RAM advice!

Looking to upgrade to 2 x 4GB ddr3 1333mhz sodimms to replace 4GB 1066mhz ram.

New to ddr3 ram being old school lol. Considering I would like to mate this ram to either a 940 or 920XM and OC it are there any particular brands I should look out for or will any CAS 9 1333mhz 8GB kit do?

Cheers

 

RAM is RAM is RAM. Branding doesn't matter too much, just buy whatever's on sale.

 

I have actually been looking out for what brand RAM I buy. And I can tell you that, my next choise is going to be Crosair, I have been visiting homesite of every known manufactor. And ended up with that Crosair having best information and so on. They are also a bit overpriced, so I'm pretty sure you get that extra candy. Also, people have good experince with Crosair, as far as I can find from google. What I'm not going to buy next is G.SKILL.
However this is just what I think.

 

You mean "Corsair", right?

 

Indeed, it is just 2.06 am, and I've been up since 8:30 am REP added. I don't think Crosair plane wil fit in our poor laptops anyway

 

Corsair is a good brand, granted. I'm just saying that slightly cheaper RAM isn't all that bad. I added 8GB of Mushkin RAM after getting my current laptop (came with 4GB Samsung RAM) and so far I haven't had any problems.

 

I actually experienced a lower WEI with my current G.SKILL modules. I have done a lot more research this time and most likely I'm going to order my new Corsair modules tomorrow.

 

if you are going to be overclocking, then i'd get better memory:

Newegg.com - Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 HyperX Plug n Play Laptop Memory Model KHX1600C9S3P1K2/8G

BUT like jarhead said above, if you're not fussy and if you're looking at ddr3-1333, i'd just get the one on sale. All the generic 1.5v Cas 9 ram will perform the same. I picked up 2x4gig gskills for like $40 on sale...they have worked great.

 

Don't get me wrong but why do you recommend 1600 Mhz sticks while is going to overclock? That will actually make overclocking harder, and he most likely will end up flashing sticks back to 1066 Mhz.

I've bought 1333 Mhz modules, because I was going to overclock from 1066 Mhz anyways. (1066 Mhz auto-downclock due to match CPU FSB). It didn't work, even with lower timings. I've did put my 1066 Mhz modules back and voila, 1333 Mhz, with 1066 Mhz sticks. I hope you get the pictures. Those were G.SKILL, I've also tried Kingston stick (don't know HyperX or what) and they did act same.

 

OP mentioned 920/940xm. I've seen 920/940xm's run stable up into the high 3's and some people are even claiming over 4ghz stable. Your ram will be running way above spec at that point. Cheapo generic ram won't do

 

Well, I'm not going to start that all over again, so fine. But don't forget that the modules you call cheapo is G.SKILL and Kingstone.

 

So mixed views here

Am I getting this right either best to get some decent 1333 ram such as g.skill or kingston OR get 1600 mhz ram?

Are the first gen i7 chips compatible with 1600mhz ram? On spec sheet it says runs 1066/1333mhz?

 

In worst case, it will just downclock to 1066/1333Mhz, and that part is where it gets tricky for overclocking.

Actually, you can go for whatever you want to. I don't want to argue and say that 1600 Mhz stick will be harder to overclock, because, as stated above, if I do and it with magic does work, then I'm to blame. However, if you try it and it does NOT work, then no one will remember my posts.

Every system is diffrent, and so is the every single RAM module that is made. So, no one here can gurantee you anything, only give you advices.

 

my best bet is with crucial ram... never go wrong here

 

Trdlo, what CPU do you have?

 

Caught you again... It's "Kingston".

I always buy my RAM from Crucial.

 

The reason high end RAM is recommended is because most people used to overclock by bumping up their FSB. This in turn causes boh the RAM and CPU to bump their speed up. The RAM would default to a lower speed but when you OC it would raise back up to what it's rated at, that way you know your RAM will be stable.

This is not the case with the new SB CPU's though since you can't OC them through the FSB like you used to be able to. Now you need an unlocked CPU to OC a SB processor, taking RAM out of the equation.

 

But again, that is not true. From my experience, 1333Mhz RAM, once dowclocked to 1066Mhz won't go stable up again. However, but again, this is, in this case, out of question, so, yeah.

 

So getting anything more than quality 1333mhz ram for even the unlocked 1st gen 920/940XM will be a waste of money.

Thanks for the input. I shall hunt around for 8gigs of 1333mhz ram

 

1600mhz ram is not supported officially...but as you overclock the 920/940xm, you will start to run your 1333 mhz ram over spec. and it might or might not be stable. Your alternative will be to run your 1333 ram at 1066 and have it clock up to say 1200+ while overclocking

If you're serious about overclocking, i'd go with the higher spec ram

 

Depends on how much of an overclock you want to do...it isn't a waste of money on a gen 1 core i7 where overclocking is done by increasing the bclk. As the bclk gets bumped up, it will also increase the speed of your ram. Even decent 1333 cas 9 ram won't run much over that speed which will limit your overclock. so then you lower the running speed of the ram to 1066 and then increase that as you increase the bclk. Just depends on what you want to do.

 

That is some ridiculous memory! Definitely something to think about if your computer already has everything, but for the price, i'd settle for the ddr3 1600s

 

Kingston is apparently pretty good it's all we sell as far as new product where i work/ Apparently they test every stick before it leaves the factory and comes with lifetime warranty, so my boss says.

 

I think bobofett meant ridiculous as in "SICK" or "Awesome". That 1866 ram is very blingful...definitely something i would love to get in my Christmas stocking

 

I have the generic 8GB (4GB X 2) Dell 1333 RAM...To make it 16GB, which Aftermarket RAM upgrade would be suitable with the same clocks, pins and timings?? Or just any other 8GB (4GB X 2) 1333 RAM and timings pins clocks need not be similar???

 

any SO-DIMM: 204 pin DDR3-1333 laptop memory cas9 will do

get another 2x4gigs

something like this:
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Laptop Memory Model F3-10666CL9S-4GBSQ