Should I upgrade using Corsair or Crucial?

I don't know which brand to go with. Is there any real difference as far a quality and reliability?

Corsair's fastest module that works with my z81sp is pc4200, but according to the system search on Crucial's website, they have a pc5300 stick that works with the z81sp (is this some kind of mistake or can my computer really run pc5300)

lastly, would there be any noticable performance gain (for gameing) if i upgraded from pc4200 to pc5300?

 

Faster RAM modules are compatible with slower motherboards, but will not run at maximum speed. Therefore, the PC5300 will be running at 533Mhz as opposed to 667. So, the PC4200 is better value for money.
Both brands are excellent and you should have no problems with either brand.

 

I can't find any evidence to suggest that ths z81sp can support 667MHz (pc5300) ram after about half an hour of looking including the z81sp manual. I don't think you'd see much performance increase as 667MHz ram often has a higher cas latency anyway, so I'd concur with the above. I'd save the money and ensure compatability.

 

Be very careful about using Crucial's so called Memory 'Advisor' Tool. It put me wrong when I used it to locate RAM for my Acer Aspire 5500 stating that my notebook was compatable with 667mhz DDR2. Anyway after I ordered the 667mhz DDR2 I soon discovered that my notebook was NOT compatable with that speed of RAM, the fastest was 533mhz. Luckly I managed to get the order changed before it was dispatched but it could have ended up as one big hassel.

So make sure you get several second opinions.

As for Crucial vs Corsair both are great brands but I would go for Crucial everytime. I can't really tell you why but its just the peace of mind thing that having Crucial memory in you computer gives you. Crucial, IMO, is the best memory on earth.

 

I agree with everything el_superhombre said. Crucial advisor = bad, Crucial and Corsair are both excellent, but I have a preference for Crucial. It's good stuff.

 

Even if your FSB runs at 667 MHz and you can utilise the PC5300 ram, PC4200 may run faster due to lower latency values. I'll bet the PC4200 corsair is probably CAS 4-4-4-12, while the PC5300 is 5-5-5-15. Even considering the higher bus rate, the lower latency pc4200 ram has been proven to be faster than the higher latency pc5300. This is why the PC5300 is relatively cheap by comparison.

 

im a long time corsair fan. there flash drives are blazing fast and there ram is awsome easy to install works great competitive prices the only other company i would every use besides corsair is ocz...but i dont know much about them.....but yea i would def. go corsair over crucial..

 

Would PC3200 be faster than PC2700 for me? Using DDR.

 

Depends on your mobo FSB speed - if it supports the higher frequency of the PC3200, then yes. If not, then there is no benefit. I don't believe there is a latency drop between standard PC3200 and PC2700, but I'm not as familiar with DDR vs DDR2 ram.

 

They're both good brands. My experience is that Crucial is much more expensive, especially if newegg is running a special on Corsair. Go with whichever one is cheaper as they'll likely both perform the same.

 

Crucial is typically more expensive due to their warranty. With Crucial you are not only buying memory but also the warranty. Purchasing other brands, from other vendors, maybe cheaper, but if something goes wrong, you may be out of luck too.

Make sure the brands you are considering have good reputations and return policies.

 

How exactly do you tell what memory is compatible with your notebook?

 

Try a tool like CPU-Z (Google it). That will tell you what kind of memory you're using, as well as your chipset. A quick breakdown:

All semi-modern computers using DDR are compatable with PC3200, the fastest variety. If you're using something below PC2700, like PC2400 or PC2100, there's probably not much you can do - you might be unable to use faster RAM and finding such old RAM will be hard.

If you're Using DDR2 -
All current AMD machines using DDR2 can support 667.
Intel chipsets above 915 support 667.
The 915 intel chipsets support 533.
The 910GML supports 533, but it will only run at 400MHz.