Good memory for my system.

[RockmanX]

Hi guys. I have a system wich is detailed in My System Specs. Its almost a month old.
The problem is, i had 4GB OCZ DDR3 1333Mhz Gold XTC (2x2GB) at the moment i bought the system, but then it began to fail, random BSODs, crashes, errors in memtest86+, everything.
The computer is in warranty by my local vendor, he replaced RAM with two new sticks, but.. Kingston Value ¬¬, wich i don't like and he's saying that is a little difficult to get some OCZ sticks again, because is badly out of stock everywhere around here. So, i was hoping if you can help me out to pick some other brand of memory.
I'm looking for a good performance memory, to do multitasking & games too; i don't play a lot, i just want my system to be efficient and faster enough. The only brands i manage to find around here by other vendors are Corsair, Patriot and Kingston HiperX too. I'll really appreciate some advices about what could be the best memory for my system.

Thanks in advance for your help.
Regards.
RockmanX

 

[essenbe]

I looked on asus website but they do not list your specific board. They do list some p7H55 boards, just not the DM version. Make sure of the version then check Asus Website. Check the BIOS version you have and the version they recommend for your chip. There have been some issues with the i5 chips with wrong bios versions. They should have a QVL (Qualified Vendors List) for ram that has been certified to run on your board. Most people don't, but the safest bet is to buy ram on that list. If that doesn't work, I would strongly consider RMA or returning the board.

 

[RockmanX]

Thanks for your reply, essenbe.
I looked in the Asus Website and it says BIOS since 1404, and mine is updated to 1604. So i guess thats ok.
I've already looked at the QVL List and my previous OCZ sticks were compatible. I had the problem only with the OCZ sticks, my local vendor didn't tested the sticks yet, but i ran memtest86+ 3 times and i think the RAM was bad, because i got 2 errors during the same tests @9 passes. And now, with these Kingston Value sticks, seems to be all fine. It has been 4 days without problems so far. Its just that i don't like this brand, and i want something better for my system.
If someone could recommend me any other particular brand of memory besides OCZ & Kingston, would be of great help. Thanks guys.

Regards.

 

[essenbe]

The Asus website should also have a QVL list that will list all ram they have tested with your board. You should find it in the download section for your board. You should be safe to choose any ram listed on their site. Also, when you run memtest and it shows errors, it may not be the memory that is bad. It can be the DIMM slots that are bad. I had that issue once and it takes a lot of time and testing to determine what is wrong. There is a good tutorial on this site about how to properly run memtest. I hope this info helps.

Rockman, that QVL list should show many types and vendors for you to choose from.

 

[essenbe]

Rockman, you can buy higher frequebcy ram with lower timings and it may help your system some. But, you will probably not notice a great improvement. The best improvement you can make is an SSD. It ill make a noticable improvement in the speed of boot time and apps opening.

 

[marsmimar]

To add to essenbe's post, here's the ASUS website for your mobo:

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - Motherboards- ASUS P7H55D-M PRO

Click the tab for memory/device support and you'll find 2 QVLs - one for the Clarkdale CPU and one for the Lynnfield CPU.

 

[RockmanX]

Thanks for replying.
I know that this problem may be caused by bad ram, MB slots or even incompatibility with the RAM sticks, but my computer is in warranty right now by my local vendor (system was build and bought about less than a month) and i coudn't & still can't test any stick properly (Changing slots in the MB), just because if i open the case i lose the local warranty.
Thats the reason when the system began to crash, i took it to the store, and this guy change the memory sticks in order to get my system fine again quickly. As i said, these Kingston value seems to go well with the motherboard, so it was something wrong with OCZ.
The owner of the store told me it could be incompatibility, yes, and he offered me to change the sticks for any other brand in stock. So basically, i was asking which memory brand is better.
I'll keep in mind the low timings and high freq. values when new ram arrives to the store, but my problem is that im a little bit confused with brands, i know everyone has different opinions about all existing brands of memory but i just ask because the only ram i know was good is ocz, because i had DDR2 sticks before, and now i don't know what to pick xD. e.g: Should i pick some Corsair or Patriot?:huh:
Thanks essenbe & marsmimar for the advices.
Regards.
RockmanX

 

[marsmimar]

If you stay with the name brand companies like Kington, PNY, Crucial, G.Skill, etc you should have good results with their memory. However, as you've seen, even a reputable company like OCZ could have issues with a particular item. When I buy memory I look for 4 things:
1. That the memory has the exact specs my computer needs
2. A good warranty
3. Reputation of the company
4. Then I buy the memory with the lowest price
This system has worked well for me.

 

[seavixen32]

I've always used Crucial memory sticks whenever I've upgraded RAM and experienced no problems.

You can if you wish download their memory scanner, which will scan your system and offer a recommended upgrade. Just select your region from the link at the top-right corner first.

SDRAM, DDR2 and DDR RAM memory upgrades from Crucial.com

 

[Solarstarshines]

I personally prefer patriot, but then again it depends if your system can run it

I have always had good results with patriot ram g-series viper ram and other patriots ram for atleast 5 years

 

[ignatzatsonic]

There is nothing wrong with Kingston--or Crucial--or Corsair, but any brand you choose could have a defective sample. You shouldn't be able to tell one brand from another if the specifications are identical and the stick is not defective.

To that extent, RAM is a commodity. But the manufacturer's use all sorts of marketing gibberish to convince you buy their brand. Concentrate on the specifications and not the gibberish and styling.