RAM that wont bottleneck my system

[Koudelka]

Hey all

I've been away for a few years and am no longer up to date on current parts and reliability and whats performing right now.

I'm putting together a new system though and i've picked out the vid card and cpu for sure, but i'm a totally clueless on RAM at the moment. Here's what i have:

Vista Ultimate 64bit
Core i7 Nehalem 2.66
GTX 295
Leaning towards Rampage II for mobo

I have the rest all figured out besides Mobo and RAM. I just know that i want to get a set of 6GB so i wont have to upgrade for a long time, or as long as possible.

Last time i built a system Corsair and OCZ were without a doubt on top, 2GB was considered heavy duty, and top-end was around $250.

I'm seeing a lot of 6GB sticks for around $500-600, but i'd be willing to spend about $400 or even $500 if its absolutely worth it.

If anyone can recommend or suggest reliable fast-performing RAM, I would appreciate it!

I havent decided completely on a motherboard yet, but am also taking suggestions as well. Seems prices have tripled on top end boards and reviews are all 50/50 mixed. Hard to make a decision like that.

Thanks again! any and all suggestions welcome!

 

[Blain]

Try to use memory that sticks close to the 1.5v standard.
Don't worry about latency.

G.Skill, Corsair and Mushkin are all good solid picks.
Yes... I did leave out OCZ. :roll:

 

[Mashed Potato]

I have had Mushkin in the past. Their support forums are amazing, their customer support is top notch, and also a lifetime warranty??? Unbeatable IMHO. Two of my sticks roasted, and all they needed was my invoice and I had new ones on the way.

"My name is Mashed Potato, and I'm addicted to Mushkin"

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,

Even the cheapest DDR3 ram will not `bottleneck' your system. So long as the stuff you buy works, it will be fine and the bottleneck will be your HDD and the limits of your throughput on the motherboard itself.

Now, if you're talking about getting expensive RAM for the sake of overclocking and getting something that can withstand higher voltage and have low latency base settings, then yes, that's something to be specific and careful about. Especially in a very high end overclock based on changing the FSB for the overclock (and not the CPU's multiplier) which is the case with basically every Intel chip (the one you're looking at).

If you're not doing a high end overclock, the RAM you purchase will not be the slowest part of your system.

Your HDD however will ALWAYS be the slowest thing in your system and will always be your biggest bottleneck.

Very best,

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: MalVeauX
Even the cheapest DDR3 ram will not `bottleneck' your system. So long as the stuff you buy works

+1

People tend to think way too much on RAM performance. It might have been more of an issue in the past, but these days anything DDR2 or faster with dual-channel or better won't be anywhere close to being a bottleneck for most applications.

 

[Denithor]

There's a SuperTalent 6GB DDR3-1333 kit for like $110 shipped. Check the Hot Deals forum for details. No reason to spend $400-600 on RAM at all.