Purchase advice...

PH3N0M · Feb 17, 2009, 09:44 PM

I'm trying to decide whether I should upgrade my 4gb of DDR3-1333 to 8gb of the Corsair Dominator DDR3-1800, or pick up another GTX 285 for a 3-way SLI.

Does the ram fan really do any good or is it just a marketing gimmick?

Your advice would be appreciated.

Mac Daddy · Feb 17, 2009, 11:40 PM

Too be completely honest I think doubling your RAM and increasing the speed from DDR3-1333 to DDR3-1800 would have more of a performance boost than adding a third card in SLI.

I believe Zardon is running Tri-SLI but he is also running a Skulltrail.

PPS: Also check what your mobo can run shows 1600 FSB

PH3N0M · Feb 18, 2009, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac Daddy

PPS: Also check what your mobo can run shows 1600 FSB

This is what a Dell tech told me:

DDR3 1066MHz PC3-8500
DDR3 1333MHz PC3-10600
DDR3 1600MHz PC3-12800
DDR3 Corsair Dominator CM3X1024-1800C8D/DELL 1800MHz PC3-14400

I'm not wanting to spend over $600 so if I were to purchase 8gb of this Newegg.com - CORSAIR XMS3 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

I could also purchase the GTX 285.

Mac Daddy · Feb 18, 2009, 12:36 AM

Hmm ..... that ram you first mentioned is 1800MHz PC3-14400 but is your motherboard going to utilize it or downclock it to 1600Mhz?

If so I would go for your second option.

CDsDontBurn · Feb 18, 2009, 03:53 AM

Get the ram over the gfx card. You'll see more of a performance boost with more RAM vs. adding another gfx card. also, i'd get DDR3 1600Mhz RAM over anything else. I find it to be a good middle point

Lowfat · Feb 18, 2009, 05:50 AM

I believe you'll a bigger improvement with the videocard. Chances are you'll never use the extra 4GB, definitely with gaming. And this is coming from someone who uses 12GB of ram. The increase of ram speed will also show no benefit. 1-2FPS if you are lucky.

But in all seriousness both are kind of silly and a waste of money.

CDsDontBurn · Feb 18, 2009, 11:19 AM

idk man. Upgrading to add a 3rd video card is really only beneficial at resolutions of 1920x1200 or higher. So unless the OP's monitor supports such a resolution, then that would be pointless.

I still say go w/the extra RAM. Even if it's not very beneficial now, it will definately be the better buy for the long run.

Bolletje · Feb 18, 2009, 11:30 AM

I should go for the RAM. Because you can also sell your old RAM so you have some more money to spare.

Mac Daddy · Feb 18, 2009, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDsDontBurn

Get the ram over the gfx card. You'll see more of a performance boost with more RAM vs. adding another gfx card. also, i'd get DDR3 1600Mhz RAM over anything else. I find it to be a good middle point

If I read his second post correctly Bro I think he said if he opted for the DDR3 1600 instead of the DDR3 1800 he could also afford the GTX 285.

Either way I still think the memory is the way to go performance in SLI between 2 and 3 way is almost negligible in most circumstances.

EDIT: PH3NOM you might want to check out the DH review here it was just posted today !!
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/dh-revie...review-dh.html

PH3N0M · Feb 18, 2009, 01:49 PM

I'd really like to have that 6gb kit but then I'd have one more slot to fill up and I don't know if I could purchase a single module from them to fill all 4 slots on my board. I've checked Tiger, Newegg, and eBay and I can only seem to find them in the 3-stick kits. Is it possible to run 6gb in dual channel, or?

OmegaRED · Feb 18, 2009, 02:14 PM

Tri-SLI is a waste of money. There isn't a game that exists right now which will provide an improved gameplay experience with the use of 3 GTX 285's over SLI and this isn't likely to change without advances in SLI technology (memory bottlenecks are an issue).

I can't speak of the ram but since those are the two options you presented that would be my obvious choice (though tbh with SLI 285's you should upgrade to a 30inch LCD

).

~~scurvy~~ · Feb 18, 2009, 02:15 PM

well since ur playing at 1900x1200 res I'd say go for the third card, so u can really run Cryssis at supermax setting with evrything cracnked up and still get an awesome framerate.

Its would be like a religious experience.

PH3N0M · Feb 18, 2009, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OmegaRED

Tri-SLI is a waste of money. There isn't a game that exists right now which will provide an improved gameplay experience with the use of 3 GTX 285's over SLI and this isn't likely to change without advances in SLI technology (memory bottlenecks are an issue).

What do you mean, memory bottlenecks being the issue?

Quote:

Originally Posted by OmegaRED

I can't speak of the ram but since those are the two options you presented that would be my obvious choice (though tbh with SLI 285's you should upgrade to a 30inch LCD

).

I've considered getting a 30" but I had a 26" and downgraded to a 24". It was just too big for my liking.

OmegaRED · Feb 18, 2009, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PH3N0M

What do you mean, memory bottlenecks being the issue?

See this article. That is for Quad SLI but the results still show that the sweet spot is SLI and everything after that isn't going to make much of a difference...expect maybe in Crysis, which last time I checked isn't something people play on a daily basis so it might as well not count.

Quote:

I've considered getting a 30" but I had a 26" and downgraded to a 24". It was just too big for my liking.

Never heard of anyone finding a 26" monitor too big

I guess the idea is SLI 285's are one of the few cards able to power the latest games at 2560x1600.

PH3N0M · Feb 18, 2009, 02:33 PM

Well, sitting less than two feet away, it was just all up in my face. lol

CDsDontBurn · Feb 18, 2009, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac Daddy

If I read his second post correctly Bro I think he said if he opted for the DDR3 1600 instead of the DDR3 1800 he could also afford the GTX 285.

Oh, i didn't read that part, lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PH3N0M

I'd really like to have that 6gb kit but then I'd have one more slot to fill up and I don't know if I could purchase a single module from them to fill all 4 slots on my board. I've checked Tiger, Newegg, and eBay and I can only seem to find them in the 3-stick kits. Is it possible to run 6gb in dual channel, or?

If you don't have a board that doesn't support tripple channel memory, just get the dual-channel kit. It would be better to buy two dual channel kits rather than a tripple channel kit and a single stick by itself. or, if you plan on using your current memory, just get another set of the same memory to have it matched up as best as possible.

PH3N0M · Feb 18, 2009, 08:58 PM

The Ram Guy at Corsair said -

Quote:

If you want 4 Gig I would suggest using TWIN3X4096-1600C7DHX but these would not be suggested for an X58 Chipset. And if you install more than one set of these the memory frequency should be set to DDR1066 or DDR1333.

I won't be purchasing that ram but my question is, why purchase faster ram if it has to be underclocked and run slower than the advertised speed?! I mean, what's the point? Hell, it would make more sense just to buy 8gb of DDR3-1333 wouldn't it?

Judas · Feb 18, 2009, 09:08 PM

8gb of slower memory is faster overall then 4gb of faster memory which is overall slower...

this has been the case forever....

PH3N0M · Feb 18, 2009, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judas

8gb of slower memory is faster overall then 4gb of faster memory which is overall slower...

this has been the case forever....

What I'm asking is, why is DDR3-1600 rated at 1600mhz @ 4GB but if you install 8GB, it underclocks to 1333mhz? Is it because it doesn't need to operate as fast with 8GB, or what's the deal? It just seems like a waste to spend money on 8gb of DDR3-1600 if it's going to underclock to DDR3-1333 speeds.

Judas · Feb 18, 2009, 09:48 PM

8gb DDR3-1600mhz will clock to 1600mhz.... but the problem is related to large amount of memory spread across multiple modules.... specific timings are losened to retain stability with that amount of memory.

I was stating that it's better to have 8gb of slower memory rather then faster 4gb memory...

The only reason it would underclock it to 1333mhz is due to chipset limitations.. but since the new intel I7's are intergrated memory... you have to manually overclock or set the speeds.. which will apply to all the memory.

PH3N0M · Feb 18, 2009, 10:43 PM

Alright, I guess I will just purchase 8gb of the Corsair XMS3 DDR3-1333 instead of the 1600, saves me a little money, too.

Mac Daddy · Feb 18, 2009, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PH3N0M

Alright, I guess I will just purchase 8gb of the Corsair XMS3 DDR3-1333 instead of the 1600, saves me a little money, too.

I think we are getting sidetracked here and I think you missed what Judas was saying Bro. You are running an nForce 790i Ultra SLI which has a rated FSB of 1600Mhz which should run the Corsair DDR3-1600 at its rated speed. I was concerned that it would underclock the DDR3-1800 too 1600Mhz.

If you look at Stuart's review I posted the link too you will see in either case that the Corsair DDR3-1600 will overclock easily beyond 1800Mhz anyway so I would stongly suggest it.
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews....=719&pageid=11

PPS: Judas I think you just confused the hell out of this issue

PH3N0M · Feb 18, 2009, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac Daddy

I think we are getting sidetracked here and I think you missed what Judas was saying Bro. You are running an nForce 790i Ultra SLI which has a rated FSB of 1600Mhz which should run the Corsair DDR3-1600 at its rated speed. I was concerned that it would underclock the DDR3-1800 too 1600Mhz.

If you look at Stuart's review I posted the link too you will see in either case that the Corsair DDR3-1600 will overclock easily beyond 1800Mhz anyway so I would stongly suggest it.
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews....=719&pageid=11

PPS: Judas I think you just confused the hell out of this issue

HA HA HA! Yeah, I was like...DUBYA TEE EFF?! I have a 1600mhz FSB and I can't run memory at 1600mhz?! lol Thanks for your input, Mac Daddy!

Mac Daddy · Feb 18, 2009, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PH3N0M

HA HA HA! Yeah, I was like...DUBYA TEE EFF?! I have a 1600mhz FSB and I can't run memory at 1600mhz?! lol Thanks for your input, Mac Daddy!

Anytime Bro

PH3N0M · Feb 19, 2009, 12:18 AM

I've been looking at the XMS3 and the Dominator ram and to be honest, I can't really tell a difference between the two other than the fact the XMS3 has a latency of 9 and the Dominator has a latency of 8.

CORSAIR XMS3 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 - $158 (after $50 in rebates)

Newegg.com - CORSAIR XMS3 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

CORSAIR DOMINATOR (3 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 - $214 (1 stick short of 8gb)

Newegg.com - CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

Am I missing something that justifies the difference in pricing? The Dominators recommend use is High Performance or Gaming Memory, which the XMS3 doesn't state what it should be used for. I'm guessing the Dominator is more overclock friendly?

Mac Daddy · Feb 19, 2009, 12:54 AM

I haven't used either personally but I would think the Dominator has a better heat spreader and is better for overclocking.

On the kits available in multiples of 3 it messed me up too but they are intended for i7 systems that utilize triple channel DDR as opposed to dual.

PH3N0M · Feb 19, 2009, 01:21 AM

Well, I won't be overclocking my ram so I'll go with the XMS3.

Mac Daddy · Feb 19, 2009, 01:28 AM

Your choice and keep us posted on how you make out Bro

PH3N0M · Feb 19, 2009, 05:15 AM

I definitely will. Ordering tomorrow so I won't be able to post results until Monday or Tuesday of next week.

procupine14 · Feb 20, 2009, 10:04 PM

Just don't get any triple channel set unless you have a system that does triple channel. If you are running anything other than the core i7 you'll need dual channel. Correct me if im wrong here

Feb 17, 2009, 09:44 PM	#1
PH3N0M The Master of Sarcasm Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The U.S. of A Posts: 348 Rep Power: 37 System Specs	Purchase advice... I'm trying to decide whether I should upgrade my 4gb of DDR3-1333 to 8gb of the Corsair Dominator DDR3-1800, or pick up another GTX 285 for a 3-way SLI. Does the ram fan really do any good or is it just a marketing gimmick? Your advice would be appreciated. __________________

Feb 17, 2009, 11:40 PM	#2
Mac Daddy DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 7,950 Rep Power: 79 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... Too be completely honest I think doubling your RAM and increasing the speed from DDR3-1333 to DDR3-1800 would have more of a performance boost than adding a third card in SLI. I believe Zardon is running Tri-SLI but he is also running a Skulltrail. PPS: Also check what your mobo can run shows 1600 FSB __________________ "My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance." - Tim Allen

Feb 18, 2009, 12:36 AM	#4
Mac Daddy DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 7,950 Rep Power: 79 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... Hmm ..... that ram you first mentioned is 1800MHz PC3-14400 but is your motherboard going to utilize it or downclock it to 1600Mhz? If so I would go for your second option. __________________ "My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance." - Tim Allen

Feb 18, 2009, 03:53 AM	#5
CDsDontBurn Lurking DriverHeaven Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,779 Rep Power: 235 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... Get the ram over the gfx card. You'll see more of a performance boost with more RAM vs. adding another gfx card. also, i'd get DDR3 1600Mhz RAM over anything else. I find it to be a good middle point __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

Feb 18, 2009, 05:50 AM	#6
Lowfat Xtreme Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Grande Prairie, AB, Can Posts: 4,254 Rep Power: 101	Re: Purchase advice... I believe you'll a bigger improvement with the videocard. Chances are you'll never use the extra 4GB, definitely with gaming. And this is coming from someone who uses 12GB of ram. The increase of ram speed will also show no benefit. 1-2FPS if you are lucky. But in all seriousness both are kind of silly and a waste of money. __________________

Feb 18, 2009, 11:19 AM	#7
CDsDontBurn Lurking DriverHeaven Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,779 Rep Power: 235 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... idk man. Upgrading to add a 3rd video card is really only beneficial at resolutions of 1920x1200 or higher. So unless the OP's monitor supports such a resolution, then that would be pointless. I still say go w/the extra RAM. Even if it's not very beneficial now, it will definately be the better buy for the long run. __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

Feb 18, 2009, 11:30 AM	#8
Bolletje HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,224 Rep Power: 79 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... I should go for the RAM. Because you can also sell your old RAM so you have some more money to spare.

Feb 18, 2009, 01:49 PM	Thread Starter #10
PH3N0M The Master of Sarcasm Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The U.S. of A Posts: 348 Rep Power: 37 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... I'd really like to have that 6gb kit but then I'd have one more slot to fill up and I don't know if I could purchase a single module from them to fill all 4 slots on my board. I've checked Tiger, Newegg, and eBay and I can only seem to find them in the 3-stick kits. Is it possible to run 6gb in dual channel, or? __________________

Feb 18, 2009, 02:14 PM	#11
OmegaRED Relapsed Gamer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Ottawa , Canada Posts: 5,688 Rep Power: 173 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... Tri-SLI is a waste of money. There isn't a game that exists right now which will provide an improved gameplay experience with the use of 3 GTX 285's over SLI and this isn't likely to change without advances in SLI technology (memory bottlenecks are an issue). I can't speak of the ram but since those are the two options you presented that would be my obvious choice (though tbh with SLI 285's you should upgrade to a 30inch LCD ). __________________ E Penis Specs: <------------- See System Specs

Feb 18, 2009, 02:15 PM	#12
~~scurvy~~ So Cutesy Wootsy Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 241 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... well since ur playing at 1900x1200 res I'd say go for the third card, so u can really run Cryssis at supermax setting with evrything cracnked up and still get an awesome framerate. Its would be like a religious experience.

Feb 18, 2009, 02:33 PM	Thread Starter #15
PH3N0M The Master of Sarcasm Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The U.S. of A Posts: 348 Rep Power: 37 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... Well, sitting less than two feet away, it was just all up in my face. lol __________________ Last edited by PH3N0M; Feb 18, 2009 at 02:51 PM.

Feb 18, 2009, 10:43 PM	Thread Starter #21
PH3N0M The Master of Sarcasm Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The U.S. of A Posts: 348 Rep Power: 37 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... Alright, I guess I will just purchase 8gb of the Corsair XMS3 DDR3-1333 instead of the 1600, saves me a little money, too. __________________

Feb 19, 2009, 12:18 AM	Thread Starter #25
PH3N0M The Master of Sarcasm Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The U.S. of A Posts: 348 Rep Power: 37 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... I've been looking at the XMS3 and the Dominator ram and to be honest, I can't really tell a difference between the two other than the fact the XMS3 has a latency of 9 and the Dominator has a latency of 8. CORSAIR XMS3 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 - $158 (after $50 in rebates) Newegg.com - CORSAIR XMS3 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory CORSAIR DOMINATOR (3 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 - $214 (1 stick short of 8gb) Newegg.com - CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory Am I missing something that justifies the difference in pricing? The Dominators recommend use is High Performance or Gaming Memory, which the XMS3 doesn't state what it should be used for. I'm guessing the Dominator is more overclock friendly? __________________

Feb 19, 2009, 12:54 AM	#26
Mac Daddy DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 7,950 Rep Power: 79 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... I haven't used either personally but I would think the Dominator has a better heat spreader and is better for overclocking. On the kits available in multiples of 3 it messed me up too but they are intended for i7 systems that utilize triple channel DDR as opposed to dual. __________________ "My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance." - Tim Allen

Feb 19, 2009, 01:21 AM	Thread Starter #27
PH3N0M The Master of Sarcasm Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The U.S. of A Posts: 348 Rep Power: 37 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... Well, I won't be overclocking my ram so I'll go with the XMS3. __________________

Feb 19, 2009, 01:28 AM	#28
Mac Daddy DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 7,950 Rep Power: 79 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... Your choice and keep us posted on how you make out Bro __________________ "My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance." - Tim Allen

Feb 19, 2009, 05:15 AM	Thread Starter #29
PH3N0M The Master of Sarcasm Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The U.S. of A Posts: 348 Rep Power: 37 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... I definitely will. Ordering tomorrow so I won't be able to post results until Monday or Tuesday of next week. __________________ Last edited by PH3N0M; Feb 19, 2009 at 06:38 AM.

Feb 20, 2009, 10:04 PM	#30
procupine14 Why is it Beeping!?!?! Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: USA, Missouri Posts: 1,400 Rep Power: 58 System Specs	Re: Purchase advice... Just don't get any triple channel set unless you have a system that does triple channel. If you are running anything other than the core i7 you'll need dual channel. Correct me if im wrong here __________________ HTPC/file server: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit - AMD Phenom x4 9850 - 4GB OCZ DDR2 800 (2x2GB) - 1TB WD Black - 4 x 1TB Hitachi DeskStar in RAID 5 - ATi TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner - HIS Raedon 4850 512MB - ASRock N68C-S UCC mobo - OCZ ModExtreme Pro 500W PSU GF's Gaming PC: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit - AMD Phenom 9850 - 4GB OCZ DDR2 1066 - 500GB Western Digital GP - HIS Raedon 5770 1GB - ASUS M3A78-EM - Zalman 650W PSU Media Streamer: Win 7 Pro 64-bit - AMD Athlon x2 3200+ - 4GB SuperTalent DDR2 800 - 250GB SeaGate Barracuda - MSI K9N6PGM2-V2 - ASUS Raedon 5450 SILENT - FSP group 250W PSU