[doveman]

My Dad's PC currently has this Crucial 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz/PC3-10600 Ballistix Memory Kit CL6 1.8V http://www.ebuyer.com/product/166996

I want to get him another 4GB (2x2GB) to take him to 8GB, but most currently available sticks seem to be CL9, 1.5V so I'm not sure what I can get that will be compatible.

I doubt he's running the current sticks at CL6 unless his Asus M4A785TD-V EVO Motherboard http://uk.asus.com/M.../M4A785TDV_EVO/ has auto-set them to that, as he certainly wouldn't have gone in the BIOS and set them manually, so if I can run all four sticks at CL9 that would be fine. I'd still have the issue of the voltage though, if the existing sticks require 1.8v and the new ones 1.5v. There's some, like http://www.ebuyer.co...600c9ad3b1k2-4g that run at 1.65v though, so maybe I could run them all at that, assuming the voltage can be set manually.

[allen2]

I would avoid mixing ram timing and voltage (that usually cause strange errors/crash) . I would either buy the same ram or renew all sticks and buy 2x4GB in this case.

[doveman]

Yes I would ideally but I can't seem to find the original sticks available anywhere and I can't afford to buy 8GB, so I was hoping it would be possible to run all the sticks at a common timing and voltage that they would all work at.

[Tripredacus]

doveman, on 10 July 2012 - 02:34 PM, said:

Yes I would ideally but I can't seem to find the original sticks available anywhere

How about at Crucial?
http://www.crucial.c...T2G3D1337DT1TX0

[doveman]

Tripredacus, on 11 July 2012 - 08:38 AM, said:

doveman, on 10 July 2012 - 02:34 PM, said:

Yes I would ideally but I can't seem to find the original sticks available anywhere

How about at Crucial?
http://www.crucial.c...T2G3D1337DT1TX0

Yeah I looked at their website but couldn't find them and those you've linked to are not CL6 1.8v, nor do they look like the ones in the Ebuyer picture so I don't think they're the same.

[Tripredacus]

I see what you mean. First let me point out that the actual appearance of the memory doesn't matter. Unless you are running a computer fashion contest, most people never actually ever see their memory after it is installed.

I think what we will need (unless you get lucky with searching) is the part number off the RAM itself. That will make it easier to locate, rather than searching for those generic terms which lead to finding a false positive on Crucial's website.

I know a Crucial guy, maybe I can ask him if he can track it down using the name you posted.

[doveman]

If it's not easily available, maybe I should just try and get £15-20 for the existing RAM and buy 8GB of something like http://www.ebuyer.co...3d1608dt1tx0ceu or http://www.ebuyer.co...mv4gx3m1a1333c9

Neither company's website lists those as specifically compatible (seems rather strange that Crucial reckon only that 2GB stick is compatible*) but I can't see why they wouldn't be and Corsair's website, whilst recommending the 4GB kit but not the 8GB kit of that Value RAM, does recommend other 8GB kits (XMS3, Dominator) which the same 9-9-9-24-2T, 1.5v spec.

I'm inclined towards the Corsair as it's £4 cheaper per stick, saving me £8 (around 20%) for two. I realise it's only 1333Mhz vs the Crucial 1600Mhz, but I don't believe that will make much difference, even if (one day) we upgrade the processor from the Athlon II X3 425 to a Phenom II X4 955 or better and certainly not 20% difference.

*EDIT: Ah, Crucial's website was hiding the rest of the Compatible RAM http://www.crucial.c...odel=M4A785TD-V EVO and it does list other 8GB kits with the same 9-9-9-24, 1.5v specs as well.

This post has been edited by doveman: 11 July 2012 - 09:27 AM

[doveman]

No wonder we couldn't find the same sticks. When I swapped the RAM over, I saw that the old sticks are actually CL7 not CL6, so ebuyer's site misadvertised them.

[cdob]

doveman, on 10 July 2012 - 12:25 PM, said:

DDR3 1.8V

Avoid overclocker RAM.

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/DDR3_SDRAM

Quote

I was hoping it would be possible to run all the sticks at a common timing and voltage that they would all work at.

Try manually settings at BIOS: 1.5 V at reduced timing.

[doveman]

Thanks but I just got him a 8GB Corsair Ballistix kit in the end.