RAM for new M17x R4 ?

So I did order my first alien M17x R4 ... and now wondering if it would be worth upgrading the ram - to 16GB

I found these two options .. but unsure if they would work in the new Ivy R4:
(I had no idea how cheap ram is these days!!)

Amazon.com: Kingston Technology HyperX 8 GB (2x4 GB Modules) 1600 MHz DDR3 Dual Channel Kit (PC3 12800) 240-Pin SDRAM KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX: Electronics

Amazon.com: Corsair Vengeance 8 GB ( 2 x 4 GB ) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) 240-Pin DDR3 Memory Kit for Intel Core i3, i5, i7 and AMD Platforms SDRAM CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9: Electronics


I ordered:

Alienware M17X R4 - Alienware M17X R4 with Soft Touch
Operating System - Genuine Windows® 7 Professional, 64bit
Processor - 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3820QM (8MB Cache, up to 3.7GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
Memory - 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (2DIMMS)
Display Panels - 17.3-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
Video Card - 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 7970M
Hard Drive - 256GB SSD SATA 6Gb/s
Optical Driver - Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Wireless Networking - Intel® Advanced-N WiFi Link 6250 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO
Hardware Support Services - 1 Year Advanced Plan


Any advice would be appreciated!

Dave

 

It's only worth upgrading to 16GB if you know the reason why you need more RAM. If you don't know, then you don't need it.

Anyways, this is the one you want Amazon.com: CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 1600MHz PC3 12800 Laptop Memory(CMSX8GX3M2A1600C9): Electronics

Kingston costs more for the same performance: http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Modu...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1336325254&sr=1-24

 

Those are for desktops. You need 204-pin SODIMMs for the R4. If Kingston is your choice, consider these: Amazon.com: Kingston HyperX Plug n Play 8 GB Kit (2x4GB Modules) 1600MHz DDR3 SODIMM Notebook/Netbook Memory 8 Dual Channel Kit (PC3 12800) 204-Pin KHX1600C9S3P1K2/8G: Electronics.

Edit: Beat to the punch.

 

Thanks GeoCake!

Glad you pointed me to the "laptop" verison

I do have to ask though ... can you mix two brands of ram? For example ... say I did decide to go from 8GB to 16GB for video production reasons ... could I keep the original 8GB that shipped with my m17 R4 and just add the 8GB Corsair Vengeance?

Or would it be better (IMO) to just replace it all with the same brand?

Dave

 

ur spec is almost identical to mine, except i got the base 6gb config whereas u got 8gb. wasn't it like 75 bucks going from 6gb to 8gb?

as for your question, they should work just fine. i got the corsair and not the hyperX because hyperX comes with metal heat spreader and some have reported that it's a pain in the u-know-where to install those because the space becomes really tight with their bulkier size...

so i got two sets of corsair for the 16GB (4gb X 4), the max capacity supported by W7 home ed...

in actuality, i knew id be fine even with the base 6gb but since the ram is so cheap these days, why not indulge urself?

 

Yes it was ... and if I had been thinking about it I would have done what you did - kept it at 6GB and just bought the Corsair

One thought is to buy the 16GB (4x4) corsairs and then sell the original ram here or wherever I can.)

Like you said: 16GB overkill? Maybe ... but with the price of RAM as low as it is these days...why not??


Dave

 

I did the same thing i bought the 1600mhz Corsair Ram for $100.00 you can get 16gb or ram or pay $75.00 for extra 2gb on the Dell Site.

 

So to answer his question will thier be any performance decrease in mixing the 8gb corsair with the stock 6gb?

 

you'll have 14gigs of ram with 8 gigs running in dual channel, 4 gigs running in hybrid dual channel and 2 gigs running in single channel. Its not optimal, no.

 

Not optimal, but that is not the question. Would it be slower than just running the 8 gigs of corsair and taking out the stock memory entirely? I'm wondering that myself.

 

Simple answer...yes, it will be slower.

Where you will notice a difference is benches, but that's about it. In Real life, IF there was a 5% difference between 8gigs of dual channel vs 14gigs of mess, it won't be very noticeable

The ideal solution is to buy a 4 gig stick and a 2 gig stick, add them to the original 6 gigs of ram, and pair the 4's together and 2's together (so they will remain in dual channel) for a total of 12 gigs

 

I was planning to just run 8 gigs and essentially throw away the stock memory if it's slower with it than without, perhaps adding another 8 later if I deem it necessary for music applications.

That's an interesting idea though, I'll have to look into pricing on a 4 and 2 gig stick vs. a pair of 4's.

 

Thanks Slick ...

So you "could" in theory .. have 8GB of the stock ram and 8GB of say the Corsair ram and still be OK?

Yes ideally I am sure it would be better to have all the same brand in the machine ... which I am sure I would end up doing.

Dave

 

mixing 8gigs of corsair with 8gigs of the stock ram is perfectly fine...as long as the ram has the same voltage (which they most probably will). The ram will clock down to the ram with the slowest timings.

You will be running in dual channel with 4 x 4 gig sticks.

I've mixed 2 x 4 gigs of Gskill ram with 2 x 2 gigs of stock hynix ram. It works perfect

 

Ahh .. ok .. I can't wait to get this machine in my little hands!!

I just got a notification that mine shipped and scheduled for delivery tomorrow (overnight delivery) ... I think *cough* I am developing *cough* that 24 hour cold ...


Thanks again Slick!!!

Dave

 

lol...have fun with it bro!

 

I have a question,

If I get the 6bg standard, can I buy a 4 gb ram and take out the 2gb one?
Will they run in dual?
Do I need a special brand for that? (other than 1600mhz).

 

yes you can do that and it will run in dual channel.

Any brand will do but i would get something reputable like gSkill

 

The problem is the motherboard in your laptop only has two ram slots. It would be best to keep the stock.

 

M17x has four slots for ram

 

ya, SirEntz is forgetting about the additional 2 ram slots under the keyboard