Need advice on which ram to use.

[Travis200270]

I'm looking for ram to put in my build but not sure which I should use. My system will be nearly top of the line and I do plan to overclock my processor to 4 or 4.2 ghz, if stable. I had CMP8GX3M4A1600C8 in mind for some time but I do not think it will be in line with the rest of my build. I was thinking of going with 2 sets of CMT4GX3M2A1600C7 because of the fast mhz and low CAS. I'm also unsure if the GT fins will fit under a NH-D14 cooler. Please recommend on which I should use for an extreme gaming system. Please recommend other modules if these are not good choices. Build specs are located in profile and thanks for any information on this matter.

 

Edit: I Just noticed CMG4GX3M2B1600C7 was in the list for Dual Channel DDR3 Memory for AMD Phenom II processors. What is the difference from CMT4GX3M2A1600C7? Also would 2 sets of it work well on my setup.

[trackrat]

If you want 8 GB. purchase a 8 GB. tested kit as using two 4 GB. kits may not function stable, especially with an overclocked CPU. I wouldn't get your heart set on > 4.0G with a Phenom II CPU. It's rare to run stable at that speed. Some systems will but most will not.

 

The CMD8GX3M4A1333C7 8 GB. kit is the only one currently listed by Corsair for the AMD phenom II series with C7 latency. This is a 1333 MHz. kit which is the normal memory frequency for the socket AM3 CPUs.

 

http://www.corsair.com/products/phenomii/default.aspx

 

You will need to measure and confirm the clearance on your CPU cooler to tell if the Dominator fins will clear.

[Travis200270]

Thanks for the reply. I noticed a lot of people using CMP8GX3M4A1600C8 in their builds with 1090T and Crosshair IV. Which would likely be faster CMP8GX3M4A1600C8 or the 1333 C7 8gb? Would there be much of a FPS difference while gaming? I also located this link not sure if its accurate or even comes from corsair. I do notice there is a typo in it on the second set CMP8GX3M4A1600C8† is listed as 1333mhz.

http://www.altech.com.au/misc/productnews/AMDBuyerGuide.pdf

[trackrat]

The link below shows you how to read the Corsair part numbers. The "1600" memory is tested and approved to run at a 1600 MHz. frequency. The "1333" memory is tested and approved to run at 1333 MHz. The last two digits are the latency rating of the memory. The lower the latency number the tighter the timings. So a "C7" module would typically have 7-7-7-20 settings where as a "C9" module would have 9-9-9-27 settings.

 

It's impossible to say if a 1600 MHz. frequency is better than a C7 timing as it varies by the program you are running and the difference is typical very small in either case.

 

http://forum.corsair.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80808

 

If your system will run stable at the higher frequencies and tighter latency settings, then there is a little performance to be gained. In order to do this however all of your hardware must be willing to run at a higher frequency or tighter latency timings and you must set all of the BIOS options correctly - as my signature suggests.

 

Your AM3 socket CPU officially supports RAM speeds up to 1333 MHz. Beyond that is overclocking of the memory/CPU and your results will vary.

[RAM GUY]

Either kit will work on the machine however the 1600C8 kit most likely will not be able to hit the rated frequencies and timings. This relies on the memory controller of your processor. As for the Dominator modules fitting under neath the heatsink most likely they will not with that heatsink and you would need to use a XMS module with the shorter heatspreaders.