Which of these 3 RAMS?

Does anyone have any experience with
Geil Platinum PC4000
OCZ PC4000 EL
OCZ PC4000 Gold
to pass along to me?

I had a P4 1.8a in my Abit AI7 running at 2523 mHz (1.67v) with Geil Platinum Plus PC3500 (2x256). 140 FSB, 3:4 ratio, mem at 187mHz at 2-5-2-2 (2.8v) With loser timings, the Geil will go up to 224mHz.
As a reference, my best 3DMark scores were 16850 (01SE) and 6452(03). (Sapphire Radeon 9800Pro)
The 1.8a and Geil are going into my kids' computer.

Now I'm running the AI7 with a P4 2.4C, but haven't bought new memory yet. I can easily hit 275 FSB (3300) but above that I have to step up the voltage to 1.75 to finally hit 285 FSB (3420).
As a reference, my best 3DMark scores were 20230 (01SE) and 6581 (03).
I want memory that will go to 275 FSB, at least. I'm not sure if going above that is important to me and I think the AI7 would have trouble over 285.
I've played around with memory timing using 2-5-2-2, 2.5-6-3-3 (SPD) and 3-8-4-4 running NR2003 and Call of Duty. Surprisingly (to me) there was little difference in frame rates. I run the 9800Pro with Control panel set to full Quality and 4xFSAA and 8xAF and both games at 1280x1024. From the tightest to the loosest timings, there was 1.5 fps difference in CoD and 5 fps in NR2003. I also tried ratios or 5:4 (tight timing) and 3:2 (med. timing) in CoD and got no difference in frame rates. (Of course, it made a big difference in SiSoft Sandra) I didn't try 1:1, obviously, but I'd like to run it because it seems like things should run better when the memory and cpu speeds are in sink.

The Geil PC4000 is fairly cheap but I'm not sure if it'll hit 275 mHz. The OCZ PC4000EL should hit 275. It's looser timing than the Geil, but a review I read (anand tech?) showed that it had a slight performance edge. The OCZ Gold is really nice stuff, but I'm not sure, in my situation, if I'd realize any benefit from it. It's also strange that, while most DDR is offered in Dual Channel packaging for the same price as 2 single sticks, the OCZ Gold is $25 more.
I like the fact that I can get the Geil at newegg, but what do you think? Does it look like the OCZ PC4000EL is my best bet?

Gary

Howabout a fourth option: 300fsb (600DDR) 1:1 using 2.9v?
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=273799

There are quite a few of us using this ram, myself included. Quite a bit cheaper than OCZ, very fast shipping, and KILLER overclock capacity. I've physically run into the limit of my motherboard at 284FSB running the ram 1:1 for a speed of 568 DDR on 2.85v. Others are having luck as good or better than mine; see that thread for details.

$238 for a gig, free shipping, and hella fast

Albuquerque said:

Howabout a fourth option: 300fsb (600DDR) 1:1 using 2.9v?
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=273799

There are quite a few of us using this ram, myself included. Quite a bit cheaper than OCZ, very fast shipping, and KILLER overclock capacity. I've physically run into the limit of my motherboard at 284FSB running the ram 1:1 for a speed of 568 DDR on 2.85v. Others are having luck as good or better than mine; see that thread for details.

$238 for a gig, free shipping, and hella fast

Click to expand...

where do you buy it from ? neweggg?

Read the thread mang, it's only posted about a dozen times

Albuquerque said:

Howabout a fourth option:

Click to expand...

Now see, I wasn't even going to bother posting here because I had my mind pretty well made up to get the OCZ 4000EL. Now I'm hopping on the komusa bandwagon

I'm going with the dual channel kit for $149, only because my experience in the past (with Geil) is that it may tighten one of the timing elements. I was running one stick at 2-5-2-2 but when I added the second for dual channel, I had to go to 2-6-2-2. Then when I got another stick for a different computer, I did some musical DDR stuff and found that the right combination of 2 sticks could indeed run at 2-5-2-2. It didn't really make a speed difference that I could detect (didn't bother to test it), but it seems more harmonious. Since this RAM is cheap, I'll spend the extra 9 bucks as assurance.
Funny, I'd seen the komusa stuff before (never read a review) and just sort of laughed it off because the name made me think of Kamoto dragons. Now that I've discovered it again (thanks to you), I can't wait to share it with someone. I knew this forum was good for something

My order is going in today. I should choose the Adata option, right? And then when I check out there should be a code I can enter for free shipping, right?

Gary

Yeah, you wanna use the ADATA option, and the free shipping uses the coupon code "hyperram" I think (might be one R instead of two... it'll say on the page)

virtually everyone that has bought this memory has been very happy with its price and performance.

I ordered it this afternoon and received the email confirmation. Not much about computers excites me anymore, but I must admit that I'm kind of peaked about this.

Gary

I got my Hyperam from komusa today. The matched pair that I paid $11 more for turned out to be just 2, individually packaged, retail sticks. Not matched at all. Plus, between the time I ordered it and the time I received it, the price went down $10. I've emailed komusa to see if they'd give me a $10 credit on my card. Newegg did this for me when the 9800 Pro I ordered went down in price before I received my order.

That aside, I can't wait to get home tonight to try out the ram.

Gary

My matched DDR came in two individual packages as well; it didn't cost me any extra for a "matched" pair. Since they're running 568DDR in dual-channel, I figured it wasn't worth complaining

Yea, I guess they're not really matched unless komusa is testing the hyperam and then doing the retail packaging at their facility. I doubt it, though. They wouldn't be the first ones to use the term "matched" as simply 2 of the same type of product. Here's what they say:

Dual Channel Kits with matched memory pairs are also available for those seeking additional performance and benchmark gains.

Although they're not tested to perform with each other, 2 sticks gets you in dual channel mode and you *do* get additional performance that way.
Their statement is technically accurate and maybe misleading, but as long as the performance it there, I don't really care either. I think the extra $11 is wrong, though. Since they dropped the price they charge now for the "kit" and not the individual sticks, I assume they agree.
10 bucks won't break me, but nobody wants to be a sucker

Gary

goodluck, i hope it does well as it has for most of the guys that have bought this ram..

I just ran some tests. Looks like mine is a dud. Won't even do PC4200 (262mHz) at 2.8v stable. Pushing the voltage higher doesn't seem to help.
As it is, I get better frame rates with my old Geil PC3500.

Gary

can u post ur current settings pls? and how much better? coz my geil works fine... just wanna know

Curious about your current settings as well... You running SPD timings? If so, what are they detecting at?

nope setting it manually, as it is the timings that the manufacturer suggests although if i set it to spd, it detects 2-6-3-3 which gives me error running prime95 after 16 hours, with current settings, its 24+ hours prime stable

btw u using 1:1 @ 284 fsb?

Yes, 1:1 at 284FSB = 568DDR (PC4500). Actually I was looking for timings from GTX's memory I've heard of a few BIOSes not properly reading the SPD after front side busses get higher than (x) amount, depending on the BIOS and the board.

I'm at work now, so I have to go by memory (pun intended).
It had a different SPD at different frequencies. As I recall, it was 2-6-3-3 up to 183 mHz, 2.5-6-3-3 up to 220 mHz and 3-8-4-4 after that.
As far as I know, these are single sided DDRs, not double sided (assuming that chips on one side is single and chips on both sides means double sided). If I'm right, then you'd need 4 sticks of this to get any real benefit out of running dual channel. I never thought to ask if this was double sided, even though I know better, because I got caught up in all the hoop-la, I guess. The OCZ and Geil I mentioned in my original post is double sided.

I was *somewhat* surprised that the actual fps in games didn't increase as I went from a 3:2 to 5:4 to 1:1 ratio. I'm sure this has to do with the memory timings I was able to get at each setting.
My 2.4c runs easily at 3300 at 1.67v. It requires about 1.75v to hit 3400 mHz. Since it runs cool at 1.67v, I like to keep it at 3300 (275) but I'd accept 3240 (270). With the hyperam, I was able to run at 3144 with 1:1 memory at 2.9v. (2.8v would eventually crash)
I also tried running the Geil and Hyperam together so I'd have 1GB of memory. It didn't change my frame rates in CoD or NR2003.

With a 3:2 ratio, the Geil runs tighter timing than the Hyperam, and gives me 1 more fps in CoD. My best score in 3DM01SE is 20230 with Geil and I wasn't able to break 20000 with the Hyperam no matter what I tried.

Unfortunately, I'm kind of stuck with the Hyperam. It'll cost me $22.35 in restocking fees, plus shipping, to send it back.

Gary

Albuquerque said:

Yes, 1:1 at 284FSB = 568DDR (PC4500). Actually I was looking for timings from GTX's memory I've heard of a few BIOSes not properly reading the SPD after front side busses get higher than (x) amount, depending on the BIOS and the board.

Click to expand...

whats ur mrb on sisoft or ctiaw? just curious, thanx.