New Ramsticks....

Iridium · Nov 22, 2004, 10:07 PM

Well, I have been looking over the web for the better part of the day in search of some new ram for my system. If you look at my sig you can see what I have at the moment. The current pc2700 ram is generic and an unmatched set, but running fine as a pair. I am planning on getting a new CPU in the future and I will more than likely stay with Pentium chips, and I really don't want to go over the $275-$300 mark(was hoping to stay under $250).

So here is what I have found.

OCZ has some great modules out there at the moment and I found some OCZ Performance PC4200 on NewEgg for right around $255. I checked on some Corsair XMS PC4000 that was around $268. I also looked at the Geil Ultra Platinum PC4200 for $255. They are all matched pairs of 512mb x 2. So from what I have come to understand from all the reviews I have read is that with the Pentiums achieving higher FSB speeds, the latency is not the issue with these sticks, it is the FSB achievable. Out of the 3 that I have looked at and the reviews I have read I am leaning towards the OCZ sticks based on speed, warranty, and construction quality.

Now that I have put you all to sleep, what are your thoughts??

CDsDontBurn · Nov 22, 2004, 10:20 PM

well, all three memory manufacturers you're looking at make good ram. I would choose Corsair, OCZ, and then Geil in that order. As far as the latency goes, i would also look into which one(s) have the lowest timings. with loose timings, you loose some performance. like with DDR2, the timings are so loose right now (4-4-4-12 DDR666 or 3-3-3-8 DDR533), that performance drops quite a bit. That's the reason why many of the new LGA 775 chips don't perform quite as well as their 478 counterpart (when comparing a 775 3.2 vs. a 478 3.2). When playing games having tighter timings allows for higher frame rates. those frame rates may be 5-10FPS, but in alot of these newer games like HL2, Doom3, FarCry, etc. those 5-10FPS is the difference between laggy/choppy and smooth game play.

Lowfat · Nov 23, 2004, 12:48 AM

PQI also has some good ram also. PC3200 ram, tccd memory chips that have 2-2-2-5 timings. There are people on ocforums that have gotten them to 270FSB with 2.5-3-3-8 timings.

bug77 · Nov 23, 2004, 01:03 AM

PDP Systems has a nice 2x512 kit @ CL2 on newegg. And I just got 2x512 Kingston Hyper-X CL2 @ 205USD (185 after rebate) from Fry's...

pr0digal jenius · Nov 23, 2004, 02:11 AM

i'd go with either corsair or OCZ myself, and to be honest, my choice would be based on price between the 2 of them as both are great sticks

CDsDontBurn · Nov 23, 2004, 04:03 AM

when price is the same, i'd look at the timings

.

Iridium · Nov 23, 2004, 05:07 AM

Wow there sure is alot of buzz going on over there about that PQI PC3200 2-2-2-5 stuff......

CDsDontBurn · Nov 23, 2004, 05:49 AM

i have never really heard of PQI before. as far as 2-2-2-5 memory goes, i'd get the corsair XMS LL

. I haven't really seen any OCZ that has the same timings, but i could be wrong of course.

Iridium · Nov 23, 2004, 02:06 PM

Decided to get a new processor instead, thank you all for your replies though. These comments will carry over to when I decide to get memory. But for the moment I did some more research and testing and I don't know if my memory is my true bottleneck at the moment. It could very well be, but my current P4 is a 533MHz FSB processor so I have decided to concentrate my efforts on that at the moment seeing as how I have hardly pushed the ram that I have now. Also, I haven't even pushed these ramsticks yet, and even though they were of the generic sort(and I am sure some of these sticks I mentioned before would deff. be better) I have yet to really push them. Thanks everyone! I am gonna start a new thread on possible processors.

Nov 22, 2004, 10:07 PM	#1
Iridium DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: St. Louis, MO. Posts: 402 Rep Power: 0	New Ramsticks.... Well, I have been looking over the web for the better part of the day in search of some new ram for my system. If you look at my sig you can see what I have at the moment. The current pc2700 ram is generic and an unmatched set, but running fine as a pair. I am planning on getting a new CPU in the future and I will more than likely stay with Pentium chips, and I really don't want to go over the $275-$300 mark(was hoping to stay under $250). So here is what I have found. OCZ has some great modules out there at the moment and I found some OCZ Performance PC4200 on NewEgg for right around $255. I checked on some Corsair XMS PC4000 that was around $268. I also looked at the Geil Ultra Platinum PC4200 for $255. They are all matched pairs of 512mb x 2. So from what I have come to understand from all the reviews I have read is that with the Pentiums achieving higher FSB speeds, the latency is not the issue with these sticks, it is the FSB achievable. Out of the 3 that I have looked at and the reviews I have read I am leaning towards the OCZ sticks based on speed, warranty, and construction quality. Now that I have put you all to sleep, what are your thoughts?? __________________ [color=navy]Win XP-Home Sp 2[/color] [color=blue]P4 3.2c @ 3.52 @1.6v w/SLK-900U[/color] [color=royalblue]Abit IC7-G BIOS Rev. 27[/color] [color=deepskyblue]1GB Corsair XMS XL Pro @ 2.5/3/2/6 1:1 @ 220FSB[/color] [color=lightblue]XFX 6600GT @ 585/1175 w/Stock Cooling[/color] [color=lightblue]74gb Raptor/40gb WD Caviar[/color] [color=lightblue]Ultra-X Connect 500w[/color] [color=white]3DMark03[/color],[color=white]PCMark04[/color]

Nov 22, 2004, 10:20 PM	#2
CDsDontBurn Lurking DriverHeaven Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,779 Rep Power: 235 System Specs	well, all three memory manufacturers you're looking at make good ram. I would choose Corsair, OCZ, and then Geil in that order. As far as the latency goes, i would also look into which one(s) have the lowest timings. with loose timings, you loose some performance. like with DDR2, the timings are so loose right now (4-4-4-12 DDR666 or 3-3-3-8 DDR533), that performance drops quite a bit. That's the reason why many of the new LGA 775 chips don't perform quite as well as their 478 counterpart (when comparing a 775 3.2 vs. a 478 3.2). When playing games having tighter timings allows for higher frame rates. those frame rates may be 5-10FPS, but in alot of these newer games like HL2, Doom3, FarCry, etc. those 5-10FPS is the difference between laggy/choppy and smooth game play. __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

Nov 23, 2004, 12:48 AM	#3
Lowfat Xtreme Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Grande Prairie, AB, Can Posts: 4,254 Rep Power: 101	PQI also has some good ram also. PC3200 ram, tccd memory chips that have 2-2-2-5 timings. There are people on ocforums that have gotten them to 270FSB with 2.5-3-3-8 timings. __________________

Nov 23, 2004, 04:03 AM	#6
CDsDontBurn Lurking DriverHeaven Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,779 Rep Power: 235 System Specs	when price is the same, i'd look at the timings . __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

Nov 23, 2004, 05:07 AM	Thread Starter #7
Iridium DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: St. Louis, MO. Posts: 402 Rep Power: 0	Wow there sure is alot of buzz going on over there about that PQI PC3200 2-2-2-5 stuff...... __________________ [color=navy]Win XP-Home Sp 2[/color] [color=blue]P4 3.2c @ 3.52 @1.6v w/SLK-900U[/color] [color=royalblue]Abit IC7-G BIOS Rev. 27[/color] [color=deepskyblue]1GB Corsair XMS XL Pro @ 2.5/3/2/6 1:1 @ 220FSB[/color] [color=lightblue]XFX 6600GT @ 585/1175 w/Stock Cooling[/color] [color=lightblue]74gb Raptor/40gb WD Caviar[/color] [color=lightblue]Ultra-X Connect 500w[/color] [color=white]3DMark03[/color],[color=white]PCMark04[/color]

Nov 23, 2004, 01:03 AM	#4
bug77 DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: around Posts: 792 Rep Power: 0	PDP Systems has a nice 2x512 kit @ CL2 on newegg. And I just got 2x512 Kingston Hyper-X CL2 @ 205USD (185 after rebate) from Fry's...

Nov 23, 2004, 02:11 AM	#5
pr0digal jenius Delete Me Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 14,648 Rep Power: 0	i'd go with either corsair or OCZ myself, and to be honest, my choice would be based on price between the 2 of them as both are great sticks

Nov 23, 2004, 05:49 AM	#8
CDsDontBurn Lurking DriverHeaven Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,779 Rep Power: 235 System Specs	i have never really heard of PQI before. as far as 2-2-2-5 memory goes, i'd get the corsair XMS LL . I haven't really seen any OCZ that has the same timings, but i could be wrong of course. __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

Nov 23, 2004, 02:06 PM	Thread Starter #9
Iridium DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: St. Louis, MO. Posts: 402 Rep Power: 0	Decided to get a new processor instead, thank you all for your replies though. These comments will carry over to when I decide to get memory. But for the moment I did some more research and testing and I don't know if my memory is my true bottleneck at the moment. It could very well be, but my current P4 is a 533MHz FSB processor so I have decided to concentrate my efforts on that at the moment seeing as how I have hardly pushed the ram that I have now. Also, I haven't even pushed these ramsticks yet, and even though they were of the generic sort(and I am sure some of these sticks I mentioned before would deff. be better) I have yet to really push them. Thanks everyone! I am gonna start a new thread on possible processors. __________________ [color=navy]Win XP-Home Sp 2[/color] [color=blue]P4 3.2c @ 3.52 @1.6v w/SLK-900U[/color] [color=royalblue]Abit IC7-G BIOS Rev. 27[/color] [color=deepskyblue]1GB Corsair XMS XL Pro @ 2.5/3/2/6 1:1 @ 220FSB[/color] [color=lightblue]XFX 6600GT @ 585/1175 w/Stock Cooling[/color] [color=lightblue]74gb Raptor/40gb WD Caviar[/color] [color=lightblue]Ultra-X Connect 500w[/color] [color=white]3DMark03[/color],[color=white]PCMark04[/color]