Sabertooth 990FX R2.0 + FX-8350 - 16 GiB now, 32 GiB later?

[fe31nz]

I am just about to upgrade my Windows PC, and have settled on an AMD FX-8350 in an Asus Sabertooth 990FX R2.0 motherboard. So now I am looking at the best options for RAM with this combination. The main reason for needing to upgrade is that I am running out of RAM all the time with only 4 GiB on my current PC, and swapping is horrible at times. I tend to keep my Windows PCs for about five years, so I want to never get to the point of swapping again over the next five years. That involves having as much RAM as possible. At the moment, I can not afford to go directly to 32 GiB, so what I would like to do is to get 16 GiB now as 2 x 8 GiB, and then later add another 2 x 8 GiB when I can afford it. And of course, I would like the RAM to be as fast as possible too. From reading on the forums, it seems that the fastest I am likely to be able to go with an FX-8350 is 1866 MHz, and possibly not that fast with 4 sticks of RAM. So I have been looking at the 1866 MHz RAM, and seeing what is available here in New Zealand from reputable suppliers.

So far, these two look like good options:

Sniper F3-1866C9D-16GSR
http://www.pp.co.nz/products.php?pp_id=AA48224

RipjawsX F3-1866C9D-16GXM
http://www.ascent.co.nz/productspeci...?ItemID=410321

Is it realistic to get only 16 GiB now and then expect to add another 16 GiB in a year and expect it to work together properly?

Is getting the RipjawsX RAM (slightly more expensive but higher spec) likely to give me a better chance with adding a second pair of sticks later?

Are there any other, better, recommendations?

[supahos]

That sounds like a pretty good setup to start with, and either kit SHOULD work in your system. I've seen some say they like snipers in AMD rigs, but either kit should work. Trying to buy another 16gb later is always a bit risky but can usually be acheived with possibly relaxed timings to compensate. However if you're functing with 4gb now, I can't imagine you maxing out 16gb often if ever. I have 16gb and Have yet to figure out a way to actually use it all. Heck I've only been over 8 gb twice and just barely over when I was trying to do so.

Summary: Either kit should work, neither guarantees another kit would play nice with it, Most likely 16gb will be plenty for the forseeable future. That board should have something similar to XMP to set the timings for you on whichever kit you get, may require a tiny tweek to get stable after but should go fine.

[fe31nz]

Well, I thought when I got 4 GiB that I would never run out of RAM with that either. Over five years, Microsoft and the various software authors proved me wrong by their usual sloppy programming that just uses up more RAM rather than spend a little more time optimising the software and use a realistic amount of RAM. And I keep my PC is reasonably busy most of the time - recording TV with MediaPortal, email program, newsreader program, torrents, > 60 tabs open in Firefox, a programming job with (big) editor and various tools open, ssh windows to other PCs, the database program that keeps track of where all my music and video files are, routing traffic for the rest of my network, DNS server, DHCP server, NTP server, logging the Netflow data from my Internet router so I can keep my ISP's billing honest, and whatever else I have forgotten at the moment. Firefox is by the biggest RAM user at about 600 MiB currently. So I confidently expect that I will be able to overflow 16 GiB eventually!

[supahos]

If that time comes you can either try adding a 16gb kit and seeing if it works, or sell the kit you have and buy a 32GB kit straight out.

[fe31nz]

That sounds like a reasonable plan.

I have decided to go with the RipjawsX - as an added bonus, I can get that from my favourite supplier.