I need some good memory sticks

[Megatomic]

So, as the title states, I want to buy some new memory, stuff that will do CAS2 1T at DDR500 stock. I want it to be a kit that is 2 x 1GB in size, and I don't need LEDs or any such bling.

Is there such as beast? If so, what is it? If you have a link that'd be great. I have 2 x 1GB of Corsair TwinX 2048 PC3200 C2PT, but it is less than I expected. I intend to sell this stuff and buy whichever kit gets the highest recommendations here.

My plan is to run my X2 4800+ at 10x HTT250 with the HTT mult. at 4x and the memory at 1:1 with the best possible timings with, at the very least, CAS2 and 1T command rate.

Please, don't try to remind me that I "don't need" this. I want this.

 

[Megatomic]

I guess I should mention that the RAM will be installed in an ASUS A8N-SLI Premium and be working with my X2 4800+. The CPU is good to 2.7GHz at 270HTT so the 250HTT is a very conservative overclock IMHO.

Thanks for the help guys. :beer:

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Good luck with that. Ram that runs at ddr500, especially 2gb kits are not available with CAS2. At ddr500 you are looking at CAS3.

 

[Mogadon]

Here's Anandtechs review on some 2GB kits.

 

[5t3v0]

To get PC3200 to DDR500 will require some compromise on the timings, regardless of how tight they are at 200MHz. PC4000 is already compromised by slower timings out the box. The best you can expect to get at 250HTT is CL 2.5 but its more likely to be 3.0. Timings are secondary to MHz anyway so get the cheapest that can guarantee you 250 1T. The G.Skill HZ (PC4000) are a good value kit. G.Skill ZX (PC3200) arent reliable overclockers so avoid them. If you want to spend more and aim for CL 2.5, try the Mushkin Redline XP4000.

Edit: Or you could wait to see if anything better comes out but as manufacturers seem to be scaling back production of DDR in favour of DDR2, that might be fruitless & cost you more if DDR prices go up.

 

[robertk2012]

Originally posted by: 5t3v0
To get PC3200 to DDR500 will require some compromise on the timings, regardless of how tight they are at 200MHz. PC4000 is already compromised by slower timings out the box. The best you can expect to get at 250HTT is CL 2.5 but its more likely to be 3.0. Timings are secondary to MHz anyway so get the cheapest that can guarantee you 250 1T. The G.Skill HZ (PC4000) are a good value kit. G.Skill ZX (PC3200) arent reliable overclockers so avoid them. If you want to spend more and aim for CL 2.5, try the Mushkin Redline XP4000.

Why do people always say timings are secondary to mhz? Cas 2 timings at 200 give the same performace as cas 3 at 260.

 

[robertk2012]

Review Look at this and youll see how small the gain really is by increasing the rams speed. Pay special attention to those last numbers as the gain there is from the increase in clockspeed. So please tell me why mhz is so important?

 

[5t3v0]

Originally posted by: robertk2012
Why do people always say timings are secondary to mhz? Cas 2 timings at 200 give the same performace as cas 3 at 260.

Not always so. Here's a benchmark I did some time ago on my 1Gb PC3200 GeIL. Game scores are the same, which is what you'd expect, but cpu scores are > 100 marks higher at CL3 @ 229MHz compared to CL2 @ 180MHz, just 49MHz slower. If your theory was true, CL2 @ 180 would give a higher score.

MHz Timings CPC 3DMarks CPUmarks
180....2-3-3-6...1T.....6453.........4869
229....3-4-4-8...1T.....6453.........4975

 

[5t3v0]

Originally posted by: robertk2012
Review Look at this and youll see how small the gain really is by increasing the rams speed. Pay special attention to those last numbers as the gain there is from the increase in clockspeed. So please tell me why mhz is so important?

man, you keep on beating that drum but there is an increase in performance with increasing ram MHz, albeit small for games which are limited by the video card rather than cpu or ram. But there are real gains in other apps, and I'm not just talking about synthetic benchmarks like Sandra. Granted timings make a difference too & ideally you'd aim for fast ram at tight timings which is what Megatomic here is after. If someone has got the cash & wants to spend a disproportionate sum on premium memory for a relatively small boost, who are we to criticise or deter them?

 

[JohnAn2112]

Good luck. You can't find any 256MB or 512MB sticks that can run at CAS 2 at DDR500 unless you're running BH-5's at 3.4v so you'll never find any 1GB sticks that will do it. Check out OCZ's PC4000 Platinum EB set. They'll do 3-3-2-8 1T at DDR 500 and that's probably the best timings you'll ever get with 1GB dimms.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: JohnAn2112
Good luck. You can't find any 256MB or 512MB sticks that can run at CAS 2 at DDR500 unless you're running BH-5's at 3.4v so you'll never find any 1GB sticks that will do it. Check out OCZ's PC4000 Platinum EB set. They'll do 3-3-2-8 1T at DDR 500 and that's probably the best timings you'll ever get with 1GB dimms.

Thanks, you answered my next question. I think at DDR500, even CAS3 would be pretty fast. My current RAM doesn't like DDR500 at all and I want to run 1:1 with HTT at 250MHz.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: 5t3v0
Granted timings make a difference too & ideally you'd aim for fast ram at tight timings which is what Megatomic here is after. If someone has got the cash & wants to spend a disproportionate sum on premium memory for a relatively small boost, who are we to criticise or deter them?

Thanks. :beer: I'm a working man and I have money to spend on my favorite hobby. I know all the typical arguements about how unecessary RAM bandwidth is, but I'm looking to max out my rig. This is my almost certainly feudal attempt at placating my need to constantly upgrade my computer.

 

[n7]

The best 2x1024 MB DDR500 kits out there that i know of are the OCZ 3-3-2, & the Mushkin 3-3-2.

 

[TecHNooB]

Mushkin Redlines.

 

[Rob_63]

Originally posted by: Megatomic
This is my almost certainly feudal attempt at placating my need to constantly upgrade my computer.

Isn't our addiction great? Hey at least it is better than using needles or sitting in a bar every night (at least that is the rationalization I use on my wife)

I have the Mushkin 3200 2 gb kit here now Jeff, I will test em out in a few days and give you a report on them.

 

[Megatomic]

Excellent, thanks Rob.

 

[Rob_63]

Well so far I am unsuccessful at getting them to boot at default timings 2-3-2-6 1T in the Asus A8N deluxe. They only work in Channel 2 @ 2T. Channel 1 is what the manual recommends them to be in, they will not post, but the other sets of ram I have here will. The heat spreaders on these are ULTRA CHEAP. Not impressed at all, first time I went to press one in the slot I ended up burying the PCB right back into the spreader. Looks like Mushkin has laid off their quality control staff. Should have gone OCZ.

Edit: Best I can get with these in this board is 2.5-3-3-6 @ 2T. Pretty crappy for 230 dollar memory. I will try them out in the MSI Diamond plus tomorrow morning, I have had enough wrestling with this tonight. If they don't work at advertised timings in this board then they go back.

Edit 2: Just for S & G's I ran memtest at the above settings, twice it locked up at between 9 and 10 minutes. I have never had that happen before. ?

 

[5t3v0]

If upgrading & overclocking were easy, it wouldn't be addictive Sounds like you should RMA those Mushkin. I take back my suggestion earlier. OCZ definately seem to be reliable when you read the reviews & forums (or should that be fora?)

 

[Capt Caveman]

Megatomic, I've run several different 2gb kits on that board.

1. Crucial Ballistix
2. Mushkin Redlines
3. Mushkin HP3200
4. Mushkin XP4000
5. OCZ Gold DDR500

Ballistix are the best 2x1gb sticks you can get but unfortunately the latest batches don't live for very long and Crucial is discontinuing them.

The Mushkin XP4000, Mushkin Redlines, OCZ Gold DDR500 and any sticks using Samsung UCCC or Infineon C chips at DDR500 should all be able to give you a CAS 2.5 at 250mhz.

 

[Megatomic]

Rob, good luck with the Diamond. Hopefully it likes your Mushkin. Speaking of which, I remember back in the day when Mushkin was THE top of the line. I hope they haven't begun their decline into mediocrity...

Capt. Caveman, thanks for the tips. I'll probably look into just buying some new from a web store as it looks like getting them on the forums may be difficult.

Anybody wanna buy my Corsair memory?

 

[Rob_63]

Jeff I went by what the Asus manual said as far as installing the memory, it said if using two dimms they must be in DImm A1 and Dimm B1, (with empty Dimm A2 between them). As I am setting up the MSI board it says to use the first two slots to the left if you have double sided memory , and the first and third for single sided. Have you tried sticking the memory side by side? I didnt' try that on the Asus before I tore it down. I have run across this situation before, should have remembered it. I hope the memory lapse was from lack of sleep and not old age, ugh

Edit: for speeling

Edit 2: If you are serious about selling the rams, PM me your price.

 

[Megatomic]

On the ASUS mobos, if you put them side by side, the RAM runs single channel. I'm almost certain of that. But I'm at work right now so I can't check until later.

And I'm still hemming and hawing about the RAM. I don't know what to do...

 

[Centoros]

Nothing better than Crucial Ballistix IMO. I can't seem to locate any 2X1 kits though. I've only been able to find 2X512.

 

[Megatomic]

The lifetime of Crucial Ballistix is far too short for me to invest in them. Plus, they are not being made anymore. That's probably why you can't find any of the 2GB kits.

 

[itsrunninghot]

Originally posted by: 5t3v0
G.Skill ZX (PC3200) arent reliable overclockers so avoid them.

I just decided to see if i could push my G.Skill zx a little further. Im running 3-3-3-8 1T at 259mhz. I havent ran memtest yet, just a 1mil superpi. Hopefully this will be stable.