Corsair XMS, the Gamer's RAM?

[Miasma]

Hey to all the hardware freaks here!

I just bought a new desktop PC with Corsair XMS RAM modules. I've heard Corsair XMS is the way to go when buying a high-end gaming PC, but I'm confused over what makes it better. Anyone know? :cheese:

 

[Ridic]

it dosnt reall matter. ram is ram. the only big noticable difference is between ddr and sd.

 

[SidewinderX]

The way it's cooled. Kingston HyperX is good too.

 

[TrueWeltall]

BGA memory is very nice too, the size and heat generated is low.

 

[ankalar]

Corsair makes high quality RAM, the cooling isn't the only thing that is different, and it does matter who makes it. Some RAM can handle betting timings than others, and not just because of the cooling.

 

[PSX]

it dosnt reall matter. ram is ram. the only big noticable difference is between ddr and sd.

it does matter who makes it... if you want the best, usually go with Samsung CTL, Corsair XMS or Kingston HyperX; all of these OC better than generic/no-brand types, and handle lower timings at higher FSB, shortening load times and giving you higher bandwidth; it will certainly be an advantage in HL2

 

[Murrie]

basically you can look at it this way:

your discount ram maker cranks out a huge run of ram chips (little black things on your ram sticks) made to certain specifications, they then just grab at random (mostly) enough chips to make a stick of ram. Its then tested found what rating it can be given (which ammounts to its speed) and then sends it out the door.

Your "gamer" ram makers spend time to test carefully and match up the chips so they all are about equal in speed BEFORE they slap them together into a stick of ram. Its then tested in the same manner to determine the sticks speed (and other additional test for reliability and so on) and then they send it out the door.

In general your "gamer" ram will be more reliable, more stable, and simply faster and any speed over your generic ram.

All of this can be undone by having the incorrect bois settings though, as well as the rest of the system. generic ram in a highend box is a crime, while its right at home in your normal users pc

 

[Hudson]

WOOOOOT!!!!!!! RD RAM RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOT!!!!!!

and yes im an RD RAM fanboy =)

 

[reever2]

There is nothing different, it is really just marketing

 

[SidewinderX]

RD Ram was the tech that never was.

 

[ankalar]

Originally posted by reever2
There is nothing different, it is really just marketing

Just quoting it to savor your stupidity incase you decide to delete your post.

 

[Bane]

Corsair XMS is, in my opinion, the best RAM you can buy. Anandtech.com did a motherboard / RAM compatibility test and the Corsair XMS (PC3200) was easily the best. Also, they can handle some of the lowest timings available with excellent stability. Good to hear that you got it in your sys.

 

[PSX]

There is nothing different, it is really just marketing
please don't spew bullshit information in an otherwise informative, short thread, thank you; would you pay $50 for 512mb of on-par casual gaming ram or 512mb $80 for something that will last longer even under stressful conditions? have you heard of running a Barton proc at 270fsb with generic ram? I didn't think so... with that said, how much $$$ do you save by overclocking and not going too high with the volts?
that's right... hundreds of dollars for an otherwise slightly faster processor that probably can't oc as high anyway

 

[Bane]

reever, and [hunter]ridic, you should hold off posting on something you don't understand well enough to be giving advice on.

all of these OC better than generic/no-brand types, and handle lower timings at higher FSB, shortening load times and giving you higher bandwidth; it will certainly be an advantage in HL2

PSX is completely correct. Sidewinder, ankalar, and Murrie all provide valid arguments. If you have evidence that can prove it doesn't make a difference, by all means please present it; I'd love to see.

 

[Ridic]

Originally posted by PSX
it dosnt reall matter. ram is ram. the only big noticable difference is between ddr and sd.

it does matter who makes it... if you want the best, usually go with Samsung CTL, Corsair XMS or Kingston HyperX; all of these OC better than generic/no-brand types, and handle lower timings at higher FSB, shortening load times and giving you higher bandwidth; it will certainly be an advantage in HL2

sorry i didnt really mean it like that. i was reffering to his ram and other top ddr ram makers...corsair crucial kingston etc...sorry if it sounded different.

 

[reever2]

Umm dont tell me this ram will oc better than other ram out there, my generic kingston pc2700 VALUERAM goes to 215mhz with 6-3-3 timings, and it cost me 68 bucks. I know users who have the HyperX verions of the pc2700 who cant even get to 200 fsb so dont give me that bullshit. Also another misconception is the heat spreaders which seem to come on these sticks of ram, there are multiple sites out there that have investigated the need for heat spreaders and so far none of them see why its there, the temperatures didnt even change much, sometimes without the heatspread it ran cooler, albeit the temp difference was <2 degrees

 

[ankalar]

215MHZ and 2-6-3-3 timings aren't amazing.

 

[PSX]

Originally posted by [Hunter]Ridic
sorry i didnt really mean it like that. i was reffering to his ram and other top ddr ram makers...corsair crucial kingston etc...sorry if it sounded different.

in that case, no, you probably won't notice a difference at stock speeds... I mean, to the normal eye, any type of ram is the same.. but if you have any experience, you'll know that all brands are at least slightly better/poorer... numbers-wise, they can be compared, quality-wise, they all have their own advantages, price/voltage tolerance, etc.

 

[PSX]

Originally posted by reever2
Umm dont tell me this ram will oc better than other ram out there, my generic kingston pc2700 VALUERAM goes to 215mhz with 6-3-3 timings, and it cost me 68 bucks. I know users who have the HyperX verions of the pc2700 who cant even get to 200 fsb so dont give me that bullshit. Also another misconception is the heat spreaders which seem to come on these sticks of ram, there are multiple sites out there that have investigated the need for heat spreaders and so far none of them see why its there, the temperatures didnt even change much, sometimes without the heatspread it ran cooler, albeit the temp difference was <2 degrees

if you'll take care to notice... it also depends on the mobo, if it's overclocker friendly/goes more in stability direction, and the stepping of your CPU, cooling, ambient temps, somewhat drivers, etc, etc.

about the heat spreaders, well... they look great on paper because they are designed as the name implies, to spread the heat faster outwards, and usually copper is the best way to go with these; they don't always work, but guess what... they are cheap and easy to hook on; now, at low speeds, they won't make a diff, but as you go higher, the need for them becomes more apparent

kinda like whether or not you want a fan on your northbridge.. do you want just a heatsink and reach 230fsb stable, or hook that extra cfm up and get 240 stable?