ic7-max3 which memory

joez · Nov 4, 2003

getting mobo this wkend with p4 2.8c
considering either geil dg3500 or mushkin pc3500 level2 two512 sticks each $68.00 in geils favor at $224 voltage on geil 2.5-3.1 on mushkin 2.5-2.75 cas/timing 2 6-3-3 2 2-2-6 which one you guys recommend for this board first stability then oc thanks much

Ed Forsythe · Nov 5, 2003

Hi Joez,
I can't comment on the Geil because I have no experience there. However, I have been a Mushkin user for years and I have found that their support is outstanding and in every memory review I have read Mushkin is either at the top or so close that the difference doesn't matter. Some time ago I bought a couple of sticks of Muskin memory and after I received and installed them I changed my mind and wanted to go for higher performance memory. I figured I would have to keep the used memory and absorb the loss. I called Mushkin and the rep said no sweat Ed we'll just charge the difference to your CC and send you the new memory immediately. When you get it just ship the old stuff back in the same packaging. I like the CL on the Mushkin stuff you are considering but I'd highly recommend a call to Muskin tech, explain what you are trying to do and they will guide you to the correct decision without trying to sell the higher priced stuff. Go with Mushkin!

joez · Nov 5, 2003

Thanks Ed.
Are you using the Mushkin on an Abit board?
If so, what is your setup?
joe
"joez" wrote:

getting mobo this wkend with p4 2.8c
considering either geil dg3500 or mushkin pc3500 level2 two512 sticks each $68.00 in geils favor at $224 voltage on geil 2.5-3.1 on mushkin 2.5-2.75 cas/timing 2 6-3-3 2 2-2-6 which one you guys recommend for this board first stability then oc thanks much

Ed Forsythe · Nov 5, 2003

Joez,
No help there because I'm using very old Mushkin High Performance 133 memory (their best at the time) on a veeery old ABIT BE6II with A P3 600Mhz Coppermine. I was OCing to 800MHz when I had a Matrox card but my ATI 9500 Pro doesn't like an 89Mhz AGP bus so I had to fall back to 600. Before you crack up laughing I must defend myself. I will be upgrading in about a month to an ABIT IC7-Max3, Intel P4-2.8G (OCed to 3G+) 512G Mushkin High Performance Black PC4000 blah, blah. I should have upgraded long ago but just got lazy <g>. I'll be baaack ;-)

Skid · Nov 5, 2003

"joez" wrote:

getting mobo this wkend with p4 2.8c
considering either geil dg3500 or mushkin pc3500 level2
two512 sticks each $68.00 in geils favor at $224
voltage on geil 2.5-3.1 on mushkin 2.5-2.75
cas/timing 2 6-3-3 2 2-2-6
which one you guys recommend for this board first stability then oc
thanks much

I'd also go with the Mushkin. It's always top-notch and the PC3500 Level 2 Black uses Winbond BH-5 modules. Those are 100% compatible with the IC7 series and keep tight timings at relatively high bus speeds.

I'm using cheapo Buffalo Tech PC3700, which uses the same BH-5. Mine is running in an IC7 with a P4C 2.4 @275x12=3.3ghz. At a cpu/ram ratio of 5:4, the memory is at 220mhz, 2,3,2,6 at 2.8V. Very stable and quick.

The Geil draws raves from some and rants from others. I'd pay the extra money for the peace of mind.

With a 2.8g, you can run 1:1 at the Mushkin's rated 216 mhz and top 3ghz. Anything more would be gravy. If you wanted to go for broke on the cpu, you could use the 5:4 ratio and drop the ram back to 200 mhz with the tightest timings it would run, and that would kick the cpu up to 3.5ghz -- if you could keep it cool and stable.

joez · Nov 5, 2003

Thanks guys.
Skid,
I will have it in a Aspire turbo alien or superalien case, plenty of fans there, also most likely a Tornado HFS, so cooling should be ok. Was considering the Geil cause of the voltage it can take and hopefully Abit with a new bios will fix the 2.9v limit...so if thats the case it should in my opininion oc better...BTW what was the max you got out of those Buffaloes...very curious cause that mem was my distant third choice...because of the Winbond BH-5 modules... Ed, I'm using an old Intel BX board orig on 350Mhz PII now with a1400Mhz chip...feels fast go figure...

"Skid" wrote:

"joez" wrote:

getting mobo this wkend with p4 2.8c
considering either geil dg3500 or mushkin pc3500 level2
two512 sticks each $68.00 in geils favor at $224
voltage on geil 2.5-3.1 on mushkin 2.5-2.75
cas/timing 2 6-3-3 2 2-2-6
which one you guys recommend for this board first stability then oc
thanks much

I'd also go with the Mushkin. It's always top-notch and the PC3500 Level 2 Black uses Winbond BH-5 modules. Those are 100% compatible with the IC7 ... 5:4, the memory is at 220mhz, 2,3,2,6 at 2.8V. Very stable and quick.

The Geil draws raves from some and rants from others. I'd pay the extra money for the peace of mind.

With a 2.8g, you can run 1:1 at the Mushkin's rated 216 mhz and top 3ghz. Anything more would be gravy. If you wanted to go for broke on the cpu, you could use the 5:4 ratio and drop the ram back to 200 mhz with the tightest timings it would run, and that would kick the cpu up to 3.5ghz -- if you could keep it cool and stable.

Skid · Nov 6, 2003

My DDR voltage won't go higher than 2.8. I honestly don't know how high this Buffalo Tech PC3700 will go because it maxes out my cpu running 5:4 with the ram at 220+ CAS 2. I have taken it to 228 at CAS 2.5 and 230+ at CAS 3. There might be a little more headroom, especially with more voltage.

As far as I can tell, it is identical to the Mushkin PC3500 except for the heat spreaders. It behaves just the same as far as timings and overclock potential.

As I'm sure you know, BH-5 is no longer in production, and neither the Buffalo nor the Mushkin will be around much longer. Buffalo has already stopped selling the 512-meg sticks of BH-5, and supplies of the 256-meg sticks are drying up.

The newer CH-5 alledgedly overclocks higher, but needs looser timings and is flakey on some Springdale and Canterwood boards.

I liked the Buffalo so much I bought two more sticks to total a gig, only to discover that Abit apparently programmed the bios to disable PAT with all four DIMM slots full ;>(

"joez" <.> wrote:

Thanks guys.
Skid,
I will have it in a Aspire turbo alien or superalien case, plenty of fans there, also most likely a Tornado HFS, so cooling should be ok. Was considering the Geil cause of the voltage it can take and hopefully Abit with a new bios will fix the 2.9v limit...so if thats the case it should in my opininion oc better...BTW what was the max you got out of those Buffaloes...very curious cause that mem was my distant third choice...because of the Winbond BH-5 modules... Ed, I'm using an old Intel BX board orig on 350Mhz PII now with a1400Mhz chip...feels fast go figure...

"Skid" wrote:

"joez" wrote:
... oc thanks much

I'd also go with the Mushkin. It's always top-notch and the PC3500 Level

2

Black uses Winbond BH-5 modules. Those are 100% compatible with the IC7
series and keep tight timings at relatively high bus speeds.

I'm using cheapo Buffalo Tech PC3700, which uses the same BH-5. Mine is
running in an IC7 with a P4C 2.4 @275x12=3.3ghz. At a cpu/ram ratio of 5:4,
the memory is at 220mhz, 2,3,2,6 at 2.8V. Very stable and quick.

The Geil draws raves from some and rants from others. I'd pay the extra
money for the peace of mind.

With a 2.8g, you can run 1:1 at the Mushkin's rated 216 mhz and top

3ghz.

Anything more would be gravy. If you wanted to go for broke on the cpu, you
could use the 5:4 ratio and drop the ram back to 200 mhz with the tightest timings it would run, and that would kick the cpu up to 3.5ghz -- if you
could keep it cool and stable.

Brian Madsen · Nov 6, 2003

As I'm sure you know, BH-5 is no longer in production, and neither the Buffalo nor the Mushkin will be around much longer. Buffalo has already stopped selling the 512-meg sticks of BH-5, and supplies of the 256-meg sticks are drying up.

I don't think that is correct. Look at this review of OCZ EL DDR PC-3500 Dual Channel Platinium Limited Edition at http://www.anandtech.com/memory/showdoc.html?i=1914 where they claim:

"OCZ tells us that this new memory is also based on Winbond BH5 chips, and it appears Winbond has begun manufacturing these chips again, since there was so much demand for them."

Brian Madsen

Skid · Nov 6, 2003

"Brian Madsen" wrote:

As I'm sure you know, BH-5 is no longer in production, and neither the
Buffalo nor the Mushkin will be around much longer. Buffalo has already
stopped selling the 512-meg sticks of BH-5, and supplies of the 256-meg
sticks are drying up.

I don't think that is correct. Look at this review of OCZ EL DDR PC-3500 Dual Channel Platinium Limited Edition at http://www.anandtech.com/memory/showdoc.html?i=1914 where they claim:

"OCZ tells us that this new memory is also based on Winbond BH5 chips, and it appears Winbond has begun manufacturing these chips again, since there was so much demand for them."

Interesting if true. Thanks for pointing it out. I've read so many raves about BH-5 and so many rants about CH-5 that I wondered why Winbond wouldn't react to the changing supply/demand equation.