Blistering ICE Cold FAASSST DDDR2 for 550+ FSB

SonDa5

SonDa5

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Aug 20, 2008
Messages
7,437
Please make me some great recommendations for extremely fast low CAS (4-4-4-12) DDR2 that will take my machine to the next level where my Corsair Dominator PC8500 failed me.

Looking for 2x2GB sticks. I know this is some thing that is uncommon and that is why I have requested the help of all of you who know a thing or two about fast DDR2 ram.


Also looking for low .voltage requirements.

In short looking for the best DDR2 RAM that you can think of that is ...


under $100. :D


If it is a little over I still would like to hear about it.

Also I want something that can play UT3 for hours without crashing.
 
Memory CAS Latency: 5-6-6-18

Seems kind of iffy.

Also alot of mixed reviews over at Newegg.


Can they do 4-4-4-12@1066mhz?

If they can then I will deffinitely consider them.
 
Those reapers suck, trust me. They are not binning them likr they used to. I have an older kit that runs at much higher speeds and timings than the newer kits plust that kit that you listed can be had for like $35-$40 shippied after MIR.

If you feel that you need a 4-4-4-12 kit this Gskill kit runs at 900mhz stock but this 1066mhz kit will do higher clocks at 5-5-5-15 than that 900mhz 4-4-4-12 kit will.
Intel chipsets also run better at a higer clock speed than they do at 1:1 with lower timings. The faster clocks will net you better bandwith.
I just picked up 2 of those 1066mhz kits today and am running 8gb of them at 2.0v at 1069 5-5-5-15 pl8 with a 445fsb and are IBT (linpack) stable for 13 runs so far. Seems like good ram.
 
BababooeyHTJ said:
Those reapers suck, trust me. They are not binning them likr they used to. I have an older kit that runs at much higher speeds and timings than the newer kits plust that kit that you listed can be had for like $35-$40 shippied after MIR.

If you feel that you need a 4-4-4-12 kit this Gskill kit runs at 900mhz stock but this 1066mhz kit will do higher clocks at 5-5-5-15 than that 900mhz 4-4-4-12 kit will.
Intel chipsets also run better at a higer clock speed than they do at 1:1 with lower timings. The faster clocks will net you better bandwith.
I just picked up 2 of those 1066mhz kits today and am running 8gb of them at 2.0v at 1069 5-5-5-15 pl8 with a 445fsb and are IBT (linpack) stable for 13 runs so far. Seems like good ram.
Click to expand...


Both of those fall short of the speed and stability that I am after.
 
What is your system specs? I personally do not know of any pc1066 ram that is capable of 4-4-4-12. I have always liked Mushkin Ram, its what I use and haven't had any stability problems from any Mushkin I have ever bought.
 
Sorry should have looked at that kit better. I thought it was a 1066mhz kit. They sound ok for the price but I doubt that they OC much (my 1066mhz kit didn't), and most GOOD 1066mhz kits might pull off those speeds at the same timings.
The only kit that I know of that might do 1066mhz at 4-4-4-12 is this or mabey this but the speeds that you are looking for don't come cheap.
 
BababooeyHTJ said:
The only kit that I know of that might do 1066mhz at 4-4-4-12 is this or mabey this but the speeds that you are looking for don't come cheap.
Click to expand...

The 2nd could probably do it but both of those sticks are over priced.

This review sums up how what I think about those sticks:

Pros: Well, what can I say? Runs at spec. on my ASUS Rampage Formula MB. I had Muskin Accent 1066 running at 1140 for a cost of eighty bucks. I got 5% more performance out of these at 1200 for 200 bucks more. Do the math.

Cons: Was the 5% performance gain worth 200 dollars. Hardly, considering I can't get these to even overclock 2 percent to 1224. But these are alredy overclocked since they are essentially 1066 ram to begin with.

Other Thoughts: Five eggs because this is great ram that runs at spec. But hardly worth the 300 bucks when you can get almost the same performance from good 1066 ram overclocked for around 80 bucks.
Click to expand...
 
TWolf79 said:
What is your system specs? I personally do not know of any pc1066 ram that is capable of 4-4-4-12.
Click to expand...

My build is basicly a Q9550 with 2 HD4850s in Xfire. I want to get my machine to pump out a mean 4.5GHZ 3dMark06 score and play UT3@ 4-4-4-12 memory timings@1066mhz. with my cpu doing a stable 4ghz.


To do this I need extremely fast DDR2. Have to maintain my budget. Also I want 2x2GB modules.


Patriot makes some Viper sticks that are 2x1GB that I have ran in my machine and gotten close to 1066mhz with 4-4-4-12 timings. Now that I know my MB a little more I think I could get those stable at 4-4-4-12 timing@1066mhz but they are 2x1GB sticks.

I want 2x2gb sticks.
 
SonDa5 said:
The 2nd could probably do it but both of those sticks are over priced.

This review sums up how what I think about those sticks:
Click to expand...

Price does not scale linearly with performace in the computer world, for the type of DDR2 that you want wou are going to pay. Your best bet might be a couple of 2x1gb kits. Its going to be hard to find 2gb sticks that perform the way you want. The performance won't be noticeable in real worls apps and I can't think of any benches that need more than 2gb of ram.

Also, one review from Newegg means nothing. Allways take those with a huge grain of salt.
 
BababooeyHTJ said:
Also, one review from Newegg means nothing. Allways take those with a huge grain of salt.
Click to expand...


Exactly. One of those over priced G. Skill modules only has1 review which is a 5. No way would I buy that RAM with only 1 good review. I trust massive amount or reviews along with real world feed back like what this thread is putting out.

G. Skill seems awesome but it's out of my budget.

Also I want 2x2gb sticks of RAM because I use it. I'm running XP 32bit right now but I plan on going Ubuntu 64bit soon. This will mainly be for AVCHD video editing and music with some folding. I like the RAM.
 
Last edited:
If you don't mind potentially replacing your ram relatively frequently, go with Ballistix. They are by far the best DDR2 I've ever tested..

651.png


32m-615.6@4-4-4.png


I still have this set.. hasn't died yet, but then it's not normally in use :p
 
SonDa5 said:
My build is basicly a Q9550 with 2 HD4850s in Xfire. I want to get my machine to pump out a mean 4.5GHZ 3dMark06 score and play UT3@ 4-4-4-12 memory timings@1066mhz. with my cpu doing a stable 4ghz.


To do this I need extremely fast DDR2. Have to maintain my budget. Also I want 2x2GB modules.


Patriot makes some Viper sticks that are 2x1GB that I have ran in my machine and gotten close to 1066mhz with 4-4-4-12 timings. Now that I know my MB a little more I think I could get those stable at 4-4-4-12 timing@1066mhz but they are 2x1GB sticks.

I want 2x2gb sticks.
Click to expand...


My Patriot "valueram" with good ole D9 ic's will run rock solid at 1155mhz @5-5-5-9 and 1025mhz @ 4-4-4-9. These were 1gb sticks. You'll have a hard time buying with any confidence, 2gb sticks that meet your requirements.
 
BababooeyHTJ said:
This might be worth a shot.
Click to expand...

Thos have mixed reviews but they do have nice voltage requirements and appear to be able to meet my goals.

I have never used this brand though and I'm a little hesitant to try them out based on a relatively low review score at Newegg.

They do look very promising and I'm thinking about giving them a shot.The design looks good and they are priced well within my budget.
 
basserdan I have tried out Viper on my machine and they work great. I tried out the extreme Viper 2x2 series. They are fast. Not sure if the newer DDR2 modules are still using D9 ic's. I think the quality of RAM may have lowered over the last few years. Possibly to save money in production cost and because of DDr3 technology which may allow lower quality ram go faster.



[cf]Eclipse I have read some good reviews on the PC6400 Crucial Ballistix that can be overclocked like crazy with sufiicient voltage. You have an extremely nice OC your ram but the voltage requirements to get it there is too much for my buiild plan. Too much heat and voltage. Also I'm not sure if Crucial is still using the same high quality ram that they put on the sticks from a few years ago.
 
basserdan said:
My Patriot "valueram" with good ole D9 ic's will run rock solid at 1155mhz @5-5-5-9 and 1025mhz @ 4-4-4-9. These were 1gb sticks. You'll have a hard time buying with any confidence, 2gb sticks that meet your requirements.
Click to expand...


At that speed what did your FSB look like? Which CPU and speed of CPU? How much voltage? From my experience Patriot Viper series respond well to voltage increases but I don't want to go to high.
 
Just keep in mind due to IC limitations, you will "FIND" very little if any DDR2 in a 2GB module that is going to do CAS4 at 1066+. This is very dependent upon the memory controller as well as the memory as the latencies have to scale upwards with frequency.
 
Last edited:
You're doomed. What you want doesn't exist. You either have to be willing to pay insane prices for stuff like Cell Shock, or reduce your expectations. The fact that you want 2GB sticks only makes it worse.
 
SonDa5 said:
Thos have mixed reviews but they do have nice voltage requirements and appear to be able to meet my goals.

I have never used this brand though and I'm a little hesitant to try them out based on a relatively low review score at Newegg.

They do look very promising and I'm thinking about giving them a shot.The design looks good and they are priced well within my budget.
Click to expand...

For the price it might be worth a shot. I have an older kit of the 1066mhz model that could pull a hair over 100mhz cas 5 at pl8 and a hair over 850mhz cas4 cr1 on a 780i. So, that kit was good, but I picked up another a couple of months ago that were terrible. They didn't overclock and didn't like tighter timings and were binned at 2.2v. So, I would be a little hesitant about those reapers too, but for the price it might be worth it. Plus if they don't perform up to your expectations they should sell for close to what you payed for them and OCZ customer service is very good based on my experiences.
 
silent-circuit said:
You're doomed. What you want doesn't exist. You either have to be willing to pay insane prices for stuff like Cell Shock, or reduce your expectations. The fact that you want 2GB sticks only makes it worse.
Click to expand...

I'm not giving up.

Thanks for the responses so far.

My top candidates right now are the Vipers, Crucial Ballistix and the OCZs.
 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16820231194
Rating <3/5 Eggs> works!

Pros: running at 1133 @ 1.9 v: PL 07 (tRD) 3:4 p5Q-e,425fbs

Cons: will not run 1000 DDR2 with lower timings (4-4-4-15. not fastest ram but very stable

Other Thoughts: will run @1200 stable, but not worth the lacks timming

Probably won't do 1066 4-4-4-12. These are factory OC'd 1000's anyway, I believe. Could be wrong about that, though.
 
If you're willing to compromise to 1GB sticks (which are pretty much guaranteed to hit these speeds) then I have some great D9GMH I could sell ya relatively cheap, just send a PM if you're interested. Otherwise best of luck and I'll be awaiting your results :)
 
What you're asking doesn't really sound practical to me. You want the fastest speeds, the tightest timings, and you want them in 2GB dimms, but you're not willing to pay the premiums required to get those top performing products. Why is it so essential for you to get 4-4-4-12 timings as opposed to the more practical 5-5-5-15 timings or 5-5-5-12 timings that fall within your budget? Just so you can build your e-peen with 3Dmk scores? UT3 might prefer tighter timings as opposed to faster speeds, but it's not like going from 4-4-4-12 timings to 5-5-5-15 timings is going to significantly impact your gaming performance (i.e. more than a few FPS).
 
Skyline889 its not practical. This is my hobby. Part of the fun building my machine is accomplishing certain goals. I enjoy doing this.

If i wanted an everyday PC I'd buy a manufactured PC.

When you build a PC there are many options. That is what makes it fun IMO.

Today I picked up a set of Patriot Extreme Performance Vipers 1066 mhz PC8500 with 5--5-5-15 CAS@ 2.1v.

I'm going to see how they work. I tried some of the 2x1GB Patriot Vipers 1150 MHZ awhile back and was able to get close to 4-4-4-12 CAS@ 1066 mhz. I was very impressed with them. I'm going to try the 2x2GB set to see how they perform with my system.

I'm still considering the G SKILL PC8800 with 5-5-5-15 timings form Newegg. The only thing I am hesitant about is the return policy on them is a non-refundable type. If they don't work out for my system I am not going to want them so I have to make sure they have potential to meet my required specifications.
 
Ok I've done enough testing on the Viper PC8500 2x2GB to make a decision if I'm going to keep them.



I'm returning them.

They react almost identical to the 2x2GB Corsair XMS2 Dominator PC8500 DDR2 modules that I'm getting rid of. They will run PC8500 speeds no problem but they don't OC at all. As soon as I begin to increase the FSB they fall apart.

So then I have to change the ratios and slow them down and the CAS can be tuned to help but they are not good for OC at all.

The Vipers are vastly superior for gaming though. With the Corsairs I couldn't play UT3 without experiencing my machine crashing during intense game play.

The Patriot Vipers keep everthing very smooth and together.

I tried a number of different settings that anonymous people at Newegg reviews claimed worked for them.

Shananigans. Bogus. The Vipers are great for gaming. Not for OC.


I'm going to try out the OCZs next.
 
Here is a Memtest86 screen shot testing for stability at 450 FSB.

This is with the Patriot Viper PC8500 with 1:1 Ratio 400/800.

ViperPC8500FSB450.jpg



Have to tweak the memory ratio to get it stable with 450 FSB.

This is stable.
 
The Patriot Xtreme Vipers were not able to run their designed speed of 1066 mhz with 5-5-5-15 timings with high FSB speeds.

I was pleased with their performance for gaming.

The set up below of 4-4-3-11 low latency performed well with my system@ 424FSB with RAM@848mhz with 1:1 Ratio 400/800.

loeCASPC8500PAtriotViper.jpg



Also the Vipers didn't react well to voltages aboce 2.15 v. on my MB.

Still doing research before I try something different.



CPUZ verification:

http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=543918
 
Last edited:
If you have multiple sets of memory not hitting their rated speeds using the same CPU and MOBO, it may not be the memory.
 
Mike Clements said:
If you have multiple sets of memory not hitting their rated speeds using the same CPU and MOBO, it may not be the memory.
Click to expand...

It's not that the RAM cannot meet their designed speeds.

The problem is that the designed speeds fall apart as soon as the FSB begins to increase.

That is the problem.


Thus is the reason that I specified the requirements of high quality DDR2 that I am looking for.


Both set of Dominator PC8500 sticks were not reliable for extended gaming After system failure a run of MemTest86 would find memory faults. System would freeze up.

Vipers play way better. No memory failures on the Vipers yet. Still not fast enough though.
 
Last edited:
You need the famous D9 ram ICs. These are no longer in production and were never made in 2GB sticks, only single 1GB sticks. Personally you will see 0 difference between 4/4/4/12 and 5/5/5/12 @ 1066FSB. The OP just wants his E-Pen to bigger then everyone else. :rolleyes:
 
Everything you have posted points towards a BIOS issue or weak or failing memory controller.
 
Vengance_01 said:
Personally you will see 0 difference between 4/4/4/12 and 5/5/5/12 @ 1066FSB. The OP just wants his E-Pen to bigger then everyone else. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

So low Latency has no performance benefits?

I'd like to be able to reach high FSB speeds while maintaining fast DDR2 speeds and low latency.


It is my understanding that fast RAM speeds and low latency equate to better performing RAM.
 
Mike Clements said:
Everything you have posted points towards a BIOS issue or weak or failing memory controller.
Click to expand...



It's not even BIOS related. If it were not for the awesome DFI BIOS and my well designed MB I wouldn't be able to run 4.25GHZ 3dMArk06 benchmarks.

23,462
2 HD4850s in Xfire with Q9550 CPU.

almostthere3dmark06Q9550.jpg



Link to ORB validation with more details of build.

http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=10427141

GPU-Z Validation
http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/a8cm6/

CPU-Z Validation
http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=533487
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top