DDR2 - Best Bang for the Buck?

[djg199]

I am scouring all the websites to work out what DDR2 RAM to get for my new build. I am looking at getting 4GB to go on Asus P5K-Deluxe and with a Q6600. I am also hoping to achieve some respectable overclocking.

At the moment, I am looking for something that is DDR2 6400 with Micron D9 chips and am looking in the £150 to £180 price scale but could possibly go to £200. I would like to spend more on the other components though so I am looking for the best value for money I can get.

I am getting more and more confused and indecisive as there seems to be so much out there. Should I go for Crucial Ballistix, Corsair, OCZ, Geil, G.Skill, etc? Should I go for 2x2GB or 4x1GB?

Does anyone have any recommendations?

[staffsMike]

well if you want to save money go for 4x1gb.

I like the geil stuff I use (£60 this week at ocuk) it overclocks well but attacthed to a q6600 it will only need to run stock speeds until the q6600 goes over 3.6Ghz so you don't really need amazing overclocking ram unless you aren't running 1:1.

So i'd say 4gb of Geil ultra for £120
4GB of Corsair xms2 for around £115 - £120
or 4GB or crucial ballistix for £160 (note that the pc5300 will easily hit pc6400 if you want to save some money there)

[Blitzen]

OCZ/Corsair/Crucial/Geil/GSkill.....its all much the sameness unless you are doing huge overclocks and even then the difference is tiny.

Its easy to say that one is better than the other but there is only a tiny tiny % of people that could even tell the difference (i know i couldn't).

On a side note.......i used 4 x 1gb OCZ Platinum PC6400 and the 3d Mark Score was higher than when i tried 2x2gb Geil PC6400. Dunno why but there ya go!

[djg199]

Okay, I have done a bit more research. I scoured the web looking for what DDR2 is Micron D9 and PC6400 or greater.

I then scoured the web for prices against each, worked out the price for 4GB and narrowed it down to the following in the £130 to £200 price range:

Geil GX22GB6400UDC 4-4-4-12 6400 £129 (OcUK)
Patriot PDC22G6400LLK 4-4-4-12 6400 £140 (YOYOtech)
Crucial BL2KIT12864AA804 4-4-4-12 6400 £168 (Komplett)
OCZ OCZ2RPR800EB2GK 4-3-3-15 6400 £176 (OcUK)
Gskill F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ 4-4-4-12 6400 £188 (Memory Configurator)
Crucial BL2KIT12864AA1065 5-5-5-15 8500 £200 (Komplett)

What would everyone recommend from this selection?

[Gr44]

The Crucial is cheaper here: http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx...090,4294953978

If you want to get that stuff....

Edit:

Sorry I had wrong speed up... that isn't much cheaper!

[Clunk]

Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500 93 quid and in stock.

Or the 6400 version for 83 quid.

[djg199]

Thanks! That looks quite tempting at that price!

[TooNice]

Or the 6400 version for 83 quid.

I find the disclaimer kinda humorous: "This is generic computer memory and may not be suitable for some branded machines."

[Thorsson]

Now I feel happy I bought my 4Gb Crucial Ballistic 6400 a few weeks back from Dabs at <&#163;140...

[Clunk]

Not sure what the disclaimer is about, but it is definitely Ballsitix, I got mine from there, and it arrived next day, well packed etc.

[Pob255]

PS that's 2gb not 4gb so two loads would be &#163;166

Scan have
4GB (4x1GB) Corsair QuadX XMS2, DDR2 PC2-6400 (800), 240 Pins, Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 5-5-5-18, DHX &#163;134.70
or get two packs of 2GB (2x1GB) CorsairTwinX XMS2 CAS 4-4-4-12, EPP for &#163;135.46
There really shouldn't be much differnce between buying 4 individual 1gb sticks or a set of 4x1gb sticks if they are all the same make/brand
esp as they almost all use the same micron chips

[djg199]

Understand that.

From what I can work out though, the Corsair QuadX has got Micron E chips not D9.

As for XMS2 EPP, I know some of the standard XMS C4s are Micron D9s, however I cannot find what the EPP versions are except for a few people on the net saying that they are NOT Micron D9s and are a cheaper alternative.

I think I will go for 4 x 1GB, the 2 x 2GB kits are few and far between and seem more expensive.

[Pob255]

Ahh I don't know what chips are used on the 6400C5DHX (which is the 4 stick QuadX) I got confused with the 8500C5 which do use d9 chips

The eairly revisions of the 6400C4 used D9 chips but later revisions use differnt chips, naughty corsair. (it's the 5400C4 that originally used d9 but the latest revision uses B)

Best bet for garrantied chips is crucial or micron(if you can find them)

Usefull list of what chips are on ram sticks http://ramlist.ath.cx/ddr2/

[Clunk]

Best bet for garrantied chips is crucial or micron(if you can find them)

Micron own Crucial

[Pob255]

That's why I said it although you can find memory stick sold under the micron name (with micron chips on them obsiously)
Probably just unwanted stock micron has made for a 3rd party which they want to get rid of.