Memory Voltage for GA-X58A-UD5

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Hello to all, After being an Asus user for many years, I just bought my first Gigabyte board, the GA-X58A-UD5, and am wondering about what memory to purchase.  I noted that under specifics, the memory modules are listed as 6 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM which I'm assuming is the recommended, but in a review of the board, the memory used was rated at 1.65v.  I saw some Kingston memory I was thinking of buying, but it was 1.65v.  Could be that be used, or am I limited to 1.5v?  I found G.Skill DDR3 1333 1.5v that I could also purchase.  I'm going to max out the board, so I want to buy a 24 gig bundle.  Thanks, and I'm looking forward to getting this board put together.  If this is relevant, I'm going to install an i7 960 processor.     

[Aussie Allan]

 Just about every modern board out there can be a little fussy with memory now...........the days of buying any memory and whack it it in are gone..........use the motherboard and memory manufactures websites compatibility lists as a starting point

 You are not limited to 1.5V.........running 24 Gb will probably require extra volts anyway..........all motherboards allow you to increase voltage to bring back stability under aggressive timings

 Probably your best bet is to forget about compatibility first and just go out and research 3 different types of memory you like the look of then check compatibility or post here to get someone's opinion.

  Aussie Allan

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Thanks for the reply.  I've been reading the G. Skill forum and based on posters using the ud5, their memory is compatible with this board, the 24 gig bundle Ripjaws, DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9T2-24GBRL.  It's not particularly exotic, but it does have a lifetime warranty and their tech support seems accessible as they post directly on the G. Skill forum .  I've also looked at CORSAIR Vengeance 24GB (6 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600.  Both bundles have the same timings, so I'm not sure if there would be any performance difference between the two. 

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One other thing I wanted to ask about is the ddr3 speed limitation when running an i7 processor.  According to Intel's reply to the question:

What is the maximum frequency for DDR3 memory for the Intel® Core™ i7 desktop processors?

"The Intel® Core™ i7-8xx processor series and Intel® Core™ i7-2xxx processor series support DDR3 memory with a maximum frequency of 1333 MHz. The Intel® Core™ i7-9xx processor series supports DDR3 memory with a maximum frequency of 1066 MHz. If faster DDR3 memory is used, it will be down-clocked to operate at the maximum frequency."

If that's the case, is there any point in getting memory faster than 1066 mhz?  Sorry for the elementary questions, but I have noticed most people running memory clocked at 1600 which, according to Intel, is pointless. 

[Dark Mantis]

Hi

Just to keep it reasonably short you can use any speed memory that you want within reason but whether yopu will get the full performance out of it is debatable.  Usually it is only when doing heavy overclocking that the higher memory speeds come into their own. I would suggest buying 1600MHz for a good all round use. It is not going to cost the earth but will still overclock if you want to.

Personally I would go for Corsair, Mushkin or Crucial memory. They all make RAM that will be supported by the motherboard like the Corsair Dominator or Vengeance modules which are available at 1600MHz via XMP. You will probably need to manually adjust your timings anmd voltages for the memory modules as you are going to be filling all the banks. You will probably need to increase the voltage to 1.68 or even 1.70 v for stability.

[Aussie Allan]

  Ditto,ditto and ditto what DM said, saved me a lot of typing the man himself did 

 The only thing I can add is,....... aggressive timings will have a far better overall impact on performance alone then brute speed (Mhz)

 I have 24 Gig of Mushkin madness on this very board and it runs all day at 7-7-7-20/1333......plenty fast enough for me

 If you have the pockets........ 1600 is better because it will probably run at even tighter timings at lower to moderate speeds.....But at a price!....it's all about bang for buck and what you want to do with the system..........if your gaming.........1333 to 1600........you won't notice the difference....But with tighter timings, .....I think you will!

 Aussie Allan

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Thanks so much for the great advice.  The price difference between the 10600 and 1600 is rather minimal, so chances are I'll go in that direction.  I use my machine mostly for Photoshop and Premier Pro editing, so I'm not really sure what effect faster ram will have on these programs in terms of real time; Photoshop most likely not much, but Premier Pro CS5, possibly. 

[Aussie Allan]

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 I'm a Heavy Photoshop user myself.....Fast CPU ,.... fast drives and storage is where it's at.........I'm heavily into HDR 5,7 and 9 IMGs at 14 to 24 MP......run through Photomatix sorts out the serious machine from the toys..........If you want Mercury and CUDA support have a look at the GTX-480 for your GPU......Makes a huge difference under the "Performance Tab" in CS5...I also do a fair bit of reviewing for the photographic industry..........machines of my spec make it a pleasure to work on .

 Aussie Allan

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That's good to know Allan.  I bought an nvidia quadro fx 1800 not long ago and like the card.  It isn't the fastest card, but it's not bad.  I don't do HDR but I do work with multiple images and Panoramas- sometimes 20 to 30 large ones at a go, and Premier Pro CS5 which demands a high level of performance.  It is taxing on the machine, so I'm hoping the upgrade will prove worthwhile.  I did go with the 1600 mhz memory since the price difference was minimal and I was just a hair over my virtual limit.  I did manage an amazing deal on the processor and motherboard- end of the life cycle and 4th of July sale, so in actuality I'm probably more than $150 below what I thought I was going to spend.  Austerity and Obamanomics does have its upside, though barely... thanks again gentlemen.   

[Aussie Allan]

  ........I a great feeling,....... with lots of memory,........... being able to turn off Page filing completely

 Aussie Allan

[Dark Mantis]

Actually 8GB is enough to manage working without a pagefile. I have been doing it for a couple of years now and never had a problem. Even though the 2011 socket will be out shortly the X58 boards and CPUs have a lot of power under the hood and I think will be the workhorses of many people for a while to come yet.