Recommend me some RAM
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I currently have a Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H motherboard with an Intel Core i5-4690 CPU and a set of G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2x 4GB) DDR3 1600MHz Memory (F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR).
I'm looking to upgrade to 16 GB (or possibly 32 GB), but I'm not entirely sure which route to take.
Should I buy another 2x 4GB set and add it to the current? Should I buy a 2x 8GB set? If I do, should I add it to the current set or replace the current set?
My budget is roughly AU$100 - AU$150, but I could spend a bit more. I'll most likely be buying from Mwave, but I'm open to buying from other stores that ship to Australia if the price is right.
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@choonster
Normally I would recommend Crucial RAM, but the 2x8GB sets i'm seeing from Crucial are CL=11 timing, whereas the G.Skill RAM you currently have is CL=9 timing, so I wouldn't expect them to mix and match with your current. On the flip side, I don't see any 2x8 sets with a similar model number from G.Skill on their site -- the only DDR3 2x8GB they have is CL=10.So I guess I would say the budget way would be to add another G.Skill 2x4 with the same part number as your current. Swapping to a 2x8 would give you expandability in the future, but unless you're definitely going to add the rest within a year, two at the most, the prices will probably be prohibitive (since DDR3 is on the verge of getting phased out completely for DDR4).
Edit: er, Freudian slipped on my recommendation. I meant to say "get the same RAM you currently have", and somehow Crucial came out instead of G.Skill...
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@izzion Thanks for the advice.
I'm probably not going to be adding more for a while, so getting a second set of what I already have looks like the best option.
I'll see if anyone else has anything to add.
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@choonster said in Recommend me some RAM:
@izzion Thanks for the advice.
I'm probably not going to be adding more for a while, so getting a second set of what I already have looks like the best option.
I'll see if anyone else has anything to add.
I'll agree with @izzion here. Especially with your budget, which just simply won't get you 4x8GB, and the use of DDR3, if you want to upgrade later to 32GB you'll probably switch the whole rig. You could get 2x8GB of a different type of RAM if you can't find the same stuff you have and just replace your current loadout, but that'd be my last resort.
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Unless you're taking part in overclocking tournament, RAM speed and timings doesn't make much difference. Having 4 dice gives you marginally faster speed than 2.
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I decided to buy another set of what I already have.
Thanks for the advice.
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@gąska
The only reason I even "care" about the timing here is because of the consideration of adding RAM to the current set. While, in theory, the old stuff should auto-adjust to match the timing of the new stuff, my experience is that mixing RAM with different timings increases the likelihood that the two sets won't play well together.
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The only choice is 2 X 8 vs 4 X 4 modules.
I'd always future proof it with 2 X 8 GB.
Everything else is pointless minutia you won't ever notice in reality. Just buy two mid to lower tier 8GB modules and you're good.
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@cartman82 said in Recommend me some RAM:
I'd always future proof it with 2 X 8 GB.
normally i'd agree buuuuuuut........... this is a DDR3 rig, i would expect that by the time a ram upgrade from 16GB would be needed enough stuff would need an upgrade that the entire system would need replacement. Thus the correct solution here is to just populate the existing empty RAM slots with a 2x4 kit. that brings @Choonster up to 16GB for the least cash and should allow them to coast on that rig until it's time to upgrade the entire rig.
there's future proofing and then there's wasting money, yanoo?
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@accalia said in Recommend me some RAM:
there's future proofing and then there's wasting money, yanoo?
That presumes 4x4GB is cheaper than 2x8GB.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233143
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233246
Even if 4x4 was cheaper, how much money would that be? Like one coffee worth?
Also, you don't know when/if he'd want to upgrade, or even if at all. Maybe he decides to upgrade to a laptop, and decides to turn this PC into a server. Then he'd wish he had the foresight to leave some empty slots.
My vote remains for 2 x 8GB and for Trump.
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@cartman82 said in Recommend me some RAM:
That presumes 4x4GB is cheaper than 2x8GB.
why get 4x4?
the 2x4 that's already in there works just fine. grab another set of 2x4 with compatible timings and slap it in. 2x4 is cheaper than 2x8.
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@cartman82 said in Recommend me some RAM:
That presumes 4x4GB is cheaper than 2x8GB.
Not when he already has 2x4GB. Then it's whether the matching 2x4GB is cheaper than 2x8GB, which it probably will be
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@jaloopa said in Recommend me some RAM:
Not when he already has 2x4GB. Then it's whether the matching 2x4GB is cheaper than 2x8GB, which it probably will be
Ok, but even then, I'd still buy even a single 8GB module and leave the last slot empty. Screw dual channel, you'll never notice that shit in reality.
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@marczellm said in Recommend me some RAM:
Aw I don't think that's compatible with what I already have :(