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What would be the best cost/proformace ram for an IC7-G with a 2.4c

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n0xide

New Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2003
Just like the topic says. im getting an IC7-G with a 2.4c to overclock and I just wanna know what you guys think would be the best for the price. Currently im going to get a gig of crucial 3200 ddr 400. But im new to intel so what would your opinions be. Lemme know wussup thats why the OCforums own.
 
Try a 1GB (buy 2 512MB) of Buffalo PC3700 from New Egg ($99 each). Then run it at ~200-220 MHz with low timings (2-3-3 or lower). It's supposedly rated at 233MHz (DDR466) but turns out to be great DDR400/DDR433 at a very competetive cost compared to other low-latency PC3200. It supposedly uses WinBond BH-5 chips, which is the same used in $200+ Mushkin memory. For only $198 shipped, you will get a 1GB (2x512MB) of some memory that will allow you to get top-$250+ performance.
 
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from what I know the buffalo 3700 is bh-5, and the pcb is pretty good too. If you aren't doing too much oc'ing than it should be able to get 2-2-2-x or close to it with about 2.9v. If you are planning on hitting 290+fsb might want to get some khx 2-2-2-x with bh-5 chips. I plan on doing 300+fsb so with 5:4 i need ram that can do 2-2-2-x near ddr500 so I am getting some khx bh-5 and I am gonna run them around 3.2v...

the khx 3000 and 3200 are pretty cheap too. Corsair 3500 v1.1 and mushkin lvl2 runs bh-5, but they are pretty pricey
 
i got some komusa dual channel hyperram(pc4000) about a week and a half ago for 160 with free shipping. i emailed them b4 buying and inquired what chips are employed. they said the hyperram is made of adata pc4000 chips made by an oem or 2nd party manufacturer built to their specs.. im gonna test this stuff this weekend ill let u know how it runs...
 
What speed RAM depends on your overclocking goal. If you are only wanting 3 gig and no more, than PC3200 will work fine. But, much above that, then you'll probably have to use the 3:2 memory ratio which will decrease memory bandwidth. Let's look at a 3.2 gig goal, that seems to be a good average that most people reach fairly easily with the 2.4C and IC7 mobo.

The difference at 3.2 gig using PC3200 RAM vs. PC3700 RAM is that the PC3200 RAM will probably have to use the 3:2 memory ratio resulting in memory speed of DDR356. Compare that to the same 3.2 gig overclock with PC3700 RAM using the 5:4 mem ratio resulting in DDR427. That's a fair amount of memory bandwidth to be gained by using the faster RAM. NOTE: it's true that PC3500 will probably run ok at DDR427, but you want some overhead room in case you can overclock to 3.3 or even 3.4 gig, don't ya?

Obviously, if you have exceptionally special PC3200 RAM, you might be able to run close to DDR427, but in two channel DDR systems, it's hard to run aggressive RAM timings with RAM that is overclocked past it's specs. Now, PC3700 will be good for at least 3.4 gig using the 5:4 ratio and tight timings, if you luck out and get a super CPU.

Speed-Mech is dead on about the Buffalo RAM. Should be good for at least 3.4 gig with fairly decent timings, if your CPU can go that high and if you have good cooling. If you're really picky about super aggressive timings, then you'll want to spend big bucks and get high dollar RAM, but I've seen benchmark after benchmark on Intel systems that prove higher FSB, higher CPU clock speed, and higher DDR memory speed will beat tight timings everytime (if you have to lower your overclock to run the more aggressive timings).
 
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In my book the speed of the ram has nothing to do with my oc'ing results. With all of the ram options out there only 1 is worth while, and that is bh-5. I am going to runn well over 300 fsb, and I am going to use some khx 3000 2-2-2-x. This isn't even rated for ddr400, but I am gonna run it close to ddr500 with 300+ fsb 5:4 divider and 2-2-2-x timings. bh-5 likes voltage, and for me to get what I want out of it I am gonna need atleast 3.1v, so for most this would need a vmod, but for most people that have their 2.4c's max out at about 280 fsb with the 5:4 divider some khx 3200 2-2-2-x with bh-5 should be able to get pretty tight timings with whatever the max voltage your board offers.

I saw someone say something about komusa...just so you know that is adatapc4000. just thought you guys might want to know.

All ram from 3700-pc4x00 basically sucks. Makers took their great chips that can get great speeds with great timings and left them. If you take your pc4x00 @300fsb 1:1 and bench your machine, then switch them out for some khx3000 with 5:4 divider with 2-2-2-x timings and bench again, you will see a drop in s-sandra, and a huge jump in every meaningful benchmark. s-sandra means nothing, and the best ram out is any ram with bh-5, anything else is just second best.

In my experience the second best ram out there is geil golden dragon 3200. I have bought 2 kits of 256x2. second one was doa had to rma, but no restocking fee at newegg. Both sets top out at the exact same ddr482@2-3-3-6, and that was on a friend's ic7, the top voltage was like 2.75v. When I bought my 2 kits they were only $99, I think newegg raised the price, but they are still cheap. If you don't want to do a vmod they seem to have a little more oc'ability the bh-5, but when you add the volts bh-5 is unmatched.

Here is a thread with some results of high fsb v tight timings, might be useful.
tight timings wins over fsb
 
Most BH-5 chip memory won't get you that near 250MHz. It's kind of false advertising to act like a 25% increase in rated speed at low timings is possible with all BH-5 memory. People who have bought BH-5 memory (from early-release Corsair to old-stock Kingston and Buffalo) and get close to 250MHz are the very luckiest of lucky fellows. For every user who's gotten 244MHz (random) @ 2-2-2-5 with 3.2V is 100 who arn't getting above 220MHz @ 2-2-2-6 with 2.8 or 2.85V. Many arn't willing to do VDIMM mod as they are unaware that it is possible w/o permanant modifacations.
 
allow me to repeat myself.

khx 3200 with 2-2-2-x timings are bh-5...no matter who you buy them from they will be. If you do a vmod you will be able to get 240fsb with 2-2-2-x or damn close, and most peolpe that do it can get ddr500 with 2-2-2-x. The key thing here is vmod. You probably won't be able to get over 220 2-2-2-x without one. With 3.2v, which is fine for bh-5 you should be able to get ddr500...i have personally with all 3 sets of khx 3000 and 3200 i have dealt with in the last month.

Read in that thread that I posted...everyone in there pretty much has bh-5 that can do exactly what I am saying, and they all suggested that everyone get bh-5 and that if you do buy it you can expect similar preformance...I then bought some and saw my ddr500 2-2-2-x dreams realized.

oh and about the vmods...all the info you will ever need for vmods

you can use things called smd grabbers that will allow you to remove the mod whenver you want without any trace left on the mobo. This is how I do it...I don't trust myself to solder things to my mobo. there is an smd grabber thread stuck on the top of that forum.
 
But, how can you say that every 2-2-2 marked HyperX 3200 will ship with BH-5? Obviously, these are no longer being produced by Kingston, and thus the supply is dwindling daily. How can you say that if someone were to purchase 2-2-2 3200 rated HyperX, that the retailer will not ship them 2-3-3 3200 memory with CH-5 chips and refer it to an error in display. As you know, every online reseller has that note on their page stating that product infomation is not kept up-to-date and that the buyer should refer to the manufacturer's data.
 
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newegg has not done that yet. I said nothing about the retailer improperly marking the stuff. I have not heard of newegg doing that even once, and I would doubt they ever will. They sell 2-3-2-6 and 2-2-2-6 and 2-3-3-6 all at the same time....and I am almost positive that all 3200 2-2-2-6 is bh-5, and they are seperately selling all of their other ram. If they send you 2-3-2-6 they sent you the wrong thing, and if they would have to give you the correct item or give you a refund. That would be like them sending you a 64mb radeon when you bought a 128mb radeon. They are 2 totally different products that they sell on their site.

oh and with the kingston ram they sell all of their different ram versions at different prices. They would run out of 2-2-2-6, not replace it, because kinston sells all of their different chips as different versions of ram, not revisions of the same ram. They sell 2-2-2-6 3200 and 2-3-2-6 and 2-3-3-6 as 3 different products. 2 are hyperx and 1 is value ram. if you get 2-3-3-6 that is a realy snafu...if you get 2-3-2-6 they made a small mistake, but will still have to fix their error.
 
The only PC3200 2-2-2 on NewEgg is the 256MB. Which at $71 is a little bit costy. Buffalo PC3700 256MB goes for $62. Is there any other way to get the Kingston HyperX 2-2-2? They don't sell it from Kingston.Com.
 
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they sell it at kingston.com, but their sale is only for ch-5, so their prices aren't too good...infact they are ptretty bad. It is $170 from kingston.com for 2x256 of bh-5 3200. Newegg ran out of the 3200 2-2-2-6, and was suppose to get them in yesterday, but they obviously didn't, so mon. probably. I heard googlegear.com has them for basically the same price as newegg...$140 for 2x256 i think.
 
I'm sure the stock in this memory is going way down by now. The WinBond BH-5 chip has been out of production since before July. While I know that Kingston probably had a big inventory of the chips before WinBond ceased production, their product would really have to sell bad to keep shipments continuing 3-4 months after production ceased. Kingston HyperX being a big name in the business, I would have expected it to go quite quickly. Although the fact that Kingston delevered differing lines of the same product evidently helped them/or hurt them with reducing their inventory.

So you are giving your promise that KHX3200K2 (2-2-2) memory is BH-5 chips, while KHX3200AK2 (2-3-2) is CH-5?

AccuPC.Com (a good seller) has the 512MB Kit (2x256MB) for $140, and the 1GB Kit (2x512MB) for $265.

BTW, Googlegear is now called ZipZoomFly.Com for some strange reasoning.
 
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Buffalo Technology 512MB 6 Layer PC3700 DDR Memory Module 32X8 (Winbond Module), DD466-512 - OEM


Would you say that would be the way to go?
 
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speed-That is exactly what I have heard from several very reliable sources...and yeah i just notcied the change to zipzoomfly.com...what is with that?

n0xide-buffalo's pcb's aren't as good...less consistant. I would just spend the extra for khx 3200 2-2-2-x. isn't the difference only like $5? Back when buffalo was using bh-5 in their $42 3200 that was a nice buy.
 
its an extra 50$ on newegg.com currently.i will look at other places while I wait for another reply. I found that buffalo chip for 99$ per 512 so it seems nice
 
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yeah...you are right. I don't buy 1gb, so sorry bout that...

the 2x512mb of the bh-5 3200 khx is $270@zipzoomfly so it is a pretty big difference.

What is your budget, what kind of oc'ing are you planning on doing, and do you realy need 1gb of mem?
 
I would say go ahead and buy the Buffalo PC3700. I havn't heard of anyone complaining about their PCB. It's basically the same as Mushkin's promo-build which goes for $40 more. 1GB of BH-5 memory for $206 (shipped) is a great buy. If it turns out to be something other then BH-5, come up with some reasoning to return it to NewEgg for a differant product.
 
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