Question on RAM - More GB, or less latency?

Basically put, I'm most likely going to be upgrading my RAM in about 5 weeks or so (seeming as I'm still on 2GB and all). I'll likely be pairing my new RAM with a Momentus XT hard drive too.

However, I'm not quite sure on what to go for. As it stands, I have two options.

I could go for 4GB (2x2GB) of Kingston HyperX Gaming memory (5-5-5-15 timings)

Or I could go for 8GB (2x4GB) of Corsair ValueSelect memory (7-7-7-20 timings)

The fact that the Corsair memory is considered "value" memory for the 'average' computer does concern me, but that is the way I'm turning for having that entire 8GB available to me.

I'd go for 8GB of the Kingston HyperX, however it's out of my budget. In total I'm looking to spend no more than £300 on the memory as well as the Momentus XT 500GB-leaving about £200 for the RAM.

For that reason I'm wondering on what to go for, so I'm turning to you for help on my decision.

I am open to other suggestions, however keep my budget in mind as well as the fact that I'm in the UK and they need to be easily available online for me from a UK retailer.

 

You could try to flash the Corsair ValueSelect ram to 5-5-5-15 with thaiphoon burner.

 

I don't know much about flashing memory, but what happens if this doesn't work out? Reason I ask is because I have the 8GB 1333MHz G.Skill RAM and the timings are 9-9-9-24 I think.

 

If you're benchmarking, the kingston is better. Otherwise get the 8GB.

I can honestly say I've never heard of that one before. Unless you verify the chips can run at that speed or are able to test them at those settings before you flash (which you can't in the M17x) I would call it very risky at best :/

 

You should make a backup of the original SPD just in case.

If the flash goes bad, there are ways to flash back to the stock spd.

First way would be to put a slower stick of ram in with 1 of your dead sticks, the notebook should boot up using the slower frequency and timings.
Then just flash the stock timings back.

The second way would be to hot-flash. It's risky so it should be the last resort. Just boot with one good stick, then hot-plug your bad stick into the second slot and flash your original timings onto it.

Just to be safe you could tape all of the pins except the SPD pins on the stick of ram. but you better use really thin tape or you could ruin your ram slot like I did with an old toshiba notebook.


You could try using memset to temporarily test the timings, but it won't let you change the CAS.

Also sometimes the SPD EEPROM is write protected, so you can't do anything to change the timings in that case.

 

lol that sounds like some neat stuff, You would still want to confirm someway that they would work at those timings however.

yeah, cpu tweaker works too, but since you can't change the CAS it's not realy all that helpful. Figures the most important timing value is the one you can't change.

 

Yeah, I was thinking of going for the 8GB Corsair RAM. I'm quite aware that lower latency makes little to no real world difference, and I don't plan on benching. I just want to play the games I love, better. But I wanted to make sure first that the Kingston RAM wouldn't be better for games, seeming as it is advertised as gaming RAM, after all.

As a note, I do not plan on changing any RAM settings, flashing it or the such. It'll be staying at stock standard speeds (unless I overclock the FSB of course, but that's different)

If my budget turns out really tight I might buy one stick now and another in a few months. That WOULD be interesting-I could be running on 5GB of RAM for a few months (with one of my current 1GB sticks in the other slot)...I wonder if that's been done before?

I'd love to see people's reactions seeing that I have 5GB of RAM.

 

Kingston is just the safest way to go.

 

'Safest' in which way?

You could argue that the Corsair RAM is the safest, with its lifetime warranty.

The Corsair 'Value' RAM has exactly the same speed and timings as the standard RAM in my system anyway.

 

if you where willing to test how to make your cpu stable with .29 there is a way to change memory timing in the xtu without flashing them perma i sitched mine from 7-7-7-20 to 5-5-5-16 for testing it gave a little boost but nothing incredible

 

Yeah you are right in that sense. I meant safest in terms of performance. Too bad they just don't do 4GB sticks to be able to increase total ram to 8GB.

 

assuming you'll be using a 64bit system and doing photo/video/sound editing... 8gb is soooo much better, as stated before the tighter timings are better for benchies.... but i'd rather take the extra mem and minimize the paging to the cache.

also this spd editor ram eeprom flasher, any more info about it? i've never heard of this before!

 

Already tried using .29, it made my system stutter like HELL. It was back to B14 just an hour later.

Never using that again.

Actually, I can find 4GB Kingston HyperX sticks. The issue is price; £150 or so for a single 4GB stick, whereas I can find the Corsair 4GB sticks for less than £90. So the Kingston sticks are out of my budget.

 

i know you tryed it i had the same issue then you with 1.2v

but did you bothered testiong diferent voltage seting to find the most stable ? it took me 2 weeks befor finding the right spot (wich is just putting the same voltage as the alienware b14 does -.-)

 

I am confused can you guide me to a link with the 4GB Hyper X sticks as to have 8GB total in the M17X? I have been on their website and they make no mention of it.

They only offer 2x2 for a total of 4GB.

If have special connection at Kingston to have 4x2 for a total of 8GB for only 150 pounds please share this with us...

 

Couple questions/statements...

1. There are no 4GB HyperX sticks. If you found one I'd like to see a link.
2. Are you referring to the non-XMP HyperX or the XMP version?
3. Which BIOS are you using?

 

so would I, the kingston hyper X DDR3 SODIMM spec sheets do not have 4GB density modules listed.

 

Oh I may add that Corsair does not offer 4GB sticks either in their notebook gaming RAM.

They only do in their low performance RAM.

 

yeah, you have to use high density modules in sodimm form factors, and the process technology has just not caught up to allow low-latency modules in high enough density for 4GB modules. yet.

 

When I was buying parts for my nephews Desktop. I had the option to buy single ram chip or two Ram chips or 3 ram chips. But this is in the USA.

 

Does .29 let you change the voltage? I might just try it again if it does. Voltage most definitely seems the problem as it works fine at B14's voltages.

My mistake, I just took a second look, and the links that appeared to be single 4GB sticks were a kit of 2...

Sorry about that.

Yeah, I'm aware of that. It's their 'low performance' RAM that I'm looking at. Thing is, it's got exactly the same latency and speed as the 'standard' RAM for the M17 (indeed, standard latency and timings for 'standard' DDR3 1066MHz SODIMM RAM, as far as I can see).

Seeming as latency in reality seems to make virtually no difference to game performance (so I hear, at least) I was thinking that I'd be better off going for the higher RAM total (8GB) than the lower latency.