Wintec?

[PaulTa]

I've never heard of them before, but their memory looks decent.

If I'm not overclocking and I'm looking for stable RAM for my Bad Axe 2, is this an option? Or should I just stick with the OCZ stuff?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820161063

I'm not overclocking, and this stuff comes to the table wanting 1.9V, which is what my mobo wants. I don't want to have to do many bios revisions to get my PC up and running.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Regards,
Paul

[PaulTa]

I don't know what this means, but apparently these modules are based on Micron chips... Is that a good thing?

[SKYMTL]

Looks good but you might like OCZ's warranty a little better. From what I have seen, these use Micron D9s though they are not hand-picked like some manufacturers do.

[PaulTa]

Looks good but you might like OCZ's warranty a little better. From what I have seen, these use Micron D9s though they are not hand-picked like some manufacturers do.

Yeah, I'm going to check the IC on the memory for the Wintec I listed above once more. I don't know if they're pulling a "corsair" and switching the Microns out to Promos, which I've heard bad things about from other communities.


On the warranty, isn't the OCZ difference just the extra voltage warranty? I don't plan on OCing so hopefully that wont be an issue.

If this Wintec stuff turns out to be true blue Microns, which I hear good things about, I might pick up a pair and report back to you guys.

[PaulTa]

Anyone else have any experience or reviews for Wintec material? These guys are all greek to me. :o

[jonnyGURU]

Wintec is a distributor. Newegg buys a lot of CPU's from them.

http://www.wintecind.com/

I'm not sure who makes these modules for them, but I'd just try someone else for now. ;)

[KorruptioN]

I don't know if they're pulling a "corsair" and switching the Microns out to Promos, which I've heard bad things about from other communities.

Curious, does this Promo-switching deal affect only the Dominator modules? What models use these Promo ICs?

[PaulTa]

Well apparently most dominator modules use Micron, but the Dominator 6400 uses Promos. Corsair, on their forums, has dealt with a firestorm of crap because apparently the Micron chip based modules were shipped to reviewers, and the Promos stuff was shipped to retailers/resellers.

Here is the link for the Dominator stuff that uses Promos, according to Corsair's own forum techies.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145168

Anything in the XMS that isn't Dominator is either Promos or something else, although Micron based modules of those brands as well were shipped to reviewers.

Everyone is on fire about "bait and switch", and the only thing that Corsair can say is that "every memory manufacturer does this". I had a strong desire to go with Corsair from day one, and have been searching for reasons to justify Corsair over some other brands for the DDR2 800mhz stuff, but I can't find anything.

I wouldn't take this as the word of god, but I have spent the last two weeks researching memory. If you do a search on it you will probably find the thread that mentions this.

[PaulTa]

Wintec is a distributor. Newegg buys a lot of CPU's from them.

http://www.wintecind.com/

I'm not sure who makes these modules for them, but I'd just try someone else for now. ;)

Sounds good. I'm looking for modules that natively run at 1.9V, which is hard to do for the PC2 6400 stuff. The bad axe 2 is apparently picky about voltages when you first plug it in, although changing voltages in the bios is supposed to be easy.

Did you have to change the bios settings with your XMS stuff on the BX2, or did it plug and play for you?

[PaulTa]

Here are some quotes on that dominator stuff I linked you-

Not for overclockers. At one point, they were great sticks. Some time in November they switched from Micron chips to Promios, which all but destroyed the ability of the chips to overclock. Can't run these stable over 850mhz on my machine. Go for the 8500C5D's if you want to overclock.

The RAM is definitely speedy, but as others have said, they changed from Micron chips to ProMos (If you don't have revision 1.1 or 1.2, then you don't have a Micron).\, so overclocking is difficult.

Apparently Corsair switched the Dominator series from Micron to Promos. These still deliver per specifications however.

The PCB is made by PROMOS, and not by MICRON. Micron is by far much better for overclocking then Promos. if your looking for Overclocking ram. look to the 8500's or 8888.

Granted, these are from Newegg reviews. Take with a grain of salt.

[uOpt]

Same modules as "Aeneon'. I have a 2x 2 GB kit from them and it works fine.

No idea about ICs.

[PaulTa]

Same modules as "Aeneon'. I have a 2x 2 GB kit from them and it works fine.

No idea about ICs.

In regards to Wintec? What Mobo are you using?

[jonnyGURU]

Did you have to change the bios settings with your XMS stuff on the BX2, or did it plug and play for you?

Didn't have to do anything. Just plug and go.

The Corsair XMS is what Systemax uses in their Bad Axe 2 build too.

[PaulTa]

Didn't have to do anything. Just plug and go.

The Corsair XMS is what Systemax uses in their Bad Axe 2 build too.

Never heard of systemax, but a simple google search reveals that they seem to be a pretty decent PC builder. I know that Falcon-nw uses Corsair too.

Damn, why did I have to start looking for memory about three weeks before I purchase it? I'm torturing myself Jonny, I really am. :p

[$cooter]

Redbeard is a Corsair rep on [H]ardforums and he had a lengthy post about this very issue a few weeks ago. At the time Corsair was having an exchange program for people to send in their promos modules (pronounced pro-moss if you are interested). In his opening post on the situation redbeared readily admits that the promos modules do NOT OC , at least not like the microns. Not long after the exchange program ended, he edited his post to remove the part about admiting the promos ICs sucked. The company line is that the promos modules do what the RAM is spec'ed for. Unfortunately nowhere in the 20 page thread was the original post QFTd so there is no record of his saying this. In order to avoid this potential problem I went with Crucial ram. As I understand it, they make the Micron IC that is so well loved by overclockers, so they always use them. admited, my RAM requires 2.1 V to run, but if I can't get a BIOS up with this RAM I will just use an old cheapy stick to get my settings saved, then switch out.

Paul, I don't know if you are familiar with [H]ardforums, but there is a wealth of knowledge over there, it's how I found this place. Most of the posters over here post regularly over there too.

Here is the old thread:

Corsair 6400C4D Promos - What we do, how we do it, and our offer (http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1126837)

[Hutch]

Wintec has some great ram out right now. Trust me, Me and a bunch of guys from XS are on the prowl every day looking for the best deals on Micron D9 ram. The wintec PC8000, which can be found for under $300 for 2x1GB kit, has the prized Micron D9GKX IC's.

When you mention you need ram that runs at 1.9v because of the bad axe 2, I can tell you that it's not true. All DDR2 has their JEDEC SPD set so that it can boot @ 1.8V. Even the fastest PC10000 Dominator's boot for the first time at 800mhz 5-5-5-15 1.8v. You just have to set the correct timings and voltage after you install them.

I'll give you the best picks:

Crucial Ballistix 667mhz 3-3-3-12 2.2v Micron D9GMH $248.99 at newegg

Gskill HZ PC6400 4-4-4-12 2.0-2.1v Micron D9GMH $269.99 at newegg

Buffalo Firestix PC6400 5-5-5-15 2.1v Micron D9GMH(only get them from newegg) $239.99 at newegg

Non-micron: Incredible clocking promos; Gskill HK PC6400 4-4-3-5 $229.99 at newegg

The Gskill HK with promos IC consistently overclock nearly as good as D9GMH... Consistently hitting around 600mhz (1200mhz.)

[PaulTa]

Still no definite news on Wintec as if right now. The chatter on the 'net is that these modules are probably built with Micron chips.

Does anyone know a forum that specializes in memory or other such things? I might inquire over there, and see if someone has some experience with these guys.

The timings look tight, The voltage requirement is low, and it is 6400.

[Kab]

Wintec is a major OEM supplier and its a good mfg. If you're not OC'ing then you have no issue whatsoever with their RAM. The "probable" doesn't mean nothing really and unless someones owned the same one you're looking at, you won't know who the chips are made by, unless you inquire directly with them. They used to use Microns on the AMPX but I'm not sure anymore. If they're still Microns then its one of the best out there for OC'ers. Still for a person who just needs RAM, there isn't an issue. Unlike many other they are JEDEC compliant and are tested with Intel, ASUS, Tyan etc boards. You can see it listed under major industry VARs like here (http://www.rivermain.com/products/index.php?cPath=13&osCsid=dab0266ce3080d072846ac5ed279dbc9) under "manufacturer" (supplying RAM). This (http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=11292) first guy uses Wintec AMPO RAM and the last time I was on there, he had no issues with it, but they're all different and should be judged separately. Personally I'd stick with Corsair, OCZ, Hynix, Geil, Crucial, Samsung, Mushkin, Patriot, Kingston, G.Skill, SuperTalent, A Data etc rather than Wintec, Pqi etc RAM. Read the Newegg reviews, I know its not normal RAM (which will be fine) but for gamers/OC'rs and can easily be OC'd stable with the 128Mx64 config. I know Wintec RAM is also commonly used in servers too.

Low voltage and decent timings with efficient heatspreaders is a good sign and is found on RAM made for OC'ng.

You might find compatibility issues dealt with here: http://www.wintecind.com/certifiedmemory/index.htm

[uOpt]

In regards to Wintec? What Mobo are you using?

As I said, same modules. Aeneon resells Wintec, and there are other Wintec selling brands.

I use a BadAxe 1 3.04.

[PaulTa]

I think that I might just take the dive and go for the Wintec stuff. A fifty dollar difference for "most likely Micron" chips, 4-4-4-12 timings, and 800mhz... I can't justify spending 50 dollars more for Corsair stuff that is the exact same only running at 2.1V instead of Wintec's 1.9V.

[Hutch]

Corsair doesn't have ANY 2x1GB kits that are under $300 that use micron IC's. I'm about 95% sure that wintec kit no longer uses micron D9. There was a similar wintec kit that was running 4-4-4-10 timings that had micron D9GMH but they are no longer in stock at newegg.

[PaulTa]

Ok, so if I'm looking for a reliable 2x1 gig kit that runs at 800mhz standard and has 4-4-4-12 timings at 1.9V, the Wintec stuff isn't a bad way to go?

I don't plan on OCing, but I would like a reliable set of memory. The only reason I don't go Corsair is their high V requirements.

[PaulTa]

Then again, with the speed at which I change my mind, I might be ready to order ten shipments of Corsair by tomorrow. :p

[Kab]

Corsair doesn't have ANY 2x1GB kits that are under $300 that use micron IC's.Actually I think they do: $240 AR (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145590).
From what I recall, those are most likely Micron.. will run at 4-4-4-12 easily even when OC'd to 900MHz and 3-4-3 at standard clock. This is known to work well on a Bad Axe 2. OC'd and ran stable at 1035Mhz on an EVGA 680i mobo, E6600 OC'd to 3.035Ghz, 2x XFX 7900 Ext.
Because of revisions I'm not sure which they use as different revisions used different chips. Some were Micron D9Dxx, Micron, D9Gxx, Micron B, Elpida, Elpida H, Infineon B/C, ProMOS, Nanya etc.
Ok, so if I'm looking for a reliable 2x1 gig kit that runs at 800mhz standard and has 4-4-4-12 timings at 1.9VAnything will do. ALL RAM not generic is damn reliable and performs well at their given spec. Its just when its OC'd they differ. The ones you're listing/quoting are performance, aka extreme sticks for overclockability. The timings you're looking for are whats driving your cost up because at DDR2 set that high, timings are much much slower. Thats why my old 478 Celeron running 2x1GB Samsung PC3200 gives them all a run for their money at 2-2-2-4 1T in dual-channel mode. Meaning its giving me 6400GB/s bandwidth at faster timings than a DDR2-800. :D
I don't plan on OCing, but I would like a reliable set of memory. The only reason I don't go Corsair is their high V requirements.^1.9V
You can lower the timings on them. Look for CR 1T if you really want quick RAM. That makes a big difference and CAS 3 is v.low for DDR2-800.

Also the Wintec you quoted doesn't use Microns. And what does that mean for a non-OCer? Nothing. :p

Wintec PC8000 5.0-X-X-X 3AXT8000C5-2048K are Micron D9GKX (B6-25E)

[PaulTa]

ok, let me shake this off... hrhebbeelerbelelbleb...

Ok, now I will start from a clean slate and go look for RAM for my new PC with this new information in mind.

Thanks to everyone who has dealt with my RAM craziness lately.

[Hutch]

The XMS2 that you quoted no longer uses micron D9. The Buffalo Firestix for the same price which are 5-5-5-15 PC6400 use Micron D9GMH...

Honestly, if you're not overclocking (if you have a core 2 system however, you have to overclock!) All of the c2d cpu's will do atleast 3ghz with the right hardware (mobo+ram) without any stability issues, then don't worry about the IC's in the ram. All ram is pre-tested to do what they say they can do. Whether you get elpida, promos, nanya, hynix, powerchips, samsung, micron d9 ect. it shouldn't matter if you aren't overclocking. Go for the Wintec, they'll do what you need them to do.

http://ramlist.ath.cx/ddr2/

[PaulTa]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820609026

WOW.:D

I think we have a winner if I can find some positive reviews.

[jonnyGURU]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820609026

WOW.:D

I think we have a winner if I can find some positive reviews.

If you miss the rebate, you can get it cheaper here:

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=T800UX2GC4

Super Talent is MA Labs/eWiz's in house brand.

[PaulTa]

Thanks Jonny.

I have to say, I'm starting to find more and more vendors that are undercutting newegg on their prices. I'm going to consider myself an non-affiliated now. :p

I think what did it was finding that Arctic cooler 7 pro thingie at ewiz for 40 bucks cheaper than the 'egg.

[Kab]

If you miss the rebate, you can get it cheaper here:

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=T800UX2GC4

Super Talent is MA Labs/eWiz's in house brand.
Although thats OC'd, thats some good RAM at them timings. Remember, timings is what the setback on DDR2 is all about compared to DDR.

[jonnyGURU]

Right. They have CAS 4 and CAS 5 models available, but the price difference is only $10. :(

[PaulTa]

That kind of worries me. Still, compared to Corsair's habit of hopping from chip to chip every week, your XMS2 might be an entirely different module than some XMS2 that I might order.

I'm an Atheist, but boy do I wish there was a memory god or something like that...

"Dear memory god,

I am sorting through about 60 different types of DDR2 PC6400, and I can't seem to find anything that looks like a perfect fit. If you could drop me a line while I'm dreaming with a picture of the perfect memory module or something, that would be great."

[Kab]

Anything not generic PC6400 will work, as long as the voltages are near to the mobo requirement. CAS4 and CAS5, CR0, 1, 1.5, 2, 3 are very noticeable difference to performance. OC'd RAM is cheaper, as it'll have less life than a native chip running at equivalent rates and the voltages will be bumped higher up for it to gain stability.

[PaulTa]

Well I can probably expect a huge performance increase going with some el cheapo RAM at 6400.

In my current set-up, I have four DDR2 256 sticks running at about 200 mhz each.

The only thing I'm really worried about is impressing my Dad. I want to take some RAM to the table and set it in the mobo when we build the computer together and have him say "Good job Son, you picked some good memory". My dad and I are on shakey relationship status, and him volunteering to help me canabalize my old Dell and put the good parts in a new case with a Bad Axe 2 is a real step in the right direction for our relationship. I don't want to look like I went cheap, and I want the memory to work well without a few hours of bios tweaking. Basically, I want things to go well without a hitch to impress my dad.

Sorry about sounding all cheezy, but that's why I've been going ape-shite trying to find the best parts I can for the money. (RAM, PSU, CPU Cooler)

[PaulTa]

Ok, just updating everyone.

First off, I don't think I'll have to ask for advice on upgrading RAM again. I didn't know jack about RAM until I started hitting the overclocking forums, which is the one thing I originally said that I didn't want to do. It seems that those OC'ers know their RAM inside and out, and after reading about a million posts I made my decision.

I pulled the trigger on some Buffalo Firestix PC2-6400, which I'll probably drop to 4-4-3-5 at around 2.0 to 2.1V when I plug them in. They'll also give me some headroom at more relaxed timings for when I start OCing my duo core I plan on buying. I also plan on OCing "that Netburst POS" that I own. :p

Thanks to everyone who helped me out. You guys are awesome.