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edit: why don't I check before getting ninja'd all the time lol + Show Spoiler +
On May 07 2011 07:29 Mystlord wrote: I'm looking to upgrade my 2GB of laptop RAM, and I'm wondering what I should be looking for. I have a i5-2520M and a QM67 chipset, if that matters. The only two types of RAM compatible with my machine are: DDR3 PC3-10600 and PC3-8500, though I'm not exactly sure which one to get. Apparently the 10600 has a higher frequency, but I can only find a Cas Latency of 9 on most of them. On the other hand, the 8500s have a lower frequency, but they all have a Cas Latency of 7. Does the difference even matter? If not, which one to get and by which manufacturer? I'm also planning on keeping this laptop for the next 4 or more years, so good reliability would be a plus as well.
Thanks in advance!
It makes a minimal difference even when the specs are quite different. See here. In this scenario, 1333 MHz (1325, whatever) at CAS latency 9 and 1066 MHz at CAS latency 7 come out to be pretty much the same speed. 9 clocks at 1333 MHz takes 6.75 ns, while 7 clocks at 1066 MHz takes 6.57 ns.
To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if kits being sold at 1333 MHz CAS 9 used the same spec RAM chips from the same source as those being sold at 1066 MHz CAS 7.
The performance difference in higher frequency memory is very small, seen here: http://techreport.com/articles.x/20377 The same can be said for tighter memory timings.
RAM is generally all the same since the chips all come from the same few manufacturers (Samsung, Hynix, Micron, etc). It comes down to pricing and brand preference.
@Golgotha
lol people that are well versed in computers don't necessarily have a flagship rig. My rig only consists of a core i5 2500k and a gtx 460.
Fairly standard, really, the fancy toys that make for flashy, crazy sounding rigs have little to no practical value for standard use, but tend to cost a pile extra. They're really more for e-peen contests and hobbyists like me. I just love the gadgetry for it's own sake as much as anything else.
The performance difference in higher frequency memory is very small, seen here: http://techreport.com/articles.x/20377 The same can be said for tighter memory timings.
RAM is generally all the same since the chips all come from the same few manufacturers (Samsung, Hynix, Micron, etc). It comes down to pricing and brand preference.
@Golgotha
lol people that are well versed in computers don't necessarily have a flagship rig. My rig only consists of a core i5 2500k and a gtx 460.
Fairly standard, really, the fancy toys that make for flashy, crazy sounding rigs have little to no practical value for standard use, but tend to cost a pile extra. They're really more for e-peen contests and hobbyists like me. I just love the gadgetry for it's own sake as much as anything else.
ram also helps hit higher overclocks on cpu, although not too sure on sandy bridge if that still applies.
Sandybridge overclocking is done with the multiplier so higher frequency memory has no effect.
@Golgotha
You can't overclock on the H61 / H67 boards. Even with the promo code, it doesn't make much sense to get a 2500k unless you plan on using the integrated graphics or upgrading to a Z68 motherboard later on.
The performance difference in higher frequency memory is very small, seen here: http://techreport.com/articles.x/20377 The same can be said for tighter memory timings.
RAM is generally all the same since the chips all come from the same few manufacturers (Samsung, Hynix, Micron, etc). It comes down to pricing and brand preference.
@Golgotha
lol people that are well versed in computers don't necessarily have a flagship rig. My rig only consists of a core i5 2500k and a gtx 460.
Fairly standard, really, the fancy toys that make for flashy, crazy sounding rigs have little to no practical value for standard use, but tend to cost a pile extra. They're really more for e-peen contests and hobbyists like me. I just love the gadgetry for it's own sake as much as anything else.
ram also helps hit higher overclocks on cpu, although not too sure on sandy bridge if that still applies.
As it turns out, since I'm on a 930, it does help for me, but I meant overall cool flashy gadget stuff that makes for a "sexy looking" rig.
On May 07 2011 08:26 skyR wrote: Sandybridge overclocking is done with the multiplier so higher frequency memory has no effect.
@Golgotha
You can't overclock on the H61 / H67 boards. Even with the promo code, it doesn't make much sense to get a 2500k unless you plan on using the integrated graphics or upgrading to a Z68 motherboard later on.
thanks!
there's like no point getting a 2500k if you're using a H61 mobo, me thinks.
One other question. Right now I have a 5400RPM HDD, which I consider to be fairly slow. I'm not too hot on the HDD/SSD market, so I was wondering whether it's worth it to grab an SSD boot drive now, or whether I should wait for prices to drop or something. The alternative that I was thinking of was a hybrid HDD/SSD like the Momentus XT, since I'm guessing that it would normally save power and would perform slightly faster than most 7200rpm HDDs. On the other hand, it seems to be the only one out and there seem to be several more on the way this year. But if there are better quality just normal 7200rpm HDDs, then that's fine too. I am willing to wait for prices to drop/better options to become available though. Thanks again!
Whether a SSD is worth it or not is really subjective. For a notebook, a SSD would definitely help improve battery life and save you enormous amounts of time (well I guess that depends on how often you turn on / off your notebook).
Hybrid drives were big failures when it initially came to market. Though its been improved on over the years, I don't think it's worth looking into over a standard 7200rpm HDD.
Unless your 5400 rpm HDD is ancient, I don't think you'll get a huge improvement from a modern 7200 rpm HDD. That probably doesn't warrant an upgrade IMHO.
Momentus XT is okay, but all you're getting is a little bit of solid state read cache. It takes on average a little less power than most laptop HDDs. The difference comes from when it's reading from the NAND rather than the platters, as you would expect. Also, some SSDs don't take less power than most laptop HDDs, though some/most do.
SSD prices probably aren't going to dramatically fall in a year or anything like that. You can find a good deal on a last-gen SSD like one with a SandForce 1xxx controller, and that may be cheap enough. Or most of the Intel 320 series should be good and at or under $2 / GB. How much are you willing to spend and how much capacity do you need?
One thing to keep in mind is that your laptop likely has a SATA2 interface. Some of the faster SSDs use SATA3 (backwards compatible with SATA2) and would be limited somewhat by a SATA2 interface.
On May 07 2011 10:37 skyR wrote: Whether a SSD is worth it or not is really subjective. For a notebook, a SSD would definitely help improve battery life and save you enormous amounts of time (well I guess that depends on how often you turn on / off your notebook).
Hybrid drives were big failures when it initially came to market. Though its been improved on over the years, I don't think it's worth looking into over a standard 7200rpm HDD.
SSD is definitely more a convenience than anything else. If you have the budget for it, it's nice when it helps, but if you don't have one, the lack won't kill you. Although I would suggest at least upping that slow HDD to a 7200.
On May 07 2011 11:28 HCmystic wrote: hey do u have any sites u recommened for me to read before i assemble my computer? Got everything except psu/motherboard atm.
I just recently purchased the parts to build my own computer, but I'm having some problems.
Basically, I hit the power button, and nothing happens. I hear some sound from the power supply when I switch it on but thats absolutely it. My suspicion is I'm doing the wiring wrong to the motherboard but I'm not entirely sure.
When I installed the fan of the i5 processor(stock fan) I didn't clip it the fan all the way, it fell off into the computer later since I didn't notice. I dont think that would kill the mobo but who knows.
Anyone have any clues? I might've bitten off more than I can chew here....I'm 100% sure I installed all the components correctly. I have a CW 690 advanced case and there are a million wires on the damn thing. I tried putting them into the right slots but obvisously I probably failed.
If anyone has ANY suggestions I'd appreciate it. Really dont want to take it to someone to get this figured out as that would cost money. Although I'm really starting to think I fucked up the mobo although there is no visible damage
I just recently purchased the parts to build my own computer, but I'm having some problems.
Basically, I hit the power button, and nothing happens. I hear some sound from the power supply when I switch it on but thats absolutely it. My suspicion is I'm doing the wiring wrong to the motherboard but I'm not entirely sure.
When I installed the fan of the i5 processor(stock fan) I didn't clip it the fan all the way, it fell off into the computer later since I didn't notice. I dont think that would kill the mobo but who knows.
Anyone have any clues? I might've bitten off more than I can chew here....I'm 100% sure I installed all the components correctly. I have a CW 690 advanced case and there are a million wires on the damn thing. I tried putting them into the right slots but obvisously I probably failed.
If anyone has ANY suggestions I'd appreciate it. Really dont want to take it to someone to get this figured out as that would cost money. Although I'm really starting to think I fucked up the mobo although there is no visible damage
NVM for now, got it to turn on, going to try and get it running, sorry for wasting your time : /
The power connector from the case is plugged correctly into the motherboard?
The power supply switch on the back is set to the 1 position?
If the heatsink fell off.. than that's a serious problem -_- as this could have damaged the processor and possibly the graphics card as well.
I know, but luckilly the heatsink was small. and I didn't have the gfx card in at the time
I wired it wrong....that was the problem, going to try and get it working completely now as my goal was to just get it turned on, thanks for the help though
EPT
Thanks for your help. I just bought this rig!
