Choose My RAM-Again! GA-990FXA-UD3

[Popeye.Tom]

Hi all,

I'm back, again - same question as last time, but new Mobo. I just purchased a Gigabyte AM3+ from Newegg, Black Friday and all. It is a GA-990FXA-UD3.

Opinion: Will Sniper F3-1866C10Q-32GSR work on this Mobo?

I've not purchased anything else yet, but I am leaning towards a FX-8150, 8-core. I don't see sufficient advantage to the FX-8350 to go from 3.6 to 4.0 GHz, and I probably won't clock it.

The last time I asked this it was to get my current workstation to 12G RAM. This I7/Asus/GSkill combo is now rock solid stable. But, I am often hitting ram issues w/ a VM running Server 2008, Oracle and an Agile environment, then run SolidWorks or ProE on the host. I'm getting to the point where I may need to have two VMs running at the same time and my current system cannot support this.

Want more cores and more RAM. This is not a gaming machine, performance and stability in balance are the goal. (As cheaply as I can have them since I have to pay for it!)

The G.Skill RAM Configurator has a few options for me for this mobo at 32G:
[ ARES] F3-1333C9Q-32GAO
[ RipjawsZ] F3-12800CL10Q-32GBZL (8Gx4) and
[ ARES] F3-1600C10Q-32GAO (CL-10, $145)

But, coming in a little faster and also less $ are the Sniper series:
F3-1866C10Q-32GSR

The Ares tested latency is 10-10-10 2N at 1.5V
The Ares are listed for both 8-Series and X79 chipsets

The Sniper (RipjawsZ on G.Skill site, same p/n) is a bit faster and has tested latency at 9-10-9-28 2N at 1.5V.
The Sniper is only shown for X79 chipsets.

Thanks,
PT

[Tradesman]

The 8150 is rated up to 1866 at 1 DIMM per channel, most have a lot of trouble w/ 4 sticks of 4GB. For 32GB think I'd suggest 1600 as a max, and depending on the 8150 may have to drop that to 1333. The MCs (memory controllers) in AMD CPUs are rather weak compared to comparative Intel CPUs. If wanting to run 32GB of high freq DRAM, I'd look to the 2500K (up to 2133 DRAM) or the 3570K (up to 2400 DRAM)

[Popeye.Tom]

The 8150 is rated up to 1866 at 1 DIMM per channel, most have a lot of trouble w/ 4 sticks of 4GB. For 32GB think I'd suggest 1600 as a max, and depending on the 8150 may have to drop that to 1333. The MCs (memory controllers) in AMD CPUs are rather weak compared to comparative Intel CPUs. If wanting to run 32GB of high freq DRAM, I'd look to the 2500K (up to 2133 DRAM) or the 3570K (up to 2400 DRAM)

Thanks for the super speedy reply!

Yeah, those CPUs all have a pretty good price point and I might be fine with allowing only one core per VM and keeping two for the host. My goal was to be able to allocate 2 cores to each VM and keep 4 for the host. Intel 6 and 8 core CPUs are so much more expensive.

That's a bummer on the weak memory controller in the AMDs. Truth of the matter is, except for some benchmarking and stress testing, I'm not likely to actually notice the diff between the 1866 and the 1333! But, run a big SQL query in SQL Server and also be doing something in Oracle on a VM or running CAD and checking in a large assy to the vault managed by either DB and memory usage can climb quickly! Drops when the process is done.

So, I may have to drop the speed on the RAM some anyway to get it stable with all 4 on the 8150 at all. Maybe have to add a tenth or little more voltage. From what you said, it sounds like I may have some trouble getting it really solid with the memory fully populated.

I know this is an opinion, but do you think I can make this stable w/ 32G at all? realizing I may have to back off on timings etc.

[Tradesman]

It can be done, a lot will depend on the CPU you get, like with Intel there are some really good 8150, some middling and some bad ones...to a degree it's the look of the draw. Will prob take a combo of additional DRAM and CPU/NB voltages and may take some playing with timings to get stable.

I know where you are coming from, I got an 8150 when they were first released with the idea of the extra cores might help overcome the weak MC, but I wasn't pleased, you load up VMs, big video files, CAD, GIS, simulations, things like that and it would bog down on me....on the other hand, my 2500K would just keep on chugging, and my 3570K leaves 'em both in the dust (I'm running 32GB/2400/Tridents on the 3570K and 32GB/2133/Ripjaws X on the 2500K), so to me the extra cores really sound good, but when they get under a load they sag. Just my opinion, and from the different things I do with systems, which varies day to day (I've got a consulting/building/networking business).

[aim54x]

I have a few AMD builds that I use my workstation (3D reconstruction and modelling + normal PhD work) is a FX8150 + 990FXA-UD3 + 16gb Corsair Vengeance @1600 CL9 - as rated) and my home rig (gaming/photo processing) is a 965BE + M4A89GTD Pro USB3 + 16gb Ares 1866 (@1600 CL9). I cannot see why the Sniper RAM would not be compatible.

I have had no stability issues running 4x4 on the FX8150 + 990FXA-UD3 combination...not sure how 4x8 will go, but you should be able to get it stable. My home rig is running at max RAM supported by the motherboard...no stability issues either, but I did have to give the voltage a small increase to get to 1600 CL9

[Popeye.Tom]

Thanks TMan and Aim54x, I appreciate the replies.

Tman, that's kind of a bummer on your experience and what it bodes for me. Maybe I'll get lucky on the draw and get a good 8150 and also my apps will play nicely and not bog the system. I've not purchased anything but the mobo so far, maybe I can return it unopened and just buy another mobo for my I7-920 and clock it some. (The issue with my current I7 mobo is that it is the Asus P6x58-DE and it's support for all channels populated isn't good either. I had to set 6 sticks of the other guys ram on the shelf to put a triple channel kit form G.Skill in to get it to 12G.)

Though I will be in a new build more $ than just replacing the mobo under the I7, I am trending towards following through and give the 8150 a try. Aim54x's experience sounds good, though yours may be more indicative of what I will find. I was looking to take my old 2 core Opteron home for my daughter for school work, and I think that will be what drives me to a new build rather than a new board for the I7. For work I run 3 systems thru a KVM so my oldest system will still be the FlexLM server, the I7 and 8150 will share work horse duties and the Opteron will give my daughter something for schoolwork at home.

When I get a system up I'll post an update to this and let you know how it seems. Hopefully I won't get flamed for resurrecting an old thread!

Cheers,
PT

[Tradesman]

No problem, not a lot of flaming here....people come to help and share what they have and what they've done. I also work hard at keeping Spammers out, so to me, it's a real nice forum. GSkill thinks the same and is expanding it to make it more interesting than just DRAM timings and tech bytes, though they'll still be here too . We'll be looking for you!

[aim54x]

I have found this community to be very friendly....definitely a change from other forums I have left. I will be very keen to hear about how you go with this build....even if you decide to go to another processor/ motherboard. I have had lots of AMD builds over the last few years.... athlon 4200/965/1090/955/8150/4100 and have had no real conplaints. After you nail the initial issues (I am known to incorrectly wire the reset switch....and have had a fun time sorting that 4100...mono DOA and ram DOA) I have found the units fine for multitasking. On my 965 I could batch process raw files, stitch large panoramas and process HDR simultaneously (even when I had 4x2gb OCZ Gold Low Voltage 1600 CL8).....the athlon could do the same but it slowed down a lot.