does this mean?

[Devistator16]

I'm looking to replace my 8GB Ram with 16 DDR3 1600.

My motherboard specs say
DDR3 1066/1333/1600*/1866*(*OC)
Does that mean I have to do something special to use 1600 or should I try to find 1333 or 1066, is there a difference for games like Doom or Battlefield?

Thanks

 

[Herc08]

It means that it runs 1333mhz at minmum. So let's say you get a DDR3 chip thats rated at 1866mhz. If you jut pop it in and boot up, it will run at 1333. However, with your motherboard and the right CPU, you can overclock it to 1600 or 1866.

However, all RAM will boot at the motherboard's speed until you change it in the BIOS. You probbaly will only notice a slight difference in those games.

 

[raisonjohn]

That means your motherboard supports 1066MHz, 1333MHz, 1600Mhz, and 1866MHz DDR3 RAM speeds. Note that the 1866MHz speed can only be achieved by overclocking ("OC").

The actual speed will also be dependent on the CPU you have. DDR3, non-OC'd RAM with a certain non-OC CPUs, can do up to a max. of 1600MHz. Certain CPU's (unlocked CPUs) can support 1866MHz in your motherboard.

There will be no considerable, significant, and noticeable real-world difference when it comes to gaming as far as these speeds are concerned. So, get the cheapest RAM of such capacity, whatever supported speed, you can get, esp. if you are budget-conscious.

 

[Devistator16]

Thanks guys, my processor is AMDFX 4350