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#20
Believe it or not, I really didn't do anything special to get them to run. The stock timings for these sticks are 8-8-8-24 @1600, but I tightened them up to 7-7-7-20, and I bumped up the RAM voltage to 1.63 - 1.64. I didn't even have to touch the NB voltage, or the HT voltage, and all of the other timings are on auto.
I have a pretty solid motherboard, and I could probably get them to run at 6-6-6-18 if I tweak them enough, but that would mean raising the VRAM higher than I would like to. I'm still below spec, so... I actually prefer to tighten the timings rather than OCing memory. I don't seem to run into the heat probs that way, and heat is what will kill them.
In 1977 a TV repairman said he was sure VCRs were at there lowest price, about $1000 at the time with no clock, auto recording, etc. He was wrong.:)
I think Bill gates once said he didn't see how anybody would use more than a megabytes of HDD storage.
Anyhoo, in Jan 2010 I paid $228 to Newegg for 2 kits of 2 X 2GB GSkill RAM. Check the price for the kits now.
Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8D-4GBRM
I am amazed it's still dropping!
UK - 8GB G.Skill Ripjaws 1333 now only £34.98!
G.Skill RipJaw 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Dual Channel Kit [F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL]
The big problem with Ram on AMD boards is the memory controller in the CPU. It is designed to run at 1333 and anything over that is over clocking so adjustments need to be made. The new Bulldozer is supposed to run at 1866 so is a big improvement. There was a bug in the earlier Phenom II that when using 4 slots it would slow to 1066. That was fixed in the next stepping. I have been using Crucial for years and if you check your MB on their site it will list all of their Ram that they guaranty will work. I think some other vendors do the same.
Jim
Both are roughly a year old. The CPU is a C3 stepping, which is apparently quite different from the old C2 stepping. It's much more forgiving for OCing than the C2 chips, I know that. It seems to run cooler than the old C2 Phenom II I had with the same Wattage (125).
I bought the motherboard because we have four of them at work, and they all perform very well under some rather hostile conditions. They were all new two years ago, with Phenom II 965's in them, and no failures yet, running 24/7.
My local PC parts store is MSY Technology Pty Ltd.
They have stores in A.C.T., Victoria, N.S.W., Queensland, S.A. and W.A.
MSY-The name you can trust-More than 14yrs In IT industry-Nationalwide branches serve you & offer the best IT price everyday
Interestingly enough the price of a 4GB kit (G-Skill DDR3 1333) has gone up a few dollars.
Last edited by lehnerus2000; 05 Sep 2011 at 21:44. Reason: Layout