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#4420994 - 05/16/18 07:07 AM RAM advice  
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mdwa Offline
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Way over in Perth, Western Aus...
Hi guys,

Just looking for a quick bit of advice:

Motherboard is:
GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 MB, Z97, 4x DDR3, 3x PCIE3.0 x16, 8x SATAIII, 6x USB3.0, 1x SATA Express, 2x M.2,VGA, DVI, HDMI, ATX, Killer E2201,SLI/Xfire

RAM is:
Kingston 16GB (2x8GB), PC3-15000 (1866MHz) DDR3, HyperX Fury Black, 10-11-10, 1.5V, Dual Channel Kit

If I want to add some more RAM, what should I be getting in terms of performance/compatibility/value?

Regards,

Last edited by mdwa; 05/16/18 07:11 AM.

mdwa
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#4421003 - 05/16/18 09:55 AM Re: RAM advice [Re: mdwa]  
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Allen Offline
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Just thoughts. You're thinking 32GB, I have 32GB on my main machine.

In a nutshell, memory has a very small impact on most applications and games -- once above 8GB (i.e. 16GB, which is above 8GB, is good). Speed does not matter much, if at all, in a given game or application (one might "measure" a small difference of a couple percent but not "see or feel" it).

Memory is overpriced lately. So, one must consider the cost vs benefit.

Normally, adding RAM over 16GB does not result in noticeable performance improvement (it didn't for me) -- unless one has a special industrial or scientific application. Adding an SSD to run a "big" game that loads slowly might help more (it did for me). But, the SSD "boost" only works for a very few games -- and, one may not own those games.

Adding 16GB more to the existing 16GB would ideally be done with identical make and model memory. Sometimes, overclocked memory will not OC as high when at 32GB.

If not identical, then check the details and buy memory that's as close as possible (or faster) in the specifics -- example get 10-11-10 or better. The system will have to run at the speed of the slowest 16GB. Thing is, better memory timings are normally invisible.

Also, check on-line with your motherboard maker. They should have a long page listing compatible memory makes and models. Some makes/models work well at 16GB but not 32GB on a given motherboard.


Note to Ryzen CPU owners. Ryzen is an exception to the rule that memory does not much matter. Ryzen ties the CPU speed to the memory speed up to around 2700MHz. Thus, in Ryzen, memory speed matters to basic performance. So, I would shoot for 2933MHz memory for a 32GB memory Ryzen CPU MB (and I did). I've bought 3200MHz for the other two of my 3 Ryzen machines. Only buy memory recommended by your MB maker if you want assurance you can OC to top speed for that memory. By the way, my benchmark tests show no performance difference between roughly 2700MHz and 3200MHz -- but 3200MHz has "a nice ring to it" smile


Sapphire Pulse RX7900XTX, 3 monitors = 23P (1080p) + SAMSUNG 32" Odyssey Neo G7 1000R curve (4K/2160p) + 23P (1080p), AMD R9-7950X (ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 420), 64GB RAM@6.0GHz, Gigabyte X670E AORUS MASTER MB, (4x M.2 SSD + 2xSSD + 2xHD) = ~52TB storage, EVGA 1600W PSU, Phanteks Enthoo Pro Full Tower, ASUS RT-AX89X 6000Mbps WiFi router, VKB Gladiator WW2 Stick, Pedals, G.Skill RGB KB, AORUS Thunder M7 Mouse, W11 Pro
#4421084 - 05/16/18 07:28 PM Re: RAM advice [Re: mdwa]  
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- Ice Offline
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I'm guessing he's buying more RAM for DCS smile £120+ for DDR3 16GB RAM? Wow, isn't that spending a lot especially as it's only for a handful of games? Probably poorly optimized as well to warrant the need for over 16GB RAM to run properly.

But aside from Allen's adivce, make sure you get DDR3 RAM which is older. Most RAM kits are now DDR4.


- Ice
#4421337 - 05/18/18 03:45 AM Re: RAM advice [Re: mdwa]  
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mdwa Offline
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Way over in Perth, Western Aus...
Thanks guys, appreciated.

I've noticed the price of RAM , I expected it should go down but prob that bitcoin mining effect on price...


mdwa
#4421539 - 05/19/18 10:32 AM Re: RAM advice [Re: mdwa]  
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My 16GB RAM kit purchased at the end of 2015 is half the price of the same kit today frown Wouldn't buy 16GB kit at today's prices but luckily, I don't have to.

Originally Posted by mdwa
I expected it should go down but prob that bitcoin mining effect on price...

There is a shortage of RAM due to demand in mobile phones. Mining rigs work fine on a single stick of 2GB or 4GB RAM so mining has zero effect on RAM prices.


- Ice
#4421713 - 05/20/18 12:05 PM Re: RAM advice [Re: mdwa]  
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Can't find links to actual evidence of current-day price fixing but interesting that he talks about that now. Coincidence? biggrin


- Ice
#4425020 - 06/07/18 12:09 PM Re: RAM advice [Re: mdwa]  
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Recluse Offline
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LOL I have the same question!!!

Currently have an older machine with EVGA 132-BL-E758 Mobo, Core i7 950 and 6 GB (3 x 2GB) of Corsair Dominator CM3X2G1600C8D RAM. I am Looking to up the RAM. I saw a decent Deal on another 3 x2 GB of the same CORSAIR RAM. Would I be better off getting another 3x2 GB of the SAME Higher performance RAM for 12 GB total or going with slightly cheaper RAM and getting 2 or 3 4 GB modules of a different type to add to the board for 14-18 GB?

Total 6 total slots on the Board.

Yeah.. I upgraded DCS to 2.5 and it is unplayable now. Not that I ever play it smile Just update every year or so to look at the eye candy but now it won't even load a simple single mission. I suspect upgrading the Video card would also be in order if I ever REALLY wanted to play.

Last edited by Recluse; 06/07/18 12:13 PM.

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#4425029 - 06/07/18 01:08 PM Re: RAM advice [Re: mdwa]  
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Paradaz Offline
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I'd go with the cheaper but higher capacity RAM. Most motherboards won't allow you to run at full speed when all banks are populated. It's worth mentioning though that you will get best performance from a specific configuration. If you have 6 slots then without checking your motherboard it's likely you have triple channel RAM......in which case you will be better off going for 3x higher capacity sticks in the same slots your existing sticks are in.. If you put a single stick in the second channel (i.e 4x sticks in total) you'll probably force a reduction in speed on channel 1.


On the Eighth day God created Paratroopers and the Devil stood to attention.
#4425053 - 06/07/18 03:49 PM Re: RAM advice [Re: mdwa]  
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Yes, you are correct. Triple Channel. That's why I was thinking of populating the remaining 3 slots with the SAME RAM. 6x2 = 12 3x4=12 so no real difference in total RAM. MOBO suports maximum of 6x4 so I couldn't use 8 MB sticks.

I was thinking of putting in the 2x4 to populate 5 slots, for a total of 14 GB but I was worried about the speed reduction you mentioned.


Long system spec sig follows:






PowerSpec G436
Lian Li ATX 205
MSI Z490 Plus Motherboard
Intel Core i7 10700K 3.8 GHz
32 GB RAM DDR4 1600
Nvidia RTX3070

Windows 10 Professional 64 Bit

Flight Gear:

Cougar Hotas S/N 26453
Thrustmaster RCS Rudder Pedals

#4425062 - 06/07/18 05:02 PM Re: RAM advice [Re: mdwa]  
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Paradaz Offline
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The difference is that 3 x 4GB sticks would work at almost twice the speed of 6 x 2GB.....depending on how much of a hit you will get with all banks populated. It's often a 50% reduction due to the way the channels work together.

If you can sell your existing sticks to pay for the cheaper 3 x 4GB it's probably the better way to go.


On the Eighth day God created Paratroopers and the Devil stood to attention.
#4425585 - 06/11/18 03:35 PM Re: RAM advice [Re: mdwa]  
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So he already has 6GB RAM in 3x 2GB stick configuration. Why not add another 6GB in the same 3x 2GB stick config for a total of 12GB RAM with all slots populated? Assuming that the second RAM kit is at the same performance level as the first kit, why would there be a performance drop?

I do know that populating all slots also increased the chances of something breaking and FUBAR-ing the rest of the system so my suggestion would be to buy a 3x 4GB kit (12GB total) if possible.



However, why buy RAM at all? Are your current games (except DCS) pushing you past your 6GB limit? If so, then fair enough. IMHO, buying RAM for just one unoptimized mess of a game is not the way to spend hobby-money especially at current RAM prices. The kit I bought in 2015 cost me £95, the same kit now costs £170, a 78% increase for the exact same bit of hardware! I cannot imagine recommending buying RAM at this point unless it's for a new build and even then.... ouch!!


- Ice

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