Which is best Micron D9 ram out of these?

[One4yu2c]

I can tell you that the difference between running CAS 5 versus CAS 4 will only show up in benchmarking, and definitely not worth paying a $80+ premium on, IMO. And depending on how high you overclock and/or push the RAM, tighter timed kits could very well end up running at 5 anyway...

[robodude666]

Originally Posted by One4yu2c

I can tell you that the difference between running CAS 5 versus CAS 4 will only show up in benchmarking, and definitely not worth paying a $80+ premium on, IMO. And depending on how high you overclock and/or push the RAM, tighter timed kits could very well end up running at 5 anyway...

Well, its nice to know that if you are running your ram at CAS 4 that it was default 4 and your not having to lower your speeds or anything like that.

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by robodude666

Well, its nice to know that if you are running your ram at CAS 4 that it was default 4 and your not having to lower your speeds or anything like that.

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here. What speeds would need to be lowered with a DDR2-800 kit rated at CAS 5?

The bottom line is, you seem to really lean towards that $230 G.Skill kit, which is a nice set of RAM. I will just caution that there's no scenario where you're going to notice the slightly tighter CAS rating over kits costing roughly $80 less (outside of benchmark numbers), and those funds could be applied to other areas of your system that could yield a noticeable improvement in performance and/or towards a future upgrade fund.

At the end of the day though, it's your money. We've given you advice, and it's up to you to spend your cash how you see fit.

[robodude666]

Originally Posted by One4yu2c

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here. What speeds would need to be lowered with a DDR2-800 kit rated at CAS 5?

The bottom line is, you seem to really lean towards that $230 G.Skill kit, which is a nice set of RAM. I will just caution that there's no scenario where you're going to notice the slightly tighter CAS rating over kits costing roughly $80 less (outside of benchmark numbers), and those funds could be applied to other areas of your system and/or towards an upgrade fund.

At the end of the day though, it's your money. We've given you advice, and it's up to you to spend your cash how you see fit.

I am saying that if I wanted to has DDR2-800 ram with CAS 4.. I could do it by default settings rather than manually adjust it and maybe having to sacrifice some cpu speed. Tigher timings would result in a better OC. And I may need to lower my memory's speed to like 667 or 533 in order to get a high HTT.

But you would have to agree that the G.Skill for $230 is a good set of memory? Would that be better than the mushkin DDR2-667 used for $150?

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by robodude666

Tigher timings would result in a better OC.

The opposite is actually true, unless you're referring to performance. Clock for clock, CAS 4 performs better than CAS 5, but as mentioned, it's not something you would ever notice. And as you overclock higher, it is very often necessary to raise your latency timings, including CAS. The higher the clockspeed, the more difficult it is to hold a stable, tight timing.

Originally Posted by robodude666

And I may need to lower my memory's speed to like 667 or 533 in order to get a high HTT.

If overclocking, you'll almost certainly need to run a divider and start off at 667 or 533. Some higher end kits can run faster than spec, allowing you not to have to drop down like that, but that's usually not the case.

Originally Posted by robodude666

But you would have to agree that the G.Skill for $230 is a good set of memory? Would that be better than the mushkin DDR2-667 used for $150?

Yes, the G.Skill you picked out is a good kit, I just don't see you receiving an $80 performance boost over the other kits (bang/buck goes out the window here). And yes, I would choose it over the DDR2-667 Mushkin because (a) the G.Skill is guaranteed to run at 800 (the Mushkin probably will, with higher timings, but it's not a given) and (b) unless you're an experienced forum trader and can afford to take a $150 hit, I'd advise buying from an established e-tailer. I've bought/sold plenty off of For Sale forums myself, but I've also had some close-call experiences, and the owner of this site (Capper) has a few very bad experiences under his belt that I'm sure he'll touch on if he revisits this thread.

[robodude666]

Originally Posted by One4yu2c

The opposite is actually true, unless you're referring to performance. Clock for clock, CAS 4 performs better than CAS 5, but as mentioned, it's not something you would ever notice. And as you overclock higher, it is very often necessary to raise your latency timings, including CAS. The higher the clockspeed, the more difficult it is to hold a stable, tight timing.


If overclocking, you'll almost certainly need to run a divider and start off at 667 or 533. Some higher end kits can run faster than spec, allowing you not to have to drop down like that, but that's usually not the case.


Yes, the G.Skill you picked out is a good kit, I just don't see you receiving an $80 performance boost over the other kits (bang/buck goes out the window here). And yes, I would choose it over the DDR2-667 Mushkin because (a) the G.Skill is guaranteed to run at 800 (the Mushkin probably will, with higher timings, but it's not a given) and (b) unless you're an experienced forum trader and can afford to take a $150 hit, I'd advise buying from an established e-tailer. I've bought/sold plenty off of For Sale forums myself, but I've also had some close-call experiences, and the owner of this site (Capper) has a few very bad experiences under his belt that I'm sure he'll touch on if he revisits this thread.

Well, the $80 is for the Micron D9s (The non-micron D9s is like $170 -- $60 cheaper) and for the lower timings.

Heres the link to the non-Micron D9 version of the G.Skill memory:
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

I am not 100% sure they are non-Micron D9s but it seems like they are since its not mentioned anywhere

Think that ram is any good?

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by robodude666

Well, the $80 is for the Micron D9s (The non-micron D9s is like $170 -- $60 cheaper) and for the lower timings.

Heres the link to the non-Micron D9 version of the G.Skill memory:
LINK

I am not 100% sure they are non-Micron D9s but it seems like they are since its not mentioned anywhere

Think that ram is any good?

As has been gone over, yes, that RAM would be good despite not having the specific ICs you're looking for. To beat a dead horse (and speaking from experience), I wouldn't put a huge premium on specific ICs and/or timings on a same spec'd kit of RAM, unless you're building an enthusiast rig with little to no regard for bang/buck.

[robodude666]

Originally Posted by One4yu2c

As has been gone over, yes, that RAM would be good despite not having the specific ICs you're looking for. To beat a dead horse (and speaking from experience), I wouldn't put a huge premium on specific ICs and/or timings on a same spec'd kit of RAM, unless you're building an enthusiast rig with little to no regard for bang/buck.

Well, I am on a $725 budget. Right now, with everything I picked out and the G.Skill $230 ram I am about $584 not including the $25 shipping.

$170 v $230 for a fancy chip.. hmmm, think its worth on my budget?

I am also going to save up for a custom $330 LC system :)

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by robodude666

Well, I am on a $725 budget. Right now, with everything I picked out and the G.Skill $230 ram I am about $584 not including the $25 shipping.

$170 v $230 for a fancy chip.. hmmm, think its worth on my budget?

No, I don't; the less being spent, the more emphasis I would put on bang/buck to maximize the funds (as opposed to a $1,500+ system build).

But it's not my money, and it comes down to what you think it's worth. I myself have overspent on components I knew wouldn't yield a noticeable performance boost, but when recommending to others, part of our mission on HL is to help readers be aware exactly what to expect from their purchases.

[robodude666]

Originally Posted by One4yu2c

No, I don't; the less being spent, the more emphasis I would put on bang/buck to maximize the funds (as opposed to a $1,500+ system build).

But it's not my money, and it comes down to what you think it's worth. I myself have overspent on components I knew wouldn't yield a noticeable performance boost, but when recommending to others, part of our mission on HL is to help readers be aware exactly what to expect from their purchases.

mmhm, and I appreciate all the help HL has given me. I learned a good number of things. I think that with the money I saved from ram, I could afford that x1950PRO I always wanted!! Or I could save for a R600 =/ hmmm what to do?