...
RAM - OCZ Tech Gold Series XTC Cooler DDR31333 (pc10666) Dual channel memory 4GB
... or will something give trouble along the way?....
About 5 months ago, I built a new computer.
Went with OCZ Gold Ram.
Had to send it back, wait two weeks to get the replacement.
The vendor (Newegg) *did* replace it... can't complain there.
But - it really is depressing, to have your brand new computer just sitting, doing nothing... waiting for two weeks. And the vendor only warrants parts for thirty days! So... that two weeks cuts that in half! You only have a few days left, to find out if something else is going to need replacing.
Read the reviews on Newegg.
True, they are likely skewed. Those with a bad experience are apt to post.
But... if you see a massive percentage complaining... that's telling you something.
The ram I bought, within weeks... had almost 50% of the posts as complaints against it.
So... from my experience, and following the reviews online at Newegg (until Newegg ceased selling that ram), I do not recommend OCZ.
I've never used it, but I've seen good comments about G.Skill, if you are looking for another brand.
See if anybody else here has something to say about G.Skill, before you make a purchase.
Also:
Go here:
http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3257#ovIs that the motherboard you are considering?
If it is, then click on the "Memory Support List" button. You can download the list of ram that is recommended by Gigabyte, for that motherboard. It is called the QVL ... Qualified Vendors List.
If you choose one from that list, and also ask around and look for reviews and comments on your selection - then perhaps you can minimize your chances of having ram problems.
For the record: The new replacement ram I received failed Memtest at first, too. VERY depressing. But then, after reading around, I contacted OCZ.
OCZ *was* prompt in communications, and recommending settings in BIOS, for my ram, with my motherboard (Asus). With these setting changes, then the new ram passed Memtest testing.
When you do your build, test the memory - first thing. I'm glad I did. I suppose I'd have had strange things happening, had I just gone ahead and tried to install Windows. Sad as it was, at least I knew the memory was bad.
Go here:
http://www.memtest.org/You can download what you need, - free - to make a bootable CD.
Boot it, and let it run for many hours.
Somebody here can probably tell you a minimum number of "passes" to let it run, so that you can know if your ram is good or not.
