CAD/3D user needs a memory guru help here..8GB advice needed

Vito · Feb 28, 2009

CAD/3D user needs some memory guru help here..8GB advice needed

I'm needing to perhaps up my memory to 8 GB and need some input here guys.

My main workhorse rig is a Gigabyte GA-X48-DS4 with a Q6600 and 4 GB of GSkill PC2-6400 DDR2-800.
Running Vista X64 Ultimate. ( with most of the bells and whistles turned off)

As a habitual multitasker..... running Archicad 12, Artlantis, Adobe AB Pro, Word, Excel, Engineering apps...Firefox..etc..I see at some times I'm almost out of physical memory....up to 3.8-4GB's.
I can feel it get a bit sluggish. :bang head

Question is:
Any ideas of what memory upgrade will work best for me?
Brands...types....costs?
Keep in mind this rig is my work rig....no games..no overclocking , I just want stability but not pay and arm and a leg for the sticks.

Xaero_toast · Feb 28, 2009

I'd get some OCZ or Corsair. If you're willing to do rebates, and wait a few weeks while watching for the best price, you can get 2x2GB sets of 1066DDR2 for about $40 after rebate. Even if you don't OC it, I'd get the 1066 rated RAM. Going all the way to 8GB puts an extra load on the memory subsystem, a lot like OC'ing, and having the faster rated memory gives you more margin before the system approaches instability.

ou_phidelt · Feb 28, 2009

Are you currenty using 1GB or 2GB sticks? If 2GB sticks just get another set of them.

cyberfish · Feb 28, 2009

I'd get some OCZ or Corsair. If you're willing to do rebates, and wait a few weeks while watching for the best price, you can get 2x2GB sets of 1066DDR2 for about $40 after rebate. Even if you don't OC it, I'd get the 1066 rated RAM. Going all the way to 8GB puts an extra load on the memory subsystem, a lot like OC'ing, and having the faster rated memory gives you more margin before the system approaches instability.

But the instability would be in the memory controller, not the sticks. The sticks feel no difference running in a set of 2 or 4, the memory controller does.

ZL1 · Feb 28, 2009

uberwoot said:
Wrong section

ou_phidelt said:
Are you currenty using 1GB or 2GB sticks? If 2GB sticks just get another set of them.

ditto on both, pm a mod to move it

and btw having such a nice mobo you better oc some

3ghz should be a super easy and very stable oc with that chip

dylskee · Feb 28, 2009

ZL1 said:
ditto on both, pm a mod to move it

and btw having such a nice mobo you better oc some 3ghz should be a super easy and very stable oc with that chip

Great avatar ZL1!!!

ZL1 · Feb 28, 2009

dylskee said:
Great avatar ZL1!!!

sno.lcn's handy work :beer:

dylskee · Feb 28, 2009

I run into the same problem but it only seems to get sluggish on me when I'm rendering a complex part and I have a few other applications running in the background. I would suggest some Mushkin ram, I absolutely love it and has been great for me. But 8GB would probably run you about $180. and it's a lifetime warranty, but I think most ram offers a lifetime warranty now anyway. I'm not sure what you want to spend but ram is pretty cheap now. Try fleabay as well, you can find some good deals if you have the time to look. Post back your results, I'm curious to see how much this helps and if it does I might upgrade as well.

I got my ram on sale for a great price HERE good place to look for some deals.

Nice setup by the way, you should really overclock that thing!!! :beer:

Vito · Feb 28, 2009

This might be what the doctor ordered:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227362

Seems to be the sweet spot for my needs.
Price....size.....voltage.

.

dylskee · Feb 28, 2009

Vito said:
This might be what the doctor ordered:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227362

Seems to be the sweet spot for my needs.
Price....size.....voltage.

.

Wow, sooo cheap now! That's some solid ram too.

ZL1 · Feb 28, 2009

imo much better http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231166

Xaero_toast · Mar 1, 2009

cyberfish said:
But the instability would be in the memory controller, not the sticks. The sticks feel no difference running in a set of 2 or 4, the memory controller does.

It seems like that should be the case, but in actual practice, it isn't, or at least it hasn't been for me. I can run 4 sticks of 1066 at higher speed/timings than 4 sticks of 800. It makes sense that the issue should be in the controller, but using faster ram still lets it reach better timings. I don't know the how or why, just that I have seen it first hand.

ou_phidelt · Mar 1, 2009

Xaero_toast said:
It seems like that should be the case, but in actual practice, it isn't, or at least it hasn't been for me. I can run 4 sticks of 1066 at higher speed/timings than 4 sticks of 800. It makes sense that the issue should be in the controller, but using faster ram still lets it reach better timings. I don't know the how or why, just that I have seen it first hand.

That is because they were binned as faster ram. They should run either faster with the same timing or the same speed at lower timing. You paid more for it for a reason. The only case I have seen otherwise was the DDR2 Ballistix that all seemed to do pretty much the same until they changed to single sided sticks.

OP: I really don't think changed from 800 to 1066 is going to benefit you that much as the 775 platform doesn't tend to show much improvement from running your ram on an updivider but maybe your particular programs will benefit from it. If you decide to go that route I would go with the G.Skill's ZL1 linked over the OCZ. The timings on the OCZ's are absolutely horrible.

CAD/3D user needs a memory guru help here..8GB advice needed

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