My brain hurts, pls advise me on memory for my sys

gizmo1990

gizmo1990

gizmo1990

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I'm in a bit of a hurry to order upgrade bits for my sys which imploded last week. :(

I'm getting a intel mini-itx dh67cf (sandybridge) and a i5 2500. All this will be going in a small chassis, sg05.

I need some memory but I just can't decide which to get, gah! I need 4gb at least and preferably low profile ish as it's a bit cramped in the chassis. What my absolute number one requirement is is stability and quality, I don't mind paying a little extra for it. Plus I'll not be oc'ing as this is for my workstation.

What would you chaps here suggest? I usually stick with corsair but there seems to be a bewildering array of types available I just don't know which will best suit my needs?

Any advice much appreciated.
 
Cheers for the links.

Could someone also explain why some ram is being advertised as 'sandybridge approved'?? I mean, what's the difference between that and regular ddr3 dual channel ram? For instance I've got my eye on going to 8gb which brings into view corsairs XMS3 8GB DDR3 1333 Mhz CAS 9 kit. Would that still be ok in my setup?
 
Sandybridge approved just means the memory runs at lower voltage as not more than around 1.5V is recommended for Sandybridge.

From OCUK "Recommended memory voltage is 1.50v, so make sure to run your memory at 1.50v, higher could limit lifespan of the CPU".

If you want memory without large heatsinks, and the least amount of problems, get Geil or Corsair.

G.Skill are good but they all have larger heatsinks.

As OCUK seem to have dropped the Geil 4GB kit the Corsair memory that Ginger-Menace linked to is probably the best bet.
 
+1 to all of the above.

If you want to go for 4GB, then the Corsair kit linked to looks like the best bet.

If you want 8GB, then I would go for this kit.

Also, if you are using integrated graphics, then I would strongly suggest you go for the i5 2500K CPU - since this uses the much more powerful HD 3000 graphics processor, compared to the HD 2000 on the i5 2500 (which has about half the graphics power).

If you don't plan to use the integrated graphics - then I would still go for the 2500K over the 2500, since the K version is only £4 more expensive, has the faster graphics core (if you ever need a backup gpu or plan to use quick sync), comes with a £30 game and will have a substantially higher resale price.
 
Thanks for the help guys.

The voltage issue is something that's been puzzling me and stopping me from purchasing 8gb. Every 8gb kit seems to run at 1.6 where as sandybridge 'likes' 1.5?

If this is so, are 8gb kits available that run at 1.5? cmndr_andi, the 8gb you link to quote 1.50v-1.65v What does that mean tho? Can they run solely at 1.50v?

Regarding the 2500, phew I backed out and got a k instead. Glad I did as I didn't know about the better gfx core! Cheers man.
 
1.5-1.65V means that these are the ranges of voltages that this memory will correctly operate under. So if you run it at 1.5V it will operate correctly - but you will need to set the RAM to a lower setting (for that kingston kit you need 1333MHz 9-9-9-27 to get it to run at 1.5V). This speed is actually fine for sandy bridge, have a look at this review.

If you think it can fit in your case, this RAM is currently a bit cheaper but is rated with better timings and frequency at 1.5V.
 
Ahh great I see. Thanks again for that!

Hmm ok I'm seriously tempted to go with those Kingstons then, the gskill are too big. I'm just slightly concerned that that model isn't showing up on Kingstons site as being supported by my board, dh67cf.. they just suggest their value range. Anyone know why that would be?
 
I just had a look at for your board, is this the one?

If so, it only seems to support 65W CPUs (the i5 2500 and 2500K are 95W CPUs).

However, there do seem to be mini-ITX boards that support the more powerful CPUs, for example the "ZOTAC® H67-ITX WiFi" can.


As for memory compatability - if it meets the specifications then it should work. Motherboard support lists are usually not well updated and miss out a lot of boards which do in fact work - they just haven't been specifically been tested with that memory.
 
Yep that's the one. It's just intel being overly cautious, it's been proven to work fine with better cpus.

Ok thanks again. Looks like I've got some thinking to do! ;)
 
Kingston ram, although i have never owned any it shows up on almost every QVL i have seen. Worth checking though, always.
 
In a good way, all motherboards should have a "QVL- Qualified Vendor List" which will tell you which RAM they know will work.
Kingston have always been on the lists that iv checked.
QVL is not definitive though, and often wont be updated but it is a good place to start.
My ocz ram was not on the qvl for my top sig build but it has been running well for years.
 
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