Memory Memory advice on Ivybridge

OK guys need some good advice on this as I have asked Asus,Corsair and Intel and still none the wiser.

I have an Asus P8Z77-V Premium Motherboard and an Intel i7 37700k (oc'd to 4.5 on a 24/7 clock)

I am currently using Corsair Vengeance High profile Ram 1600mhz Ram at 1.5v.

Here is my problem I really like the new corsair Dominator Platinum Range and was looking at the 2600MHz 1.65v set. Asus say yeah no problem use it and so do corsair However speaking to intel they say not to and stick to 1600MHz 1.5v. In addition Intel informed me that any Ram I use with a higher speed will run at 1600MHz anyway.

Google search and Forums and a quick lazy search here has found different opinions on similar stuff but not addressing my issues.

I do want to upgrade and I know the Dominator Platinum has a 1600MHz 1.5v set but I don't really want my upgrade to be just cosmetic.

So guys please help worth the upgrade ? Risk ? consequences ? and opinions welcome.

If I have left anything out please just ask and im sorry in advance I am not a pro overclocker I just want a nice system.

Thanks n advance

 

The performance gains above 1600MHz just don't justify the increase in price. The speedup is minuscule – particularly when you consider what you have to pay for it. Here are some benchmarks (pages 3-6): http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/memory/2011/01/11/the-best-memory-for-sandy-bridge/1

On page 6, you can see that you gain 1 FPS with 2166MHz over 1600MHz. There are many better ways to spend your money than ultra high speed RAM.

1.65V RAM should work with Ivy Bridge, though the maximum recommended voltage is 1.5V.

Also note that you're unlikely to manage to run the memory at 2600MHz. Anything above 1600MHz is an overclock of the memory controller.

 

As mm vr said the gains in performance on ram at a higher speed is negligible. I have 1866 ram not by choice it was what was in stock when I bought my computer. I run it at that speed via XMP and cannot overclock any higher. The higher the overclock the more the stress the memory controller is under. Stick to 1600 mhz ram. You wont notice the difference in speed anyway.

Unless you run benchmarks all the time.

 

Thanks guys is good sound advice. So I guess my final question would be Stick with the Vengeance or upgrade to the Dominator Platinum (Sticking with the 1600MHz version)?

As they are listed as Corsairs top end Ram I am wondering if there will be any difference other then the look.

I do not really run benchmarks like that. Only a stress test here and there on new components once they settle down.

Other then that I do not know what to spend my money on.

 

No point upgrading to memory with the same specs. They likely use the same memory chips, just a different heat spreader.

 

Yeah have looked and I can get 1600MHz ram with 8,8,8,24 instead of my current 9,9,9,24. I know its only a small difference but its also with the light strips (yes I am that shallow, I like shiny stuff )

So 2 packs of that can get me back to 16gb

or I got for same speed and 9,9,9,24 stuff and go for two 16gb kits to get 32gb of RAM.

either way its a performance or an amount upgrade.

 

Running 2400Mhz ram on ivy with 1.7, no problems, its cooled well though.

 

Cool ... sandys Did you previously have a lower spec RAM and is there a noticeable difference ?

 

It is low spec RAM I've clocked up not had any stability issues despite days of stress testing, of course if there are EM issues this will take some time to manifest, good cooling should negate some of that though.

Can I notice a difference when run at slower speeds, not really in the gaming stuff I do, you'd rarely notice a few percent on one part, but my take on that is to run it all as best you can as all the few percent losses on each part ultimately add up. Same with the CPU, can't notice a difference between gaming with my 4.5Ghz i7 vs my 4Ghz X6 doesn't mean I would compromise and go back to save a bit of dough