IC Or Brand Matters More?

[I)ickie]

Hi Guys,
This is my first post on xtremesystems. Just got a question. It seems that a lot of people are backing different ram companies and saying that this module from this company clocks the highest. What i want to know is that if i get some PC4000 Samsung UCCC on a brain power PCB from Yumcha ahoy rams is it going to perform any worse than getting some Samsung UCCC from MEGA FANCY PANTS Gold VX Platinum series DDRMAXTO TwinX PC4000 Ram (sorry got a bit carried away). Just wondering. Especially since the highest bin for the UCCC seems to be DDR 500.
For example
Team xtream ram (http://www.nintek.com.au/x/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=3011)
or
G.Skill Ram (http://www.nintek.com.au/x/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=3700)

Price difference of $50 both Samsung UCCC and both the highest binned version of that chip

Thanks
I)ickie

[masterofpuppets]

Some brands test and speedbin their modules better than others, so I'd say brand is pretty important. But IC is more important, you'll just need more luck to get a good set of modules.

[madgravity34]

The difference between manufacturer is not actual IC's, but rather, how they are binned. For example, company X bins thier chips at 260mhz and sells them for a 250mhz part, while company Y bins thier chips at 270mhz and sells them for a 250mhz part. Both of these companies know that thier reputation is based off of how much thier chips can oc (at least in the enthusiast community) so they bin slightly higher to ensure OC room and to ensure the sticks are 100% stable at 250mhz. Now, if you want an example of the difference between manufacturers even using the same IC just look at the muskin redline pc4000 sticks versus ocz gold vx sticks, they both are rated to do 250mhz 2-2-2-5 and they both utilize UTT, but, mushkin bins the sticks at a higher mhz than ocz does, hence the reason the redlines overclock to 265 or higher on average, while I was lucky to hit 260mhz on my ocz gold vx that I used to have.

So, a long story short (sort off), the manufacturer does matter in so much as you have verifiable results of the oc performance of thier chips. That is why you get people backin different companies and blah blah blah...


Hope that helps some...


*EDIT*
Damn, masterofpuppets you beat me to it!!

[I)ickie]

WOW! That was the most informative piece i have read in some time. Thanks for taking the time to explain it to me madgravity34 and masterofpuppets. Now that i know that can anyone suggest a cheaper 2x1gb PC4000 that they have had success with?
Thanks again
I)ickie

[nn_step]

IC and the Board is what matters most.. the Brand doesn't mean Jack :banana::banana::banana::banana: unless you want to RMA it eventually