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Help me find the right RAM upgrade!

spool32spool32 Contrary LibraryRegistered User, Transition Team regular
in Moe's Stupid Technology Tavern
HALP

Once upon a time I was a computer, but now I am a manager and I didn't keep up so I don't know this shit any longer. I have:

MSI Z97 Gaming 7 motherboard
Intel i5 4690K @3.5GHz, not overclocked.

What is the fastest RAM I can put in this machine?

Posts

  • GaslightGaslight Registered User regular
    Looks like the highest the motherboard supports is DDR3 3200, but there's not a lot of that on the market and it would be stupidly expensive for the amount of performance increase you'd actually see.

    Much wiser to shoot for some DDR3 2400 like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231672&cm_re=ddr3_2400-_-20-231-672-_-Product

  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    how much ram do you currently have? Why do you need to upgrade?

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular
    8gb but it's ancient and I think only running at 800mhz - I carried it over from the core2duo rig I had before I upgraded.

    I'm having crazy bottlenecks where games I easily meet the recommended specs for are unplayable, and I think this might be a cheap way to solve it.

  • tsmvengytsmvengy Registered User regular
    Would be good to know the RAM model; there might be a way to fix it.

    You can use CPU-Z to find the RAM model: http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

    steam_sig.png
  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular 
    DIMM #				1
	SMBus address		0x51
	Memory type		DDR3
	Module format		UDIMM
	Manufacturer (ID)	Patriot Memory (7F7F7F7F7F0200000000)
	Size			4096 MBytes
	Max bandwidth		PC3-12800H (800 MHz)
	Part number		2400 CL11 Series
	Number of banks		8
	Nominal Voltage		1.50 Volts
	EPP			no
	XMP			yes
	XMP revision		1.3
	AMP			no

    DIMM #				2
	SMBus address		0x53
	Memory type		DDR3
	Module format		UDIMM
	Manufacturer (ID)	Patriot Memory (7F7F7F7F7F0200000000)
	Size			4096 MBytes
	Max bandwidth		PC3-12800H (800 MHz)
	Part number		2400 CL11 Series
	Number of banks		8
	Nominal Voltage		1.50 Volts
	EPP			no
	XMP			yes
	XMP revision		1.3
	AMP			no

  • tsmvengytsmvengy Registered User regular
    It's DDR3-1600, which is pretty standard. I don't think upgrading RAM is going to help your bottlenecks.

    Do you have any overclock settings set up in your BIOS?

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  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular
    tsmvengy wrote: »
    It's DDR3-1600, which is pretty standard. I don't think upgrading RAM is going to help your bottlenecks.

    Do you have any overclock settings set up in your BIOS?

    nope

  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    This is most definitely not your problem. When you say bottleneck, what do you mean?

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular
    wunderbar wrote: »
    This is most definitely not your problem. When you say bottleneck, what do you mean?

    well let's take The Division. I have an nVidia GTX770 but it runs at 1fps in combat if I do anything but ultra-low graphics, even though my rig surpasses the Recommended settings. At first I couldn't even play it on Low, but a couple of reboots later (who knows why lol pc) I can play it on Low.

    Witcher 3, same deal - I can't play through the first fight without a 1fps crippling slideshow, even on low settings.

  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    have you looked at your temperatures? Has anything changed with your system recently? Have you moved it, etc? Do you normally game on it, or is this the first time you're trying to game? There is no way this is RAM, so lets try to figure out the actual problem.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • FoomyFoomy Registered User regular
    spool32 wrote: »
    wunderbar wrote: »
    This is most definitely not your problem. When you say bottleneck, what do you mean?

    well let's take The Division. I have an nVidia GTX770 but it runs at 1fps in combat if I do anything but ultra-low graphics, even though my rig surpasses the Recommended settings. At first I couldn't even play it on Low, but a couple of reboots later (who knows why lol pc) I can play it on Low.

    Witcher 3, same deal - I can't play through the first fight without a 1fps crippling slideshow, even on low settings.

    That doesn't sound like a ram problem, that seems like a problem with your gpu.

    So lets go down the easy list first:

    1. gpu drivers are installed correctly
    2. monitor plugged into the gpu and not into a port on your motherboard
    3. gpu has 6/8 pin aux power cords plugged in.
    4. gpu fans are runing ok and the card isn't overheating.

    Steam Profile: FoomyFooms
  • HandgimpHandgimp R+L=J Family PhotoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2016
    Is XMP enabled?

    e: Also maybe run some SiSoft Sandra memory benchmarks, see if that's what's actually hurting you.

    Handgimp on
    PwH4Ipj.jpg
  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular
    edited February 2016
    wunderbar wrote: »
    have you looked at your temperatures? Has anything changed with your system recently? Have you moved it, etc? Do you normally game on it, or is this the first time you're trying to game? There is no way this is RAM, so lets try to figure out the actual problem.

    CPU is watercooled, BIOS temp is low 30s, runs 40-55C depending on what I'm doing.
    No recent changes since I built this, most things run all right. DA:I was fine on medium, older games run great on ultra.
    It's about 60% gaming, 30% forums. :)
    Foomy wrote: »
    spool32 wrote: »
    wunderbar wrote: »
    This is most definitely not your problem. When you say bottleneck, what do you mean?

    well let's take The Division. I have an nVidia GTX770 but it runs at 1fps in combat if I do anything but ultra-low graphics, even though my rig surpasses the Recommended settings. At first I couldn't even play it on Low, but a couple of reboots later (who knows why lol pc) I can play it on Low.

    Witcher 3, same deal - I can't play through the first fight without a 1fps crippling slideshow, even on low settings.

    That doesn't sound like a ram problem, that seems like a problem with your gpu.

    So lets go down the easy list first:

    1. gpu drivers are installed correctly
    2. monitor plugged into the gpu and not into a port on your motherboard
    3. gpu has 6/8 pin aux power cords plugged in.
    4. gpu fans are runing ok and the card isn't overheating.

    1) I let nVidia manage this and always do the upgrades they serve me, so I must assume they are.
    2) yup
    3: yup
    4) card runs 70c or a bit higher while gaming No idea if that's too hot.

    spool32 on
  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular
    Handgimp wrote: »
    Is XMP enabled?

    e: Also maybe run some SiSoft Sandra memory benchmarks, see if that's what's actually hurting you.

    I enabled XMP and the OC Genie on this motherboard, and Windows 10 bluescreened in The Division with a "memory management" error. Haven't tried with just XMP on. I can do that in a couple hours and see if it bombs.

  • FoomyFoomy Registered User regular
    This is some real weird performance issue your having, and still doesn't seem like it should be ram.

    I would try just removing and reseating your ram and gpu, maybe something got knocked loose.

    But running out of ideas personally.

    Steam Profile: FoomyFooms
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    it doesn't hurt to run memtest86 just to see if ram does error out. Sam ewith letting prime95 run and pin your CPU for a while.

    Also, grab openhardwaremonitor and look at everything from temperatures to fan speeds to voltages. There's going to be some kind of strange hardware problem here. It woudln't even surprise me necessarily if it was PSU. But this is a hard one to diagnose.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular
    Turned on XMP, PC bluescreened with a kernel error while playing League, which otherwise runs perfectly all the time.

  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular
    Boop!

  • FoomyFoomy Registered User regular
    spool32 wrote: »
    Boop!

    You try a memtest yet? maybe it really is broken ram causing weird errors.

    Steam Profile: FoomyFooms
  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular
    did not memtest, did replace with 16gb of PC2400. XMP on now, no bluescreen!

    I guess that fixed it?

    PCs :rotate:

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