Choosing RAM upgrade for Lenovo Y580

Hi !

I have a new Lenovo Y580 (i73610QM, GTX660M) that currently has 8Gb installed memory.
I want to upgrade this to 16Gb (2X8GB).
Now I have several options to choose from and I am not sure if i should choose a 1333 MHz or 1600 MHz (both are compatible with the processor) cause I read somewhere that the 1333 is enough for modern laptop processors ! The price difference is significant (around 50 USD or more in some cases). I have some options here (links to amazon uk). I primarily use the laptop for data, photoshop and blender (rendering and 3d design)

16GB (2x 8GB) DDR3 PC3-12800 1600MHz SODIMM 204-Pin Laptop Memory 9-9-9-25 (£88.00)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Komputerbay-PC3-12800-1600MHz-9-9-9-25-Heatspreaders/dp/B006K4C0O4

Komputerbay 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR3 PC3-12800 1600MHz SODIMM 204-Pin Laptop Memory 10-10-10-27(£52.99 )
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Komputerbay...0-27/dp/B007Q2JQNW/ref=pd_sim_sbs_computers_2

(The Komputerbay models are both 1600 but the differ in the latency !Thoughts ?)

Corsair CMXS16GX3M2A1600C10 16GB Vengeance Performance So-Dimm 1600MHz CL10 DDR3 (£76.77)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMX...Dimm/dp/B0076W9Q5A/ref=pd_sim_sbs_computers_3

Corsair CMSO16GX3M2A1333C9 Laptop Memory 16GB 1333MHz C9 DDR3 So-Dimm Kit (£55.64)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMS...Dimm/dp/B006DI9PG8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_computers_4


Thanks !

 

1333MHz is enough. The 1600MHz RAM will only help if you wanted to improve iGPU performance (slightly), but since you have a GTX 660M, that's moot.

That said, don't go for Komputerbay. While most RAM is RAM is RAM, they aren't that well known and seem a bit sketchy. Plus the 16GB Corsair is cheaper than them anyway. Just stick to name brands and if you need a good brand on the cheap, check out PNY or Mushkin (I have two Mushkin sticks in my laptop, no issues).

 

I would forget about the 1333MHz Sodimms - your platform demands and deserves 1600MHz parts to achieve the performance it is capable of.

Sure, $50USD difference is significant - but keep in mind that you'll be using this over the next 3-4 years - not worth 'crippling' your system to save the cost of a trip to McDonalds (once a year).

I am basing this on my experience of installing 2x8GB 1333MHz Sodimms in a similar to yours platform and getting noticeably worse performance from the first bootup (vs. the 2x4GB 1600MHz original parts). Once I changed to 2x8GB 1600MHz Sodimms - the system transformed and finally felt like it should (FAAASST!!!).

I have mentioned this before on this forum and others have basically not believed me - okay. All I know is what I saw first hand: match the parts to the platform to enjoy the performance you've paid for.

EDIT: Also, keep in mind that I saw this on systems without a dedicated gpu (only the HD 4000 that is 'built-in'). A similar platform without relying solely on the igpu many not exhibit this behavior.

Hope this helps.

Good luck.

 

This one.

Higher speed is relevant. Brand name is relevant. CAS latency is not relevant.

 

You don't need 1600mhz, but make sure to buy your RAM from a reputable manufacturer (e.g. Crucial, Kingston, etc.). Komputerbay RAM has a pretty bad reputation.

 

I'd go for Crucial, Samsung or Corsair, I'm rather partial to Crucial since their rep is rock solid. Mind you was there a reason why you need 16gb? I know theres a slight performance jump and better UI responsiveness from 1333mhz to 1600mhz though you'd need an SSD to notice it and tbh, if you are upgrading for capacity alone then the difference is moot. I'm running 8gb 2133mhz RAM myself with the i7-3610 and I can tell you its ever so slightly snappier than the stock 1600mhz. I haven't experienced it myself though I read a report by Google that RAM Hard Error rates increase quite dramatically at 16gb and 32gb, so if you're intending on using VMs or RAMDISK its something to consider.

 

Hi!
I want to upgrade my Lenovo Y580 to 8GB!
Which ram should i choose?

 

Thething about RAM is that it is horrifically slow. Timing differences between two models like the ones shown won't matter, because any time your CPU has to hit RAM it's already going to be churning. Is the difference between a 500% and 505% performance hit really so huge? I don't really think so.

The difference between 1333mhz and 1600mhz should also not be a huge difference on your system, though certainly larger than the difference in latency.

Go for whichever is cheaper (or more reliable). I guarantee you won't know the difference. Size is really what matters for RAM, because it's one real purpose is keeping you off of the hard drive.

 

Old topic.
I guess now 1600MHz is mainstream anyway. There shouldn't be much difference in price of 1600 vs 1333 now.

 

Yup not much difference.. Whichever way, 1600MHz is recommended for Ivy bridge so you might as well get that!