i7 with 1333mhz ram does it work? Answer is here!

[i7QuadCoreMania]

so I went on a limb, ordered 2 pairs of 2gb (8gb) Hyper X DDR3 1600mhz CL7 from newegg.

here is my stock configuration:

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm184/r32-1163/i7iMac%20Mods/Screenshot2009-11-18at64702PM.png

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm184/r32-1163/i7iMac%20Mods/Screenshot2009-11-18at64738PM.png

after the install:
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm184/r32-1163/i7iMac%20Mods/Screenshot2009-11-18at103559PM.png

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm184/r32-1163/i7iMac%20Mods/Screenshot2009-11-18at102734PM.png

So this answers the burning question, I am running 1600mhz ram but the system only clocks it at 1333 so the fastest you can run is 1333 and the system recognizes it without any other mods or hacks.;)

Love my i7:D

[wesleyh]

But does it make for a (substantial) difference in performance?

[teobg]

Can you do some benchmarks with 4GB 1067Mhz vs. 4GB 1333Mhz RAM installed.

[DoFoT9]

wow impressive benchmark please :D

[mrmicp]

would love to see some benchmarks with the different types of memory in... question is why didn't apple put 1333 in the i7 machines??

[borja487]

Have you tried mixing 1066 and 1333 modules?

I bought 2x2 1333 modules and i'm not sure if it will work...

[DoFoT9]

Have you tried mixing 1066 and 1333 modules?

I bought 2x2 1333 modules and i'm not sure if it will work...

the two 1333MHz chips will run at 1066MHz, you cant just mix and match like that im afraid :(

[bdeitemeyer]

Wow, nice bravery to be the guinea pig...congrats. Makes me wish I would have waited for something like this, now I'm "stuck" with 8GB of the Apple RAM on my i7. lol

[Aboo]

So I just bought a crucial 4gb DDR3 sodimm kit for my iMac for about 50 bucks during a sale. Its 1066. I think the Apple stock ram is also 1066. If I want to take advantage of 1333 speed, I would need to upgrade all 4 sodimms to 1333 correct?

[Stingray454]

Geekbench benchmarks please!!

Run 64-bit version (if available) both with 1066 and 1333, that would be awesome to see.. Can't wait :)

[PeckhamBog]

Please Geekbench scores with 1066 then 1333. Please, please, please.

[barefeats]

Geekbench benchmarks please!!

Run 64-bit version (if available) both with 1066 and 1333, that would be awesome to see.. Can't wait :)

Be sure to run Geekbench two or three times. When I used faster memory in a Mac Pro, the memory test was faster on the first run but slowed down to "normal" speeds in second and third run. It appears that the faster memory is throttled down.

Also, if you use DigiLoyd Tools memory test, you can stress all available memory. Geekbench's memory tests only use a small portion of memory.

[Bryan Bowler]

Thanks i7QuadCoreMania! You rock!!!

Looking forward to seeing some benchmarks!
Bryan

[bmstrong]

Very, very cool. Thanks much for the screen shots!! :)

[53x12]

I look forward to some benchmarks are well, hopefully we will get something by the weekend to look at. Imho, unless the numbers blow me off my seat, I really think spending ~$85 for 4gb more of 1066 for a total of 8gb is the best bet for now. When the price of the 4x4gb drops, then it might be the right time to try out the 1333 ram. Not sure it makes sense to buy 2x4gb 1333 (cost) or 4x2gb 1333 (would have to throw out when getting 16gb in future) right now. Might as well use the 2x2gb that come stock and add another 2x2gb.

[xtend]

Geekbench 64-bit please... is it over 10k ?? :D

[TMRaven]

There was a screenshot from someone else on another topic, showing his geekbench result with 16 gigs of 1333mhz ram. The 64 bit result was only 9670 or something-- only a 3% increase over stock figures.

But I do agree geekbench isn't the best bet to test ram capacity to its fullest potential.

[i7QuadCoreMania]

There was a screenshot from someone else on another topic, showing his geekbench result with 16 gigs of 1333mhz ram. The 64 bit result was only 9670 or something-- only a 3% increase over stock figures.

But I do agree geekbench isn't the best bet to test ram capacity to its fullest potential.


I had some stability problems last night after I posted and ran some tests. It seems the ram I installed is RATED 1600mhz CL7 Intel XMP, but the onboard SPDs are programmed for CL9:mad:

I did manage to get a 32bit test out. Score was 8390 (If I recall correctly) I looked at a test from another i7 with 4gbs of ram was somewhere 8350, so there is "a bit" of a performance boost but I can't say 100% till I get the stability problems sorted. (I dont have a registered ver of Geekbench to run the 64bit tests, the OS wont make use of the extra ram on 32bit tests)

I re-ordered another set, these are rated for 1333mhz CL7, but they wont be here till Monday, so for now I am going to re-install the stockers and wait till my new order arrives from newegg.:(

[53x12]

I did manage to get a 32bit test out. Score was 8390 (If I recall correctly) I looked at a test from another i7 with 4gbs of ram was somewhere 8350, so there is "a bit"


Is 40 points really a performance boost? I mean 40 points is 40 points, but is that within the standard margin of error? Did you repeat the tests several times and average?

[i7QuadCoreMania]

Is 40 points really a performance boost? I mean 40 points is 40 points, but is that within the standard margin of error? Did you repeat the tests several times and average?

Which is why I said "a Bit" you'll have to wait till monday, Im going back to the stockers till the 1333mhz CL7 (SPD programmed) chips arrive, Gives me plenty of time to bench the stockers at 4gb before the new chips arrive, my bigger worry was the system would only detect the ram at 1066mhz.;)

[OddHead]

I had some stability problems last night after I posted and ran some tests. It seems the ram I installed is RATED 1600mhz CL7 Intel XMP, but the onboard SPDs are programmed for CL9:mad:

I did manage to get a 32bit test out. Score was 8390 (If I recall correctly) I looked at a test from another i7 with 4gbs of ram was somewhere 8350, so there is "a bit" of a performance boost but I can't say 100% till I get the stability problems sorted. (I dont have a registered ver of Geekbench to run the 64bit tests, the OS wont make use of the extra ram on 32bit tests)

I re-ordered another set, these are rated for 1333mhz CL7, but they wont be here till Monday, so for now I am going to re-install the stockers and wait till my new order arrives from newegg.:(

Do you know if Apple's factory RAM is CL7, CL9 or other? Thanks :)

[i7QuadCoreMania]

Do you know if Apple's factory RAM is CL7, CL9 or other? Thanks :)

The 1066 Ram is CL7, the stock Samsung chips I pulled from it were CL7, makes me suspect the programmed CL9 1600mhz chips (it says tested down to CL7 on Kingston's website:mad:) are the cause for the instability.

My new chips that are due monday (latest Tuesday) are programmed to CL7 and 1333mhz.

[jonwd7]

I'm fairly certain the reason for instability was simply that it had XMP. Who knows what the XMP profiles do internally and if Apple's EFI would support something like that.

The Intel page for it suggests a lot of changes: Multiple SPD profiles
Enables preset or user-defined memory profiles that can be selected depending on usage model. For example, an aggressive low-latency profile could be used during intense gaming while the default memory setting can be used for everyday home computing, such as home office or web browsing.
Memory vendor specific SPD fields
Enables Memory Module suppliers to program their own capabilities and provide unique value to end users.
Easy overclocking (novice)
Enables end users to easily overclock their platforms by selecting the appropriate profile, instead of adjusting individual parameters in BIOS. Reselecting the default profile resets the platform to default setting.
Advanced overclocking (intermediate/expert users)
Expert users can manually change specific SPD parameters in the BIOS and save the profiles (platform/BIOS specific).
Fail-safe default boot
"First boot" with default JEDEC setting on a platform that supports DDR3 standard JEDEC specification (your standard DDR3 memory frequencies), ensuring base functionality. Then user can enter BIOS and manually change settings or use the Windows*-based Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility.Any one of which could probably be making the iMac croak. I myself ordered 8GB of KHX1333C7 (same as your new order) last weekend, after ordering the iMac itself.

I'll be looking into your thread to see how the new RAM goes!

[i7QuadCoreMania]

I'm fairly certain the reason for instability was simply that it had XMP. Who knows what the XMP profiles do internally and if Apple's EFI would support something like that.

The Intel page for it suggests a lot of changes: Any one of which could probably be making the iMac croak. I myself ordered 8GB of KHX1333C7 (same as your new order) last weekend, after ordering the iMac itself.

I'll be looking into your thread to see how the new RAM goes!

We shall know Monday, it shipped today.

I am back to stock and have run a few geekbench 32bit tests (Someone with a registered version who would like me to run 64bit tests pm me:D)
32bit Tests
Ran these tests 5x
Overall Memory
8152 3812
8210 3817
8149 3835
8289 3829
8404 3820
Averages
8241 3823 (rounding off the next integer)

64bit Tests
Overall Memory
8943 4622
8886 4582
8840 4599
8723 4555
8967 4632
Averages
8872 4598

Gonna try test again when I am back on 1333mhz 8gb CL7 ram monday, stay tuned.:D


*****EDIT*****
I am happy to report my second attempt at 1333mhz is working!!! I am back on 8gb of 1333mhz as of 1 hour ago and running completely stable at the moment tried a reboot and came up as normal!

32bit tests
Overall Memory
8353 4007
8382 4015
8314 4081
8357 4057
8276 4013
Averages
8336 4035

64bit Tests
Overall Memory
9070 4840
9154 4887
9014 4892
9033 4779
8943 4810
Averages
9043 4842

So, going from 4gb 1066mhz to 8gb 1333mhz, there seems to be a bump of 100 points in 32bit and almost 200 points in 64bit.

If there are other tests you peeps want me to run I'd be happy to oblige. (Keep in mind I wont swap back to 4gb 1066 if I am completely stable for the next few days that is :P)

[TMRaven]

I bet you get an even higher increase than that if you just simply downscale your monitor's resolution.

[OldCorpse]

A lot of issues here. Yes, it recognizes the 1333, but can it access it at full speed... that is a separate issue. Memory management may interfere... why Apple set it as 1066 for default, I have no idea... I hope it wasn't simply to cripple it so it won't bump against the MP too much :(

[i7QuadCoreMania]

A lot of issues here. Yes, it recognizes the 1333, but can it access it at full speed... that is a separate issue. Memory management may interfere... why Apple set it as 1066 for default, I have no idea... I hope it wasn't simply to cripple it so it won't bump against the MP too much :(

Mind telling us what Memory you are running? I was running the Hyper X 1600mhz CL7(so it says) XMP, but only stayed stable for me like 15mins then crashed and won't get past the Apple logo and spinning gear.

If it still doesn't work Monday with the 1333 CL7 non XMP I am gonna stick with the 1066 variety.:rolleyes:

[i7QuadCoreMania]

Thanks to the individual who pm'ed me, I have updated the 64bit tests on stock 4gb 1066mhz. My 1333mhz is due today I should have some updates by this evening, abeit most of you will be sleeping, due to me being in Hawaii.:D

[DoFoT9]

so recapping. 1333MHz memory is a chance of working but 1600MHz is out of the question?

[zaphoyd]

I think CAS latency 9 stuff is out. Not sure if they make any 1600Mhz CAS 7 though.. This is not surprising because a coworker of mine had trouble with CAS 7 in a 2007 iMac that shipped with CAS 5 even though the memory speeds matched exactly.

[i7QuadCoreMania]

so recapping. 1333MHz memory is a chance of working but 1600MHz is out of the question?

1600mhz ram detects at 1333mhz which I believe is the max the i5/i7s will run.

1066 CL7 ram is stock specs, so 1333 ram probably also needs to be CL7, the 1600 CL7 kingston sells is actually programmed to CL9, and as someone mentioned the XMP might have something to do with the instability.:confused:

[DoFoT9]

1600mhz ram detects at 1333mhz which I believe is the max the i5/i7s will run.
yes thats correct the max specifies 1333MHz :)

1066 CL7 ram is stock specs, so 1333 ram probably also needs to be CL7, the 1600 CL7 kingston sells is actually programmed to CL9, and as someone mentioned the XMP might have something to do with the instability.:confused:
i have no idea what this CL7/CL9 stuff is lol but in short, some varient of 1333MHz should work?

[Stingray454]

i have no idea what this CL7/CL9 stuff is lol but in short, some varient of 1333MHz should work?

In theory, yes.. But we don't know for sure until someone puts them in and tries some benchmark, stresstests and similar. Waiting eagerly for someone to test this :)

[DoFoT9]

In theory, yes.. But we don't know for sure until someone puts them in and tries some benchmark, stresstests and similar. Waiting eagerly for someone to test this :)

the fact that the 1600MHz RAM is downclocked to 1333MHz and recognised is an indicator that it could possibly work - and that the CL7/CL9 RAM was the wrong variant of RAM. maybe? i dont know haha.

[macchiato2009]

i have ask the question several times to different apple resellers

the ram will be recognized at 1333 but will not run at this speed

they have probably locked something on the mobo

perhaps to make a gap with the future MP which will use ram at 1333

[itommyboy]

would love to see some benchmarks with the different types of memory in... question is why didn't apple put 1333 in the i7 machines??


Because they "step" us along to upgrades with the rest of the industry. After all they will need to "spec bump" the new iMacs that will come out in only a few months or so. ;) Not to mention as always bigger better faster = more heat.

[Chunkers]

Not to mention as always bigger better faster = more heat.

Apple would have to factor appreciable variation in to their design because all memory sticks are not equal. Couple that with the fact that 1333MHz SO-DIMM sticks are designed to go in laptops and the iMacs will support 4GB sticks, and the chance of thermals or power consumption being an issue are very small.

[fruitpunch.ben]

i have ask the question several times to different apple resellers

the ram will be recognized at 1333 but will not run at this speed

they have probably locked something on the mobo

perhaps to make a gap with the future MP which will use ram at 1333

I think the 1333mHz stuff will run on the i5/i7s, but I'm not sure if the speed difference will be appreciable.
The other factor is whether the speed makes much difference on the benchmark apps. As we've seen even going from 4GB to 16GB of RAM makes little difference on Geekbench, etc. because the only time you're going to see a speed difference in that senario is when the machine is under heavy load and the benchmark apps are not designed to test that.

[DoFoT9]

I think the 1333mHz stuff will run on the i5/i7s, but I'm not sure if the speed difference will be appreciable.

The jump to 1333mhz in a macpro is somewhere around 2 - 5%. And that is with desktop ram and QPI that actually gives some good bandwidth options. Quite insignificant imo but I'm sure some people would benefit.

[i7QuadCoreMania]

The jump to 1333mhz in a macpro is somewhere around 2 - 5%. And that is with desktop ram and QPI that actually gives some good bandwidth options. Quite insignificant imo but I'm sure some people would benefit.

See my updated post and scores on the first page, I am back at 1333mhz and stable.:D

[bdeitemeyer]

Awesome, congrats.

[fruitpunch.ben]

See my updated post and scores on the first page, I am back at 1333mhz and stable.:D

what the real question is though, is the 100 point jump because you have gone from 4GB to 8GB or from 1066 to 1333mHz.
If its at all possible can you test with 4GB 1333mHz so we can confirm whether there is in fact a speed increase in the same amount of RAM but different speeds?

Thanks heaps if you can do this.

Ben

[OldCorpse]

See my updated post and scores on the first page, I am back at 1333mhz and stable.:D

Congrats. But I'll hold off on the champagne until you've been running with this for several days without problems... as we know, in the past, the issues didn't start popping up until later...

Here's to hoping for the best!

[jonwd7]

Congrats. But I'll hold off on the champagne until you've been running with this for several days without problems... as we know, in the past, the issues didn't start popping up until later...

Here's to hoping for the best!

This is first iMac with the memory controller integrated into the CPU. I foresee no issues myself (why I bought the same RAM as the OP almost two weeks ago), and I don't see how past issues have any relevance to the new iMacs, because of the integrated memory controller.

We know the CPUs that ship from Intel support 1333MHz by default, and since the EFI in the iMac has allowed 1333MHz RAM to run at its SPD-rated speeds and timings I don't see what else could possibly affect the stability of the RAM at this speed. AFAIK support for 1600MHz RAM by the CPU is not official and would rely on the motherboard enabling (or officially supporting/defaulting to) this speed so we can deduce that since the iMac did not support operation at 1600MHz (by defaulting to 1333MHz) that the instability he experienced then is probably due to the lack of 1600MHz support, and also that it was XMP-based RAM, which probably has a small list of motherboard vendors that officially support XMP.

Anyway, I can't wait to finally get my iMac, and when I do I will post my experience here with the 1333MHz RAM! I think I've had the RAM sitting all alone here for a week now... *sigh*

[OldCorpse]

This is first iMac with the memory controller integrated into the CPU. I foresee no issues myself (why I bought the same RAM as the OP almost two weeks ago)[...]

Regardless, there's something else I wonder. You said you bought the RAM already. We buy the RAM to make our iMacs more powerful. If you buy the 1333, that's presumably because you expect superior performance. But by the same token, if you buy it in 2GB sticks, you are limiting your options down the line... what if one day you wanna go 16GB? If you go ahead, you'll have to toss all the 2GB sticks and re-buy it all in 4GB chunks. Seems a waste to go to all this trouble with 1333 only to toss it...

[jonwd7]

...snip...

I know I'm never going to be upgrading to 16GB. By the time I'd want 16GB in a computer, I'd have a new computer. :)

I may one day add a slimline, slot-loading Blu-Ray drive (can be had for $150-$200), and an SSD, but those are worthwhile investments. Whereas moving from 8GB to 16GB would not.

Also, when 4x4GB sets may be cheap enough to purchase, you can think of it as what price it costs to double your RAM. Say the full 16GB may cost only $450 in a year, that's about twice what I paid to go from 4GB to 8GB. 8GB of the 1333MHz RAM was only $217.99. A small premium compared to the $200 upgrade cost for ONLY 4GB of RAM through Apple. (Plus, the Kingston HyperX 1333MHz was only $1 more than the Kingston 1066MHz RAM.) So speed notwithstanding I basically paid $217.99 for 4GB more RAM. However, when people talk about saving a buck to upgrade from 4GB > 8GB with 3rd party RAM, I chuckle because there is no way in telling if your mixed matched pairs are going to lead to any problems down the road, so if you're going to go from 4GB > 8GB you may as well go though Apple.

So, I'm only paying $18 more for 8GB of 1333MHz RAM as compared to 8GB of Apple's 1066MHz stock RAM. I think that's a fine deal.

Now take into account that with EITHER configuration (1066 vs 1333), you're going to have to scrap all your RAM to upgrade from 8GB to 16GB. So I'm not sure why you're using this fact against 1333MHz RAM only, when it applies to 1066MHz RAM as well. So I guess now I'm not sure what your point was?

Whatever it may have been, I'm very happy in paying an extra $18 for the higher speed RAM. :)

[i7QuadCoreMania]

I may one day add a slimline, slot-loading Blu-Ray drive (can be had for $150-$200), and an SSD
I paid to go from 4GB to 8GB. 8GB of the 1333MHz RAM was only $217.99. A small premium compared to the $200 upgrade cost for ONLY 4GB of RAM through Apple.

Those are the upgrades I'm looking at as well, I'd do them already but the Thermal sensor is holding me back. I am waiting for an official word from OWC if the come up with a better solution than shorting the wires to keep the temperature at low all the time.

I was running a WD 300gb Velociraptor in my last 24" iMac. I already have an Intel X25-M 80gb 2G in my Dell 10v Mod.

I ordered a bone stock i7, cause I knew the ram upgrades from 4 to 8 were cheaper than $200 apple charges, this is also why I went to 4 sticks of 2gb 1333mhz.

For what its worth, my i7 has been stable for the past few hours, which is farther than the last set of ram took me.:D

[OddHead]

So, news about stability? :)

Are the SODIMMs you bought Kingston ones? What model number?

[Rezox]

KHX1333C7 memory does not fit in the iMac. Did you take the heatsink off somehow?

[KopThat]

It's been a while since I have delved in to all this techie stuff, but
even though it is now reporting that all the RAM is 1333MHz ( even the standard 1066MHz ) with the Frontside Bus running at 1066MHz doesn't that limit how fast the memmory channels will be read ?

Is the System misreporting the speed of the RAM ?

[djcorrosive]

So I can get 2x 4gb sticks that are 1333mhz and it will work fine then?

Cant find any 4gb sticks in australia that run at 1333mhz

and newegg dont even ship internationally :(

[DoFoT9]

So I can get 2x 4gb sticks that are 1333mhz and it will work fine then?

Cant find any 4gb sticks in australia that run at 1333mhz

and newegg dont even ship internationally :(

rather annoying hey!

i presume its 200 pin?

linky for searching (http://staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=1333mhz+SO-DIMM+4GB+200+pin&spos=1) - try that website for searching, its great! the first link looks alright.

[i7QuadCoreMania]

rather annoying hey!

i presume its 200 pin?


Nope its 204pin and you need CLS 7.;)

[DoFoT9]

Nope its 204pin and you need CLS 7.;)

ah. i see.

no results in australia. how attractive.

streetwise 1x4GB @ $350 (http://www.streetwise.com.au/amicroe-1066mhz-pc38500-ddr3-sodimm-memory-p-7109.html)

[djcorrosive]

That's only 1066mhz mate

they r everywhere! The 1333mhz sodimms cl7 ones r hard to find in Australia

edit: don't worry I get what u meant now lol

[DoFoT9]

That's only 1066mhz mate

they r everywhere! The 1333mhz sodimms cl7 ones r hard to find in Australia

edit: don't worry I get what u meant now lol

seems very hard to find! have you checked ebay? probably a good idea to check crucial (http://www.crucial.com/store/listmodule/DDR3/list.html),last time i checked shipping it wasnt very much, maybe $15aus or something like that. they have 1333mhz 2x4GB ($500US), 2x2GB ($113US) etcetc.

apparently shipping is free from crucial?

[djcorrosive]

Would this one be fine?

http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=CT51264BC1339

[DoFoT9]

Would this one be fine?

http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=CT51264BC1339

yes i believe so :)

i was planning on getting the 2x2GB sticks to fill up my slots for 8GB. might be more worthwhile saving up for that 1x4GB stick maybe - future-proofing!

[djcorrosive]

yes i believe so :)

i was planning on getting the 2x2GB sticks to fill up my slots for 8GB. might be more worthwhile saving up for that 1x4GB stick maybe - future-proofing!

That's what I'll be doing, but get 1x 4gb stick at 1333mhz and get another 2 after a month or so. 12gb ram @ 1333mhz will be just enough for me :)

[DoFoT9]

That's what I'll be doing, but get 1x 4gb stick at 1333mhz and get another 2 after a month or so. 12gb ram @ 1333mhz will be just enough for me :)

yea mate totally. 4GB isnt quite enough for me atm. swap files getting used too much for my liking (3GB after not many days :() and im on holidays haha!

where abouts in bris you live? im in kingscliff in nsw, like 40 mins from the goldy :D

[djcorrosive]

yea mate totally. 4GB isnt quite enough for me atm. swap files getting used too much for my liking (3GB after not many days :() and im on holidays haha!

where abouts in bris you live? im in kingscliff in nsw, like 40 mins from the goldy :D

Yeah 4gb will be enough for a month till i start using more heavy load programs.

I live right in the city mate in a city apartment :)

I'm awaiting my replacement i7 and i rang up apple today to get my tracking number and i got it but all day it has been saying not found! grrrr dunno wtf's going on with that.

[DoFoT9]

Yeah 4gb will be enough for a month till i start using more heavy load programs.

I live right in the city mate in a city apartment :)

I'm awaiting my replacement i7 and i rang up apple today to get my tracking number and i got it but all day it has been saying not found! grrrr dunno wtf's going on with that.

yup 4GB is plenty i think, as long as you arent using virtual machines heavily etc.

wow right in the city, i dont think i could handle that! i could probably handle the competitive internet companies though ;)

too bad to hear about your tracking number, im sure it will get "reset" or whatever in the next few days. apple reuses tracking numbers over and over.

[djcorrosive]

yup 4GB is plenty i think, as long as you arent using virtual machines heavily etc.

wow right in the city, i dont think i could handle that! i could probably handle the competitive internet companies though ;)

too bad to hear about your tracking number, im sure it will get "reset" or whatever in the next few days. apple reuses tracking numbers over and over.

hahah and i could never live away from the city. Couldn't handle it lol the isolation.

Well they did tell me i will def be getting it next Monday! I just want to do the tracking game! So i know for sure lol.. cause once it hits Sydney i'll know i'll def receive it the next day.. If it's not up by tomorrow midday i'll just call them back. Glad i have another 2 weeks of holidays left!! Plus the fiancee' has been nagging me on when i'll be getting it. i think she is more excited then myself lol

[DoFoT9]

hahah and i could never live away from the city. Couldn't handle it lol the isolation.

Well they did tell me i will def be getting it next Monday! I just want to do the tracking game! So i know for sure lol.. cause once it hits Sydney i'll know i'll def receive it the next day.. If it's not up by tomorrow midday i'll just call them back. Glad i have another 2 weeks of holidays left!! Plus the fiancee' has been nagging me on when i'll be getting it. i think she is more excited then myself lol

i couldnt live in the city.. too busy for me.

def be getting it next monday? they are game. if it doesnt come then they will be in BIG ****.. glad ur woman is happy about the computer :p mine didnt seem all too fussed about it.

[djcorrosive]

i couldnt live in the city.. too busy for me.

def be getting it next monday? they are game. if it doesnt come then they will be in BIG ****.. glad ur woman is happy about the computer :p mine didnt seem all too fussed about it.

Lol I know that's what I was thinking, cause it is 4 days from pudong to my place, it was like that on my first just want the bloody tracking id to work. That would confirm it for me. Yeah she loves it haha.. It's th clarity and size I'd say haha, I see we will he fighting over it lol so might have to buy her one too :p Will give me some piece and quiet

[DoFoT9]

Lol I know that's what I was thinking, cause it is 4 days from pudong to my place, it was like that on my first just want the bloody tracking id to work. That would confirm it for me.
would be nice for some closure.. from the experience of alot of users in this thread i wouldnt get your hopes up too much though :(

Yeah she loves it haha.. It's th clarity and size I'd say haha, I see we will he fighting over it lol so might have to buy her one too :p Will give me some piece and quiet
HA! making up for your size by getting a big computer eh? nice move ;)

can complain about two imacs though!

but in all seriousness, this i7 is a terrific machine! best purchase ever.

[djcorrosive]

Hahaha something has to fill the void! Haha

believe me mate I know! The first iMac I had came last week but all 3 ram sticks were dead apart from one! So I used it for a few days before TNT came, and I was very impressed! More so at th fact how easy it was to adapt! Took me a good 3 hours to know how to use mac osx and I loved it! The wait is killing me!! Had a blast on it for the 2 days I played with it before I had to say goodbye to it haha

[DoFoT9]

Hahaha something has to fill the void! Haha
;) :cool:

believe me mate I know! The first iMac I had came last week but all 3 ram sticks were dead apart from one! So I used it for a few days before TNT came, and I was very impressed! More so at th fact how easy it was to adapt! Took me a good 3 hours to know how to use mac osx and I loved it! The wait is killing me!! Had a blast on it for the 2 days I played with it before I had to say goodbye to it haha
oh wow you are new to macs? congrats for the change :D its so so easy to pick up if you are good at learning. its easy to use, but if you get into it deeper you really wont find the end!

[djcorrosive]

;) :cool:


oh wow you are new to macs? congrats for the change :D its so so easy to pick up if you are good at learning. its easy to use, but if you get into it deeper you really wont find the end!

Well I want to go as deep With mac osx like I did with windows!
Once I get mine back all the deeper stuff I'll try and find on google
or ask you or just ask people here in general. It's a beautiful OS that is for sure!

[DoFoT9]

Well I want to go as deep With mac osx like I did with windows!
Once I get mine back all the deeper stuff I'll try and find on google
or ask you or just ask people here in general. It's a beautiful OS that is for sure!

hehe great to hear. feel free to ask me any questions you have! i have been using macs since i was a kid and know the top level stuff pretty well :) just trying to learn the lower stuff such as how it manages RAM, network activity etcetc but thats a bit more nerdy lol.

[AlienSexGod]

So, going from 4gb 1066mhz to 8gb 1333mhz, there seems to be a bump of 100 points in 32bit and almost 200 points in 64bit.


So Bottomline you gain about 1% performance improvement at extra expense and likely losing warranty since the heatspreaders need to be removed.

If the Mac actually supported and ran the memory at 1333MHz ( not just reporting it as 1333Mhz memory) then we could expect 15-30% improvement on memory intensive tasks.

Seems more like bragging rights rather than a real difference......

[i7QuadCoreMania]

Seems more like bragging rights rather than a real difference......
You are more than welcome to conduct your own tests.:rolleyes:

[AlienSexGod]

You are more than welcome to conduct your own tests.:rolleyes:

Mate I was trying to summarise for readers whether or not it is worth it to most users. Unless I have read wrong then there is f all extra performance for high cost and no legal warranty. Please correct me if I am wrong.

You obviously are loaded and think it's worth it but for most users....

[i7QuadCoreMania]

Mate I was trying to summarise for readers whether or not it is worth it to most users. Unless I have read wrong then there is f all extra performance for high cost and no legal warranty. Please correct me if I am wrong.


Ok, in that case, you are right, worth it for the additional costs no, I would say stick to the 1067mhz stuff. The speed difference is actually 2% 200 of of 9000 is 0.02.

I may have been a bit disturbed by the comment of bragging rights, but if you think about it, 2% increase is really nothing to brag about.:D

[AlienSexGod]

Hehe I meant no offense just had some clients excited about the prospect but for me it would be a potential support nightmare supplying that ram to clients.

[FlavioX]

When I ordered my iMac i7 in November of last year I immediately ordered 8GB of OZC 1333MHz memory thinking I would have my iMac quickly.

When I got the memory sticks I noticed that is was CL 9-9-9-24 and after reading this thread I was a little concerned that it might not work.

I only received my iMac this week (after two and a halve months waiting!) so I could test the memory now.
I've installed it and ran memtest all night long and the iMac didn't freeze so I guess CL9 1333MHz also works in the iMac.

When I bought the RAM There were no 1333MHz CL7 sticks for sale. They might be easier to find now though.

My average Geekbench score (32 bit) is 8395.

[DoFoT9]

When I ordered my iMac i7 in November of last year I immediately ordered 8GB of OZC 1333MHz memory thinking I would have my iMac quickly.

When I got the memory sticks I noticed that is was CL 9-9-9-24 and after reading this thread I was a little concerned that it might not work.

I only received my iMac this week (after two and a halve months waiting!) so I could test the memory now.
I've installed it and ran memtest all night long and the iMac didn't freeze so I guess CL9 1333MHz also works in the iMac.

When I bought the RAM There were no 1333MHz CL7 sticks for sale. They might be easier to find now though.

My average Geekbench score (32 bit) is 8395.

interesting to know!

this (http://www.gamedude.com.au/prod_show.php?art_no=memGSsod3_2g_1066) would probably be the cheapest price i could find in australia! pretty expensive for cheap. crucial is $120US, roughly $136Aus - and i dont think they charge for postage! might just go with the crucial stuff

[TMRaven]

Any updates on the stability of the CAS 9 ram?

[DoFoT9]

Any updates on the stability of the CAS 9 ram?

i dont think it will ever work (stable wise)

[hundert]

CL6

anyone tried?

I don't even know if SODIMMs in CL6 exist.

[TMRaven]

I only know of one cas7 ddr3 1333 204pin ram, and it's from kingston. Asides that, there's a plethora of cas9 ddr3 1333 ram. It's a shame there's not enough reports on its stability with the new iMacs.

[hundert]

There is CL5 1066 from Kingston and OCZ

KHX1066C5S3K2/4G

OCZ3MX1066C54GK

I think the CL5 1066 brings more than CL7 1333. If it works is another question

[hundert]

There is CL5 1066 from Kingston and OCZ

KHX1066C5S3K2/4G

OCZ3MX1066C54GK

I think the CL5 1066 brings more than CL7 1333. If it works is another question

[TMRaven]

The latency difference between CL5 ddr3 1066 and cl7 ddr3 133 ram is like a 1 or so nanoseconds. What's more interesting is the theoretical 4gbps bandwidth that dual channel ddr3 1333 can provide vs the dual channel ddr3 1066. Gaming benchmarks only show 0-1 more fps for lower latency ram, but I've yet to see any benchmarks for actual memory bandwidth performance for ram intensive apps like photoshop.

[DoFoT9]

The latency difference between CL5 ddr3 1066 and cl7 ddr3 133 ram is like a 1 or so nanoseconds. What's more interesting is the theoretical 4gbps bandwidth that dual channel ddr3 1333 can provide vs the dual channel ddr3 1066. Gaming benchmarks only show 0-1 more fps for lower latency ram, but I've yet to see any benchmarks for actual memory bandwidth performance for ram intensive apps like photoshop.

there is still a lot more room for improvement seeing as though the chipset supports up to 12.8GB/s. i wonder if we will get to that limit lol.

[TMRaven]

To what chipset are you referring? Lynnfield supports up to 21gb/s bandwidth. Two DDR3 1066 sticks give you around 17gb/s bandwidth while in dual channel mode, and dual channel ddr3 1333 sticks give you a theoretical 21gb/s.

Am I understanding it wrong? If not, that seems like a nice chunk of an upgrade.

[DoFoT9]

To what chipset are you referring? Lynnfield supports up to 21gb/s bandwidth. Two DDR3 1066 sticks give you around 17gb/s bandwidth while in dual channel mode, and dual channel ddr3 1333 sticks give you a theoretical 21gb/s.

Am I understanding it wrong? If not, that seems like a nice chunk of an upgrade.

woops mybad - i was referring to the P45 chipset for some odd reason. i blame lack of sleep

i have tried to find the memory bandwidth for the P55 chipset, intel (http://ark.intel.com/chipset.aspx?familyID=41726) doesnt specify though?!??! nowhere else can tell me either.

[DoFoT9]

well, i bit the bullet and grabbed some Geil 1x4GB 1066MHz CL7 RAM and chucked it into the computer!! ($166 aus for the chip).

WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!


i keep getting freezes and everything :(

my configuration is the original 2x2GB chips + the 1x4GB chip was in the 4th slot. my question is does this matter at all?

is anybody aware of the best RAM testing program? REMber doesnt really work very well as it can only allocate free RAM - not entire RAM. just want to see if its the computer thats not supporting it properly - or the RAM thats damaged.

Edit: ok ran AHT and everything passed on the quick diagnostics. :( WTF?

[REALIN]

well, i bit the bullet and grabbed some Geil 1x4GB 1066MHz CL7 RAM and chucked it into the computer!! ($166 aus for the chip).

WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!


i keep getting freezes and everything :(

my configuration is the original 2x2GB chips + the 1x4GB chip was in the 4th slot. my question is does this matter at all?

is anybody aware of the best RAM testing program? REMber doesnt really work very well as it can only allocate free RAM - not entire RAM. just want to see if its the computer thats not supporting it properly - or the RAM thats damaged.

Edit: ok ran AHT and everything passed on the quick diagnostics. :( WTF?

If I'm not completly off, with dual-channel memory isent it best to keep it to 2 or 4 sticks?

[DoFoT9]

If I'm not completly off, with dual-channel memory isent it best to keep it to 2 or 4 sticks?

from the research i did i dont think it effects it at all..

[aliensporebomb]

Happy I found this thread as I'd read that the bus for the corei7 pretty much autodetects the speed of memory you have and adjusts accordingly.

I suspected it would work but didn't want to spend $200 or more on a hunch.

As it is with the DDR3 1066 mhz ram I'm still geekbenching over 10,000 but this implies I could get just a little more bandwidth out of the machine.

Thinking....thinking.....

I also wondered about this since the top iMac 27" Corei7 2.8 ghz machine (Fall 2009 refresh) in geekbench said it was running 1333 mhz DDR3 ram and I thought "everything else checks out that it's not a hackintosh, so maybe he really is running that".

Did a google search and found this thread a little while later. Cool.

[aliensporebomb]

well, i bit the bullet and grabbed some Geil 1x4GB 1066MHz CL7 RAM and chucked it into the computer!! ($166 aus for the chip).

WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!


i keep getting freezes and everything :(

my configuration is the original 2x2GB chips + the 1x4GB chip was in the 4th slot. my question is does this matter at all?

is anybody aware of the best RAM testing program? REMber doesnt really work very well as it can only allocate free RAM - not entire RAM. just want to see if its the computer thats not supporting it properly - or the RAM thats damaged.

Edit: ok ran AHT and everything passed on the quick diagnostics. :( WTF?

Because you would need to run TWO of those 4 GB chips for it to work properly.

[DoFoT9]

Because you would need to run TWO of those 4 GB chips for it to work properly.
woops, i forgot to update this thread. i eventually found that out! was quite angry when i figured it out, wasted my money! but its all ok now, i purchased some OWC paired memory and am running 12GB nicely :) thanks for the input

[aliensporebomb]

woops, i forgot to update this thread. i eventually found that out! was quite angry when i figured it out, wasted my money! but its all ok now, i purchased some OWC paired memory and am running 12GB nicely :) thanks for the input

Running the 1333 or the 1066?

[DoFoT9]

Running the 1333 or the 1066?
1066, im too scabby to fork out for 1333 :p besides, stock is still at 1066 anyway (2x2 + 2x4)

[AlienSexGod]

1333Mhz Hynix or Samsung ram that Apple uses on the new iMac 27" is not much more than 1066 gear.

100% confirm it works but even in the new macs only maybe 1% performance increase....

[aliensporebomb]

1% adds up over time however. I still maintain that I'm going to do this.

Stay tuned.

[NutsNGum]

1% adds up over time however. I still maintain that I'm going to do this.

Stay tuned.

BTW - this is my current performance with 1033 memory:

Image (http://pod.ath.cx/geekbench.jpg)

Look at the date of the last post...

[aliensporebomb]

Look at the date of the last post...

I know. But I've always been fashionably or unfashionably late to every party.

All of us with i7 Macs from the 2009 batch should have sold with 1333 memory.

Conspiracy theory: The Intel i7 motherboards were "convertible" types that could run either 1067 or 1333 - I suspect that Apple did not spec them with the faster memory since at the time it was more expensive and the slower memory was more easily sourced at a lower price thus they could get higher profit margins from selling the slower chips.

See:
http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=41316

I will keep you posted as to my findings. Nothing new to the 2.93 and newer iMac users but for us older machines it is a bigger deal IMO. I want every bit of performance I can get out of this thing.

[aliensporebomb]

Maxed my 2009 27" i7 iMac out with 16 gigs of the G-Skill SODimms.

NewEgg had a deal on them last week where if you bought them individually you could get $7 off on each chip so I saved $24 on a set of four bringing the price for 16 gigs to a ridiculous $102 with shipping.

Part is F3-10600CL9S-4GBSQ and boosted my Geekbench scores past my all time high:

http://pod.ath.cx/geekbench.jpg

I did a bunch of geekbench runs and it was almost like it thought it was running the old memory at first, then after running it a few dozen times I got that.

I still think I can get more out of the beast too - according to Geekbench mine is the highest scoring Corei7 iMac from the 2009 lineup if you check similar machines.