Need HELP buying RAM for ASUS P8Z68 DELUXE

[BadA33Drummer]

Hello,
I'm new here at G.Skill, and haven't put together a new build in at least 6 years, and to be honest I'm a little out of touch with the new technology.

I'm really lost with the RAM, I ran the RAM Configurator for the motherboard {all those numbers} I have no idea what is the fastest or the best for the system I want to put together?

This is the system I'd like to put together:

G.Skill - 16GB
COOLER MASTER HAF 932
ASUS P8Z68 DELUXE/GEN3
Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge
Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler
EVGA 015-P3-1580-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi)
CORSAIR Professional Series HX850 (CMPSU-850HX) 850W
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s

Any help would be GREAT for the RAM or any other suggestions or concerns with the rest of the system?

Thank You..

[RamJam]

Mainly will depend on what you want to spend, with the CPU and motherboard you picked you can go up to 32GB with 2133 DIMMs.

[BadA33Drummer]

Thanks for the reply! I think 16 GB would be within my price range right now. So I checked at Newegg for the 2133 DIMMS. There is at least 6 different types of G.Skill @ 2133 Now I maybe even more confused than before..

$129.99 Sniper Gaming series: 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL11Q-16GBSR
F3-17000CL11Q-16GBSR
Cas Latency: 11
Voltage: 1.6V
Multi-channel Kit: Quad Channel Kit
Timing: 11-11-11-30

$129.99 Ares Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-2133C11Q-16GAO
Cas Latency: 11
Voltage: 1.6V
Multi-channel Kit: Quad Channel Kit
Timing: 11-11-11

$129.99 Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL11Q-16GBZL
Cas Latency: 11
Voltage: 1.6V
Multi-channel Kit: Quad Channel Kit
Timing: 11-11-11-30

$129.99 Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL11Q-16GBXL
Cas Latency: 11
Voltage: 1.6V
Multi-channel Kit: Quad Channel Kit
Timing: 11-11-11-30

$ 149.99 Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL9Q-16GBZH
Cas Latency: 9
Voltage: 1.65V
Multi-channel Kit: Quad Channel Kit
Timing: 9-11-10-28

$149.99 Ares Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-2133C9Q-16GAB
Cas Latency: 9
Voltage: 1.65V
Multi-channel Kit: Quad Channel Kit
Timing: 9-11-10

$149.99 Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL9Q-16GBXM
Cas Latency: 9
Voltage: 1.65V
Multi-channel Kit: Quad Channel Kit
Timing: 9-11-10-28

I just don't know what would be better and the fact that they are all priced pretty much all the same doesn't help..

[RamJam]

The latter three are CL9 sets which provide better performance than the CL11 and offer some overhead towards overclocking to a higher frequency. Other than that the X Series sets are designed towards the 1155 socket, the Snipers are very good, The zs are designed towards XMP 1.3 and socket 2011 (also backward compatible to the 1155, and the Ares is the newest line (haven't used any yet). I'd lean towards the Ripjaws X, Snipers and then sort of a tossup between Ripjaws Z and Ares.

[BadA33Drummer]

Okay very good RamJam, thank you for all the advise. The RipJaw X is the winner it looks like.
I checked the reviews on Newegg before and the RipJaw X sticks seem to be the favorite of that group. Also there is a 20% OFF promo code!
The aftermarket cooler {Noctua nh-d14} is compatible with the RipJaw X according to their website. It's also listed on the Qualified Motherboards List for the Asus.
THANKS AGAIN !!!

[Tradesman]

Let us know how you like the set when you get it up and running

[BadA33Drummer]

Thanks, Well so far so good everything seems to be running great. I haven't done any tests simply because I have no idea how to.
But these are what CPU-Z is reading, although again I have no idea if it's good or bad?

http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=2318196

[Tradesman]

Which set did you end up getting, you were looking at 2133 sets, but these are showing as 1600, am guessing you have them in on default, will want to go into BIOS ENABLE XMP, select profile 1 and that should kick you up to 2133, then in Windows to check your DRAM pull up CPU-Z and click on the memory tab - it should show the correct timings and the freq as 1066 or so (since it DDR Double Data Rate, it's whatever it shows as freq times 2)

[BadA33Drummer]

Thanks TMan,
yes I did get the 2133 sets. I will change the BIOS settings right now, and I'll post the reading again from CPU -Z I could have sworn that I read in the BIOS that it was set 2133.. I'll just change the setting and shut up LOL

So just so I'm straight with this, according to CPU-Z right now, my DRAM Frequency says 961.5 and the
FSBRAM reading shows 1.7 so I multiply 961.7 x 1.7 which comes out to 1634.69, is that correct?

Thanks again!!


__________________

[Tradesman]

In the CPU-Z Memory tab, the freq shown is half what it is running (DOUBLE data rate) so here it's 961.7 x 2 = 1923.4).....somethings not setting right, let me see if I can dig something up...could you post your BIOS settings?

[BadA33Drummer]

I changed the setting in the BIOS to XMP, and manually changed the DRAM to 2133MHz, but it would not boot, it just kept on cycling on and off. I had to hit the "reset"button on the mobo a few times and finally I could get back into the BIOS.
When I went back in the BIOS it changed to 1866 MHz. {Pic = BIOS 1b}.

Just so you're aware of it and the fact that I didn't mention it before
{I thought that may help in diagnosing if I did something wrong}
that I used ASUS AI Suite II - Auto Tuning -TurboV EVO and clicked on "Fast" to OC {pic = TurboV}

BIOS setting - http://www.box.com/s/232d5fc5194da547ea74

newest - CPU-Z - http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=2318410

Thanks again..

[Tradesman]

Try raising the CPU multiplier up to 42 or so

[BadA33Drummer]

Tman, I raised the multiplier x 40, and I'm still not able to boot successfully in XMP mode.{PIC = "BIOS x40"} When I finally was able to boot, according to AIDA64 and CPU-Z the memory is reading DDR3 1600
I disabled XMP and set it to Manual and was able to boot {PIC ="BIOS x40 Manual"} with the DRAM @ 2133 MHz . Now in CPU-Z it's reading DRAM Frequency = 1066.9 MHz and in AIDA64 it reading 2134

I have all the pix here:
http://www.box.com/s/232d5fc5194da547ea74

I took screen shots of while it was in XMP mode {Mem_1___} and then again in Manual mode {Mem_2___} from AIDA64

I don't know!! Anyway I appreciate all you're help Thanks once again..

[Tradesman]

Well you got it with the manual settings, some BIOSs aren't ready for the high freq/high quntity DRAM and just have to do it manually, (and CPU-Z is showing correct, it shows true freq 1,066.9, take it times 2 for DDR (Double Data rate)

[BadA33Drummer]

Thanks for all your help Tman, I appreciate it!

The last thing that I did was set the oc tuner to "XMP", but changed the profile from Profile 1 to #2.
I was able to boot with no problems.

I don't know if it makes any difference or not between the "Manual" or the XMP, it is what it is