Which RAM to Buy?

Buy this:
Gskill F3-12800CL9S-4GBXL @1.6K
or its 8GB version
Gskill F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL @3.1K

Whichever you want.

BTW, what's your budget?
If budget permits & you are into overclocking, then you should consider buying CL8 ram.

Upto 2k~

Jas, I think you know that AMD Athlon II and Phenom II series does not have a very powerful memory controller integrated. So using high speed and high performance memory won't give you that much performance jump as in the case of a Nehalem or Sandy Bridge based i series processor.

So if you want my suggestion, buy the cheapest 4GB 1600 MHz memory available, it may be from Gskill or Corsair. The Gskill model is available at RS 1639 in flipkart.com and I guess you can opt for it.

But for running it in 1600 MHz speed, you've to set the CPUram ratio to 1:4 in your BIOS. Which means your existing 2GB Gskill module will also run at 1600 MHz speed from its default 1333 MHz speed. But that is not a big deal; I used to run my Kingston 2 GB 1333 MHz modules in 1600 MHz speed without any issues and the person I've sold my Phenom II 955 based system, is still using it with 1600 MHz speed. So go with the cheapest 1600 MHz 4GB module.

cilus ok.
my mobo supports 1666 without OC. wont it run then default at 1600?
GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket AM3 - GA-880GM-UD2H (rev. 1.3)

Jaskanwar Singh said:

cilus ok.
my mobo supports 1666 without OC. wont it run then default at 1600?
GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket AM3 - GA-880GM-UD2H (rev. 1.3)

Click to expand...

It is not the limitation of the motherboard buddy, it is the limitation of the Athlon II and Phenom II processors; their memory controller only support 1333 MHz memory speed.So you need to overclock the CPU: DRam ratio (basically running the CPU controller in higher speed indirectly) to run the memory controller to 1600 MHz speed,
My motherboard, 990FXA Sabertooth support 1866 MHz without OC but still I have to select the XMP 800 profile in BIOS manually to run them at 1600 MHz speed.

cilus ok.

so these 3 options for 4GB single stick -
G.Skill F3-12800CL9S-4GBRL
TheITWares - One Stop for all Gizmos!CORSAIR XMS3 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M1A1600C9
TheITWares - One Stop for all Gizmos!CORSAIR Vengeance 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ4GX3M1A1600C9

which?

EDIT - xms3 is 1.65v, ok? mobo says 1.5v support?

and cilus will they work in dual channel if both run at 1600 and same timings?

Flipkart: Gskill 4 GB DDR3: Ram
will ripjaws x do fine on amd system?

flipcart provides after sales service?

i think you can totally opt for what cilus is suggesting....u can buy it from flipkart or buy it at any shop...
yes,flipkart does provide after sales service...but they have started selling computer h/w just now so cant really comment.
BTW you can ask their CC people...regarding after sales..!

Jas, just get the Ripjaw X ram with your eyes closed; you're too much worried about the compatibility issues. Let me tell you: All the rams starting from XMS3, Gskill RipjawX, Vengeance or the Corsair Value ram will run without any compatibility issues with AMD system. Man don't be fooled by looking at the 1.65V rating of the XMS3, I'm running them in 990FXA mobo and was using with the MSI 890GXM-GD65 mobo without any problem.

However, I checked from diff reviews, Ripjaw can run in much tighter cache Latency setting than the Corsair counterparts. So ripjaw is recommended from my side.

Regarding the dual channel config, I guess you're having a single 2GB module with you n you're getting a 4GB module. I guess you know that your mobo has DIMM slots slike A1, A2 and B1, B2. Now suppose the 2Gb module is plugged in A1. Now you need to plug the 2nd slot into A2 to make it run in partial dual channel mode. Here 2GB of the 4GB module and the 2GB ram will run at dual channel config and the rest of the 2GB of the 4GB ram will be accessed separately with single channel config.

xms3 has certain weird compatibility issues, atleast the one I've seen with but the memory sticks were older revs and the GBT 880G/890G boards were initial revs. I am not sure who buys or if anyone has used XMS3 newer revs with older GBT rev models, but I guess matters. Other than xms3 there isn't any compatiblity issue I've heard with Gigabyte boards. Go for those Gskill 4gig GBXL and end it.

ok so decided ripjaws x 4gb stick till now.

Jaskanwar Singh said:

ok so decided ripjaws x 4gb stick till now.

Click to expand...

Good choice; stick to that.

Why not 8gb? They are more future proof and good for the memory hungry programs.

d6bmg said:

Why not 8gb? They are more future proof and good for the memory hungry programs.

Click to expand...

For future apps another 4GB can be added in future too

D6bmg, Jas is already having 2GB Ram; so adding 4GB will make it 6GB which is more than enough for even the near future apps and all kind of games.

Cilus said:

Good choice; stick to that.

Click to expand...

ok. confirming with flipcart, prime, theitwares.
smc out of stock. flipcart confirming,

d6bmg said:

Why not 8gb? They are more future proof and good for the memory hungry programs.

Click to expand...

i will have 6gb which is enough

Cilus said:

D6bmg, Jas is already having 2GB Ram; so adding 4GB will make it 6GB which is more than enough for even the near future apps and all kind of games.

Click to expand...

Jaskanwar Singh said:

i will have 6gb which is enough

Click to expand...

Oh, I thought that you are not going to use your existing 2GB RAM stick.

placed order with flipcart.

guys got my ram -
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/overclocking-show-off/45694-post-your-latest-purchase-416.html#post1537430
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/overclocking-show-off/45694-post-your-latest-purchase-416.html#post1537487

@cilus
bios automatically set it to run at 1600 (8x multiplier) but timings were 11-11-11-30, so i changed them from bios to -
*img43.imageshack.us/img43/5521/capturejnf.png

Congrats JAS for the RAM. And welcome to the advanced memory tweaking business.

thanks cilus.

Hi All, just a small query so not opening a new thread...
I have 2GB Corsair value ram.. (1333). And a 760G motherboard which has just 2 ram slots. Is there any way of using ram in dual channel in anyways on this? I want to get a higher ram for this system, but not sure if i should sell the current one to get a pair (for dual channel - not sure what that means and how it helps though. ), or just add another 1600 speed 4GB stick in the empty slot?

Put another 4GB module in the 2nd slot with 1333 MHz speed. Now the 2GB ram and 2GB of the 4GB memory of the 2nd ram will work on dual channel mode and the extra 2GB of the 4GB module will work at single channel mode. It will be like three 2GB memory plugged in your system and among them two are working in DUal channel and the 3rd one in single channel.

^^ Wow... seriously? It'll work that way... :O Man i seriously have no idea about these things.. i'll get another 4GB value ram stick then. Thanks a lot. I was about to get a vengence stick, but i hope performance will be better at 2GBX3 set up.. Thanks a lot.

Thanks. I got another corsair value ram, but unfortunately the model number is different from the one i got a year back. I am not sure if its dual channel, but its showing 6GB and the W7 exp index shows 7.1 .

So you have same type of config as JAS, one 2 GB and another 4GB. Download CPU-Z, run it and check the memory tab as JAS did. If it is running at Dual Chanel mode, it will be displayed over there.

Cilus said:

So you have same type of config as JAS, one 2 GB and another 4GB. Download CPU-Z, run it and check the memory tab as JAS did. If it is running at Dual Chanel mode, it will be displayed over there.

Click to expand...

cilus does all memory modules work like ths or is it only for corsair.........?
i taught of buying 2gb of corsair value series and later add 2gb of corsair value ram........will it work in dual channel........?

or is it good to buy xms3---833rs or the value series will do the job (no overclocking, and no knowledge abt tweaking ram like jas)

zacfx05, I am simply not clear what you have and what you wanna buy. And regarding dual channel mode, it works for all rams irrespective of brands.
Please clearly states:-
1. How many slots are there in your motherboard?
2. What are the existing RAM modules and their size and speed
3. The size and speed of the ram you wanna buy now.

Cilus said:

zacfx05, I am simply not clear what you have and what you wanna buy. And regarding dual channel mode, it works for all rams irrespective of brands.
Please clearly states:-
1. How many slots are there in your motherboard?
2. What are the existing RAM modules and their size and speed
3. The size and speed of the ram you wanna buy now.

Click to expand...

cilus i have TZ68K+ , i was thinking of buying new 2GB ram and later add another 2GB ram because right now iam a little tight on budget.

i dint know all ram can be operated in dual mode , i taught memory channel is defined at once by manufacturer and taught not all ram can run in dual mode and only kits work in dual channel mode... when i checked those kits were more costly than getting two separate module

so ur saying any 2 ram probabily of the same brand and speed and other specification can run in dual channel mode.....?if yes,,
then why are kits out there.

(i was thinking of buying corsair value series 2gb for now, will ths wrk in dual channel if i add a same 2gb ram later)

Kits are out there to offer maximum compatibility to run them in dual channel mode. I used to run one XMS3 1600 MHz and another Kingston 1333 Mhz Ram (Oced to 1600 MHz) in dual channel.
But when you go for overclocking the ram or reducing the latency value, the best outcomes occur only both the modules are exactly same.

And although you can run memory modules with different size in dual channel mode, it will be like what I've explained earlier. Some portion of the bigger size ram will run in single channel.

I suggest you save little money and get a single 4GB module. They are not at all costly in these days.

Yes, 4GB DDR3 ones just cost Rs.500 more than the 2GB DDR3 ones. So, you should consider getting a 4GB now and later add another 4GB to run both in dual channel.
2*2GB wont be a good idea as you loose chances of ur future upgrades.

Thanks Cilus... I have moved back to bangalore.. so cant check it now. I will have to go back soon due to some personal work, so, will be posting the CPUZ screenshot as soon as i go back

thnxs cilus and soumik