Best RAM available for this build?

Xenlol1 · 29 Feb 2012 at 18:37

Surveyor · 29 Feb 2012 at 19:04

None of the above.

Get this:

Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit

1600MHz RAM with modest timings is all you need for Sandy Bridge.

The Crucial Ballistix will perform as well as any other 1600MHz RAM, costs less and works at a nice 1.5V out of the box.

It's also low profile in case you get a big CPU cooler.

The unfortunate thing is that a couple of days ago it was £31.99, yesterday £34.99 and currently it's £37.99

Your processor link doesn't work so hopefully you're getting a "K" series processor with an unlocked multiplier so you can overclock.

Your case and GPU links don't work either.

Xenlol1 · 29 Feb 2012 at 19:09

Hey man.

That's odd, they should do.

the CPU is i52500k 3.3GHz and my chosen GPU is XFX HD 7970 Black Edition 3072MB

- So I shouldn't get a higher speed/frequency RAM and stick to 1600MHz ?

Surveyor · 29 Feb 2012 at 19:16

Xenlol1 said:
- So I shouldn't get a higher speed/frequency RAM and stick to 1600MHz ?

1600MHz is all you need.

Faster RAM offers little for the extra cost.

Bear in mind that you may not be able to run 2000MHz RAM.

The motherboards I've seen allow 1866MHz and 2133MHz but not 2000MHz.

From the specs. of the motherboard you're looking at:

4 x DIMM, Max. 32GB, DDR3 2200(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/1866(O.C.)/1600/1333/1066 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory

I'll let you judge if it's worth it:

The Best Memory for Sandy Bridge

Sandy Bridge Memory Scaling Choosing The Best DDR3

DDR3 SDRAM for Sandy Bridge: Choosing the Best Memory for LGA1155 Platform

Xenlol1 · 29 Feb 2012 at 19:47

I'll stay with your suggestion then. You suggested that simply due to price?

Also, other than that is everything optimal etc?

littlepuppy · 29 Feb 2012 at 20:00

The only problem with sport is its minging

Surveyor · 29 Feb 2012 at 20:04

littlepuppy said:
The only problem with sport is its minging

Anyone who wishes to pay more for RAM because they like the looks better is free to do so.

Surveyor · 29 Feb 2012 at 20:19

Xenlol1 said:
I'll stay with your suggestion then. You suggested that simply due to price?

Also, other than that is everything optimal etc?

Yes, because of the price.

You can buy other 1600MHz RAM if you prefer the appearance but it won't be any different in performance.

The i5-2500K is a good choice for a gaming PC.

Paying the extra £10 for the retail version gets you a shiny box, a stock cooler, an Intel sticker and 3 years warranty instead of 1.

If it influences your decision then the Ivy Bridge CPU's should be out in a couple of months with modest increases in performance and they enable the Gen3 PCI-E slots which with a Sandy Bridge CPU are still Gen2.

There'll also be a new range of motherboards with new chipsets.

I can't say I know much about the motherboard.

The PSU is a good one and plenty powerful enough. You could even run CrossFired HD 7970's from it.

I'm no experts on SSD's but for relibility everyone seems to swear by the Crucial M4.

You could buy a cheaper HD 7970. They should all overclock easily to the speed of the Black Edition.

You should get an aftermarket cooler if you plan on a good CPU overclock.

The Gelid Tranquillo is modestly priced.

I still don't think you've said what case you're getting.

I assume your HDD's are SATA as there's no IDE support on the motherboard.

Also do you have a SATA DVD drive, if you use one, and an operating system?

Edit:

You mentioned dual screens.

Do you plan on gaming over dual screens as that's a bit naff with the bezels in the middle?

The best option for gaming is 1 or 3 screens.

What connections do your screens have?

You need to check you can connect them to the HD 7970 or that the card you buy comes with appropriate adapters.

Xenlol1 · 29 Feb 2012 at 21:10

Yeah HDDs are SATA.

just ordered the Corsair Obsidian 650D

dual screen is simply for the convenience of the second, browsing while not tabbing out etc.

both monitors have DVI and HDMI

Also - I heard the new ivybridge stuff won't really make a difference in overall performance. Or at least I wouldn't be able to notice it (GW2, BF3, Metro, ME3)

beejjacobs · 1 Mar 2012 at 01:11

Also - I heard the new ivybridge stuff won't really make a difference in overall performance. Or at least I wouldn't be able to notice it (GW2, BF3, Metro, ME3)

The i5 2500K is great for gaming, and overclocks well.

Ivybridge I think will be more efficient, have higher clocks and a better integrated graphics. So no, you wouldn't notice a difference and the i5 2500K is a great choice