Questions regarding GIGABYTE mobo and RAM add.

[FredeGail]

Hello guys!
It's been a while since I been here because of school. Great being here again.

Alright, so it's not a problem i'm having.
I find my currently RAM very slow in games and such, so I i'm reding my brothers RAM, and installed them, and all the games went quite smooth.

I'm having the P5Q Pro Motherboard which doesn't support DDR3, but DDR2. As you probably know, DDR2 is REALLY expensive because it's outdated (Really, you won't believe the prices), so it's actually cheaper to buy a new Motherboard, and then get the DDR3.

So i've been looking at this motherboard (GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket 775 - GA-P41T-D3P (rev. 1.3)), it looks quite nice, and it has my Intel Quad Q9550 supported, and supporting DDR3. But my brother is unsure that it will run the newest technology of DDR3 like these (Vengeance - 2 x 4 GB sticks DDR3).

So will they run on the Gigabyte motherboard, and how is the Gigabyte motherboard, or just the label Gigabyte after all? Can I trust them? How are there products? Or most importantly, can I run Corsair 2 x 4 GB DDR3 Vengeance RAM.

Thanks!
FredeGail

 

[Darryl Licht]

On the same page you linked to regarding the new Gigabyte mobo there is a link to supported memory...

http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Memory/mb_memory_ga-p41t-d3p.pdf

This particular Corsair Vengeance stick doesnt appear on the list, but things change rapidly in the RAM game! Since you are "on the fence" regarding moving to a Gigabyte mobo, I'd use this question as a test for their support people. I'd contact them and see what they have to say about it... Here is a link for GB support for Denmark: http://ggts.gigabyte.com/tech.asp?ClassID=2&Country=Denmark&SourceWeb=B2C

I was an avid ASUS fan forever... I ONLY used Asus for my personal and business builds. I am a Microsoft OEM System Builder. I had read nothing but good things about Gigabyte and decided to try a Gigabyte on my last personal build 3 years ago... very overclocking friendly and great support! I havent looked back at all!

 

[FredeGail]

On the same page you linked to regarding the new Gigabyte mobo there is a link to supported memory...

http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Memory/mb_memory_ga-p41t-d3p.pdf

This particular Corsair Vengeance stick doesnt appear on the list, but things change rapidly in the RAM game! Since you are "on the fence" regarding moving to a Gigabyte mobo, I'd use this question as a test for their support people. I'd contact them and see what they have to say about it... Here is a link for GB support for Denmark: GIGABYTE GTS

I was an avid ASUS fan forever... I ONLY used Asus for my personal and business builds. I am a Microsoft OEM System Builder. I had read nothing but good things about Gigabyte and decided to try a Gigabyte on my last personal build 3 years ago... very overclocking friendly and great support! I havent looked back at all!

Thanks a lot for all the great support! Sometimes RAM doesn't appear in Memory Support List, but I'll contact them. Thanks again!

Best Regards,
FredeGail

 

[profdlp]

I just put three 4GB sticks of triple-channel Vengeance RAM in my Gigabyte EX58-UD3R board and it worked great. I ran memtest86 all night to be sure about it.

I know we're talking about different platforms, different chipsets and different sockets, but I would guess that you'll be just fine with it.

 

[FredeGail]

I just put three 4GB sticks of triple-channel Vengeance RAM in my Gigabyte EX58-UD3R board and it worked great. I ran memtest86 all night to be sure about it.

I know we're talking about different platforms, different chipsets and different sockets, but I would guess that you'll be just fine with it.

This is what I've got in a reply:

Hi Fredrik,

The GA-P41T-D3P rev. 1.3 supports DDR3 memory 800 and 1066 mhz, up to maximum 4Gb installed memory. So 2x 4Gb memory will not work. Please have a look at the memory support list for this motherboard to pick correct memory.

http://download.gigabyte.eu/FileList/Memory/mb_memory_ga-p41t-d3p.pdf

Tip: Kingston got this inexpensive memory KIT that will work: KVR1066D3N7K2/4G

Best regards
GIGABYTE-team Scandinavia

 

[FredeGail]

So, do you know a Gigabyte Motherboard, that'd support socket 775, and run Corsair's 2x4 latest technology?

Best Regards,
and Thanks,
FredeGail

 

[DeaconFrost]

For the record, if you keep the processor and put that on the new motherboard with DDR3 memory, you aren't likely to see any difference....any noticeable difference, that is. There is no way to "find your memory being slow" in games. If games run slow, then you need to look into the processor (not the issue), video card, or the amount of system memory...not the type. According to your specs, the likely issue is your video card. You have plenty of memory, and your processor is powerful as well. I ran the same processor before my Sandy Bridge upgrade.

 

[FredeGail]

For the record, if you keep the processor and put that on the new motherboard with DDR3 memory, you aren't likely to see any difference....any noticeable difference, that is. There is no way to "find your memory being slow" in games. If games run slow, then you need to look into the processor (not the issue), video card, or the amount of system memory...not the type. According to your specs, the likely issue is your video card. You have plenty of memory, and your processor is powerful as well. I ran the same processor before my Sandy Bridge upgrade.

Sorry for not having a up-to-date spec list. I'm currently running GTX 280, it made a slight difference with my Kingston RAM inside. But still noticeable lag. I borrowed my brothers sticks afterwards, and it removed the lag. Therefor, obviously the RAM in my aspect.

Best Regards,
FredeGail

 

[DeaconFrost]

The differences in speeds and performance between DDR2 and DDR3 are not noticeable. In fact, DDR3 has a higher latency spec than DDR2.

 

[FredeGail]

The differences in speeds and performance between DDR2 and DDR3 are not noticeable. In fact, DDR3 has a higher latency spec than DDR2.

It's not that I want better performance, well it is but. It's just that DDR2 is expensive, really expensive. DDR3 is super cheap.

DDR2 is outdated, and just expensive. So I find it better to get a new motherboard, and then just get what I wanted.

Best Regards,
FredeGail

 

[DeaconFrost]

DDR2 is expensive, but the cheapest option is to not spend any money at all, and to look at what else could be causing the slowness. Then save your money for a full upgrade. Your processor is still Socket 775, meaning the board you will now buy isn't going to be able to be reused in another upgrade down the line. You will be spending money now for no yield in performance, all for parts that can't be reused in another upgrade. See what I'm saying?

If it was me, and I was thinking of buying a new board right now...I'd wait until I could get a new processor to go with it, and go right to a P67 or Z68 board. I hate to see people spend money to tread water.

 

[FredeGail]

DDR2 is expensive, but the cheapest option is to not spend any money at all, and to look at what else could be causing the slowness. Then save your money for a full upgrade. Your processor is still Socket 775, meaning the board you will now buy isn't going to be able to be reused in another upgrade down the line. You will be spending money now for no yield in performance, all for parts that can't be reused in another upgrade. See what I'm saying?

If it was me, and I was thinking of buying a new board right now...I'd wait until I could get a new processor to go with it, and go right to a P67 or Z68 board. I hate to see people spend money to tread water.

Correction. Earlier I said that the performance was bad, that was with my Kingston, but the Corsair WITH THE same MHZ, increased the performance and made it smooth. It could be that the RAM uses different Clocks, as they do, increases the performance, but I don't think so in my opinion. All that'll matter, is that I want to be updated now, get a new motherboard that'll support it, and then get the DDR3 as I wanted. Eitherway, DDR3 is DDR3, no need specific sticks.

Agree?

Best Regards,
FredeGail

 

[DeaconFrost]

I'm in the disagree category. Using memory of the same Mhz and different clocks won't yield any noticeable difference. The only way to tell is to benchmark them, and your results will be well below the "noticeable" line. That's always been the case. I used to be one of those guys who would spend money to swap out parts looking for the best scores and highest possible framerates, until I realized that I was only losing money and time...with nothing to show for it. Why do you think some graphics cards use DDR3 and some use DDR5? They don't translate into different performance. Far too many people worry about clock timings and latency settings with their memory, only to eventually find out the performance variations aren't even noticeable.

The point I'm trying to make is that you will be buying 2 out of the 3 parts needed for a full upgrade, to end up at the same spot you are in right now. That doesn't make sense, nor does it make you ready for the future, because a Socket 775 board can't handle anything new in terms of processors...so the mobo will need to be replaced as well.

I'm in the camp of not spending any money or upgrading anything unless you gain something in return. If I was sitting in your shoes, I'd sit tight a little longer and upgrade to a new mobo, DDR3 memory, and a Sandy Bridge processor all at once. THEN, you will see a big difference in performance. Even a $100-$150 proc would provide a boost over the Q9550 you have now. I know this from experience because my previous system ran a Q9550. It's a waste of money that could be spent a few weeks down the road on a real, huge upgrade.

 

[DeaconFrost]

As a supporting evidence piece to my post above, this just came across the wire now:

Maximum PC | Intel Reveals 16 New Sandy Bridge Processors

Looks like the current Sandy bridge chips could drop in price very soon, too.

 

[FredeGail]

As a supporting evidence piece to my post above, this just came across the wire now:

Maximum PC | Intel Reveals 16 New Sandy Bridge Processors

Looks like the current Sandy bridge chips could drop in price very soon, too.

If that is the case, why not buy a i7? Sandy Bridge will beat it?

Best Regards,
FredeGail

 

[DeaconFrost]

An i7, at least the second generation on, are Sandy Bridge chips. Check out my specs. I upgraded to my current system from one running a Q9550. The performance was a HUGE difference, especially in encoding video with Handbrake.

 

[FredeGail]

An i7, at least the second generation on, are Sandy Bridge chips. Check out my specs. I upgraded to my current system from one running a Q9550. The performance was a HUGE difference, especially in encoding video with Handbrake.

So let me get this strait.

You want me to get a motherboard, that can run the Sandy Bridge, and the RAM I want to add. Amright?

Because you think, if I should choose a new motherboard, I should get something that can require newer CPU's because it'll increase performance. By that, I can get a perfect makeover?

It's like saying umm.. If I should change these few things, it's worth changing the CPU too.

Right?

Best Regards,
FredeGail

 

[DeaconFrost]

I'm not sure I follow. I thought it was a clear explanation, but maybe not. I guess my point is, consider the three integral parts of a computer's overall performance: cpu, motherboard, and memory. It doesn't make any sense to spend money on two of those three (memory and motherboard) to end up with the same performance you have now. When you would be ready to upgrade to another computer, the only component of those three that you would keep is the memory. The motherboard you would buy now for the Q9550 processor will not and cannot run any newer processors. That processor is Socket 775, which is old and outdated. Why spend money to keep the same performance you have now.

If you want to boost performance, spend your money on a new motherboard that will run a new processor, and then add in the processor and DDR3 memory as well. THEN, you will see a very nice boost in overall performance.

If you already owned a car that was completely paid off, and you wanted something better/faster...would you spend money on the same car? Don't spend money unless you are getting an actual upgrade.

 

[FredeGail]

I'm not sure I follow. I thought it was a clear explanation, but maybe not. I guess my point is, consider the three integral parts of a computer's overall performance: cpu, motherboard, and memory. It doesn't make any sense to spend money on two of those three (memory and motherboard) to end up with the same performance you have now. When you would be ready to upgrade to another computer, the only component of those three that you would keep is the memory. The motherboard you would buy now for the Q9550 processor will not and cannot run any newer processors. That processor is Socket 775, which is old and outdated. Why spend money to keep the same performance you have now.

If you want to boost performance, spend your money on a new motherboard that will run a new processor, and then add in the processor and DDR3 memory as well. THEN, you will see a very nice boost in overall performance.

If you already owned a car that was completely paid off, and you wanted something better/faster...would you spend money on the same car? Don't spend money unless you are getting an actual upgrade.

Right, I see. Thank you. So any idea for a Motherboard (Gigabyte Preferable), RAM sticks (Corsair Preferable), and a CPU. You can just link as much as you want.

Thanks again,
FredeGail

 

[DeaconFrost]

Here's three choices I came up with quickly:

Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2300 Sandy Bridge 2.8GHz (3.1GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52300
Newegg.com - Patriot Gamer 2 Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model PGD38G1333ELK