Phenom II x6 Motherboard suggestions

[Herdo]

Hello all, I'm new here and thought I would ask for some suggestions.

I am building a new computer (my first) and am not sure what motherboard I should get. I followed the setup on Hardware Revolution, but I am uncertain that this MoBo will perform correctly. I am going to be installing an AMD Phenom II six core 1090T Black Edition.

ASRock M3A770DE AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard
Newegg.com - ASRock M3A770DE AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard

If you do think this will work, please give me some suggestions.

Thanks,
Andy

Also the RAM I want to use is 2gbs x 2 1600mhz

[glc]

We don't recommend Asrock boards - we recommend Asus. You also don't need 1600 speed ram - 1333 is all you need.

[Herdo]

Ok well is there a good asus board you would recommend around the same price? $60 or so?

[Herdo]

How does this one look?

ASUS M4A77T/USB3 AM3 AMD 770 USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
Newegg.com - ASUS M4A77T/USB3 AM3 AMD 770 USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard

And what do you think of this RAM? I read on one of the stickys that Corsair is a good brand.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145322

Is one single stick of 4GB better that 2x2?

[jdeb]

that is a good entry level amd board that will serve you well.

here is the memory I recommend
Newegg.com - Kingston ValueRAM 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KVR1333D3K2/4GR

or

Newegg.com - Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT25664BA1339

[rwest]

Originally Posted by Herdo Is one single stick of 4GB better that 2x2?

If I understand dual channel memory correctly, 2 x 2gig is better than 1 x 4gig. With a MB that supports dual channel memory one stick will not take advantage of the faster design of dual channel memory. If you plan to eventually get another stick of 4gig, you run the risk of not achieving dual channel due to the two sticks not being equal.

[Herdo]

Thankyou so much for your comments, you have been a big help.

[Herdo]

Here is what my system looks like

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/M...px?ID=13145871

Any suggestions? Things you might change?

Thanks again everyone, you have been very helpful!

Also if you notice, I upgraded the MoBo to the next up which supports the 6gb SATA. Is this really worth it? Or should I just go with the WD Blue Caviar and the other MoBo that I posted in my other thread?

[SARGE]

Your link is your personal stuff with the joint and no one can see it. Do a copy and paste of components or just type them out. I already gotta feeling about your mobo though; nice catch if so.

[SARGE]

Originally Posted by rwest If I understand dual channel memory correctly, 2 x 2gig is better than 1 x 4gig. With a MB that supports dual channel memory one stick will not take advantage of the faster design of dual channel memory. If you plan to eventually get another stick of 4gig, you run the risk of not achieving dual channel due to the two sticks not being equal.

Yeah, and in the remote chance of quirky problems, 1 stick negates the possibility of easily checking for bad RAM by removing one at a time to test. I'll never use just 1 stick again. I learned my lesson

[Herdo]

Oh, duh... Sorry Ok here it is.


SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM
Newegg.com - SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner LightScribe Support - CD / DVD Burners


Rosewill CRUISER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with Side Panel Window and Four Fans
Newegg.com - Rosewill CRUISER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with Side Panel Window, comes with Four Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, 1x Side Blue LED 190mm Fan


Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive


ASUS M4A87TD/USB3 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 AMD Motherboard
Newegg.com - ASUS M4A87TD/USB3 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 AMD Motherboard


EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support
Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card


XIGMATEK NRP-PC702 700W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Newegg.com - XIGMATEK NRP-PC702 700W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply


Kingston ValueRAM 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KVR1333D3K2/4GR
Newegg.com - Kingston ValueRAM 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KVR1333D3K2/4GR


AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Thuban 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT90ZFBGRBOX
Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Thuban 3.2GHz 6 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT90ZFBGRBOX


Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - Operating Systems


Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
Newegg.com - Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - Thermal Compound / Grease


Total = $1,117.86

[glc]

Threads merged, please keep all questions about a build in the same thread. Thank you.

I would make 2 changes, I don't care for the DVD drive or the power supply.

Newegg.com - Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA CD/DVD Burner LightScribe Support - CD / DVD Burners

Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

You also don't need the Arctic Silver, the factory heatsink comes with thermal material.

[Herdo]

Thanks for the tip about not needing the Arctic Silver. With the $10 I saved I added the better PSU. I also switched out the DVD drives. I went to update my shopping cart, and all of the sudden my shipping was only $7! Instead of the $28 it was before! I think Newegg must me having some kind of FREE SHIPPING promotion going on. I'm only being charged shipping on the GPU. Hopefully I can sell my AR-15 by this weekend and take advantage of it before it goes away! Thanks again for the help.

Andy

[Herdo]

I was checking out the mother board on ASUS' homepage and I decided to look at the Qualified Vendor List. I am now worrying myself because the RAM I was going to buy is not listed on there. Same with the optical drive I wanted to get. Is this list just the tested and guaranteed to work products? The stuff I have picked out should work right? They just haven't tested it is what I assume.

Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model AD-7261S-0B LightScribe Support - OEM
Newegg.com - Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA CD/DVD Burner LightScribe Support - CD / DVD Burners

A-DATA Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model AX3U1600GB2G9-2G
Newegg.com - A-DATA Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model AX3U1600GB2G9-2G


ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - Motherboards - ASUS M4A87TD/USB3


Thanks for the help,
Andy

[glc]

I would pick DDR3-1333 ram that runs at 1.5 volts for best stability, such as the Kingston or Crucial that jdeb recommended. I wouldn't worry about the optical.

[mikeymm]

Originally Posted by Herdo Oh, duh... Sorry Ok here it is. Rosewill CRUISER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with Side Panel Window and Four Fans Newegg.com - Rosewill CRUISER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with Side Panel Window, comes with Four Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, 1x Side Blue LED 190mm Fan

I wouldn't get a rosewill case. Did you read the reviews on that thing? Rosewill cases have some funky oddities about them. I have a rosewill case, but it's kind of a POS.
I'd look into Thermaltake, coolermaster, antec, zalman z7, or lian li.
There's a lot of oddities about cases, especially rosewill. read the reviews and you'll get an idea about it with the recurring negatives. Ie. if things are always snapping, popping, and going bzzzt. there's a good chance if you get that case you'll have the same issues.
I'm usually more interested in something like a case if it has over 60% postive feed back. But that doesn't always mean much. I also tend to Look at the cons first. The pros are pretty much obvious.

[glc]

Nothing wrong with that particular Rosewill case - it reviews quite well. Almost 90% are 4 and 5 egg. Cases are kinda personal to a lot of people - they want one that looks good to them. Personally, I find cases like that to be hideous, but that's me!

Yes, for that kind of money you can get an Antec Three Hundred.

[mikeymm]

Originally Posted by glc Nothing wrong with that particular Rosewill case - it reviews quite well. Almost 90% are 4 and 5 egg. Cases are kinda personal to a lot of people - they want one that looks good to them. Personally, I find cases like that to be hideous, but that's me! Yes, for that kind of money you can get an Antec Three Hundred.

glc,
Actually, it's more like 61%, and actually, I'm more content to see around 70%.
(Sorry about that I need to be more specific)
Just on the first page of reviews in the cons you read about electrical issues
with the electrical I/O pannel. This is the exact issues that I've had with mine. My son went to put in a key drive once and the computer just went out. The pannel in mine (RW blackbone) has the same issues others have reviewed about it. You put a headphone jack in it or a key drive and the whole plate pushes back into the case
I've taken the case apart a few times to check it out to see if I could mod it to make it better, but the thing is so darn cheesy-cheap I can't think of anything to help it.

You're right though, cases are personal. I'm only try to spare someone else the
frustration and regret I've been through.

Oddly enough, I haven't seen any replacement I/O pannels, but I've seen a petition online
to case manufacturers to manufacture better I/O pannels. (Imagine that!)

[glc]

61% is 5 egg, 27% is 4 egg. That's 87%.

[Herdo]

Mickey, I totally agree with you. I read those actually last night and ended up switching the Rosewill out for a Coolermaster Scout. I've heard great things about them.

Also, I had a quick question. I was looking at benchmarks for CPU's and noticed that sometimes earlier model Phenom II's were running games faster than the Phenom II 1090T. Why is that? You would think when a newer CPU comes out, it would be all around better (with a few exceptions). I noticed this for the intel cpu's as well. The i5 860 I believe it is, was out performing some of the i7's.

Now I understand sometimes the numbers can be deceiving, like with GPU's. A 5990 will run better than a 6850 for example, because each number represents a different thing. What I find odd, is the i5 860 out preforms the i7 960 though. Same with AMD.

Can anyone explain? Thanks

Andy

Oh and glc, thanks for the input, I decided to stick with the Kingston 1333.

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by Herdo Mickey, I totally agree with you. I read those actually last night and ended up switching the Rosewill out for a Coolermaster Scout. I've heard great things about them. Also, I had a quick question. I was looking at benchmarks for CPU's and noticed that sometimes earlier model Phenom II's were running games faster than the Phenom II 1090T. Why is that? You would think when a newer CPU comes out, it would be all around better (with a few exceptions). I noticed this for the intel cpu's as well. The i5 860 I believe it is, was out performing some of the i7's. Now I understand sometimes the numbers can be deceiving, like with GPU's. A 5990 will run better than a 6850 for example, because each number represents a different thing. What I find odd, is the i5 860 out preforms the i7 960 though. Same with AMD. Can anyone explain? Thanks Andy Oh and glc, thanks for the input, I decided to stick with the Kingston 1333.

That is a really hard question to answer because it is way to broad. Some CPU's may be designed for low power systems versus an older one. Some CPU's may have a slower clock speed but have a larger cache. Some may combine special features where others do not. A good example of this would be choosing an AM3 CPU. I have a customer that will be primarily using the pc for home office work, light video editing, personal financing, and book keeping. They do not have a need for a dual core Phenom II black edition cpu at 99.99 or more because they will not be trying to unlock cores or overclocking, or run virtual machines. They just want a fast, stable cpu that will handle their tasks so I use a Athlon II x2-250. It will draw less watts and perform admirably at stock speeds to meet their needs. The black edition would be better for gaming, virtualization , and heavy multi-tasking.

The best thing to do is read up on the different series first... Athlon , AthlonII, Phenom II, etc. This will give you a good idea of what market the series is positioned for. http://www.amd.com/us/products/deskt...rocessors.aspx

[Herdo]

Ok, I took some time to read up on the different processor's but that still didn't exactly answer my question, lol. I understand that there are "energy efficient" processor's out there, but I still am confused on this whole 6 core thing. I will ask a more direct question instead, because I understand what you mean when you said my previous question is "way to broad".

I've heard that six cores is overkill for gaming and that a 4 core processor is all you need and will usually preform better. I assume this is because games currently aren't taking advantage of six cores, and it is splitting up the cpu's resources and therefore giving you less to work with on the cores you will actually be using. Please tell me if I am incorrect on this.

If that is the case, how long will it be before games start taking advantage of the 6 cores? Is it worth it to get a slower processor now, in order to be prepared for the future? Or are we still a way's off from utilizing the full 6 cores?

Here is another straight forward question.
Which one is better for gaming? For now, and let's say, the next 2-3 years or so.
AMD Phenom II 970 BE
AMD Phenom II 1090T BE

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

Andy

[mikeymm]

Since they are black edition AMD processors the core multipliers are unlocked, which means you can overclock them very easily in BIOS and with utilities for Windows.- You will also need a larger, after-market CPU cooler to keep it cooler if you intend to overclock it. It's not necessary to overclock a BE CPU, but that's one of the main perks of an AMD BE. Most purchasers intend to OC it and they purchase a larger, Overclocking CPU cooler to install instead of the smaller stock cooler/heatsink.
You'll also need to make sure you keep an eye on temps of the CPU and the system in general - Thus, you'll need to make sure you have good air flow through your system, especially if you overclock the cpu. You'll need to do some more research online if you plan on overclocking and some simple calculating of the appropriate PSU also. Simply put, you may need one with more watts. You can get a good idea of things by using the calculator HERE.

The Quad 970 is a great gamer CPU. I'm sure you could OC that easily to 4.0 GHz and keep up with the pack easily on the servers. I'd recommend the 970 BE. check out this review on Tom's.
cheers!

[Herdo]

Ok, thanks for answering that, but WHY is the 970 better for gaming? The 1090T has 6 cores. Just to clarify I am new to this (from a hardware standpoint) so I am trying to figure out why 4 cores would be better than 6. To me this just sounds ridiculous but from all the suggestion's people have given me, it is always the same. "I would recommend the 970BE", but why? I don't understand why anyone would pay more for a processor that doesn't preform as well.

I am not going to be running multiple applications at one time, and I want this computer to be capable of playing the latest games for a few years without upgrading.

Please, someone, explain to me the reason that this 970 would be better than the 1090T for gaming. I completely agree, and I have looked up plenty of benchmarks to know that is the case, but I still am confused as to why.

[mikeymm]

Ok, thanks for answering that, but WHY is the 970 better for gaming? The 1090T has 6 cores. Just to clarify I am new to this (from a hardware standpoint) so I am trying to figure out why 4 cores would be better than 6. To me this just sounds ridiculous but from all the suggestion's people have given me, it is always the same. "I would recommend the 970BE", but why? I don't understand why anyone would pay more for a processor that doesn't preform as well.

If you look at the conclusion on Tom's site that I linked to it states that

Phenom II X6 1075T AMD’s Phenom II X6 1075T processor offers performance that is somewhat inconsistent, but for the price, there is potential for value. If the user is actively involved in selecting applications that take the best advantage of all six processor cores, the rewards are undeniable. However, buyers who blindly choose the Phenom II X6 expecting great performance across the board will be a little disappointed.

The X6 does better at a lot of applications than the X4. But the difference is marginal.
check out this article too. It's how the programs are coded to take more advantage of an AMD X6 from AMD or no

I am not going to be running multiple applications at one time, and I want this computer to be capable of playing the latest games for a few years without upgrading. Please, someone, explain to me the reason that this 970 would be better than the 1090T for gaming. I completely agree, and I have looked up plenty of benchmarks to know that is the case, but I still am confused as to why.

It's your choice in the end. The X6 is only $44 more and down the road the X6 should shine more with newer games and applications. And if you overclock either CPU, like 300-500MHz they'll be even faster.
Benchmarks are benchmarks. They don't really encompass a users full experience of a full days computer use usually. many AMD phenom II X4 users upgraded to AMD phenom II X6 and they claim to feel a better speed advantage.

[Herdo]

Thankyou, while waiting for a reply I read up more on what the cores actually do, and I now have a better understanding of the advantages of having more cores.

This actually helped alot,

From Medal of Honor to Civ 5: 17 Games that already benefit from six cores CPUs - - PC Games Hardware

along with another post where someone said,

"The skinny is, most games don't support 4 cores much less 6 cores.

The way it works, from what I can tell at least with my rudimentary knowledge of how games are coded, is that the game will send out X streams of data to be calculated to Windows. Windows will then distribute that load evenly among all available threads unless specified by the games coding. The variable X (the amount of streams) should be the term used when asking how many cores it's coded for. If it sends out 4 streams of data to be calculated, it can use up to 4 threads 100% most likely.

I get this from my experiments with WoW.

My dual core can load up to 100% on each core, yet my quad core, will never reach more than 200% total load on all 4 cores. Meaning the total when added of all my cores load will not equal more than 200% (50% on each core) which is basically my dual core at full load. This led my to my conclusion, WoW is coded to use 2 threads (as per an official blue WoW post, even up to Cataclysm)."

What I've gathered from the link I referenced, is that where it says, the game gets "up to 10% plus compared to Quad Core", it basically running at 410% of the processing power on six cores (100% on 4 cores and 10% of a the fifth core, although, its probably more evened out, like 68.3% on all six cores, equaling 410%) where as the Quad Core is running 400% on all four cores (100% each core, equaling 400%). If anything, the extra cores seem like they would leave room for backround process that may be running in windows or whatever. Does this sound correct? Am I on the right track here?

I don't know if this poster is entirely correct, haha, but it helped me to understand how this all works. I am sticking with the 1090T for sure now.

Andy

[glc]

Read this article:

Best Gaming CPUs For The Money: December 2010 : December Updates

Just so you know, my son in law and his two sons are heavily into WoW, and they all use dual core Intels.

[Herdo]

Hey all, I made a thread a while back posting my new build but I decided to change it up. I was set on getting the AMD Phenom II 1090T BE, but after reading some reviews, and looking at benchmarks, I realized that the 1090T wasn't exactly for me. Now I'm sure I want the Core i5 2500K.

I plan on strictly gaming on this rig. Really, that's about it. After looking around I also found this,
The Sandy Bridge Review: Intel Core i7-2600K, i5-2500K and Core i3-2100 Tested - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

They aren't kidding, this thing blows everything out of the water when it comes to gaming, and it is about the same price as the 1090T. Is this a good decision?

Here is my new setup.

COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 ...
Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

Kingston ValueRAM 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KVR1333D3K2/4GR
Newegg.com - Kingston ValueRAM 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KVR1333D3K2/4GR

Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model AD-7261S-0B LightScribe Support - OEM
Newegg.com - Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA CD/DVD Burner LightScribe Support - CD / DVD Burners

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - Operating Systems

And the new Motherboard and CPU:

ASUS P8P67 PRO LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Newegg.com - ASUS P8P67 PRO LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K


Does everything look good? Is the motherboard a good choice? It has the sata 6 and USB 3.0 which I wanted and from what I have read, the new sandy bridge K models require the P67 motherboard to overclock.

Thanks for all the help you have given me here!

Andy

[glc]

Threads merged.

If you want to overclock, get 1600 speed ram.

[Herdo]

Sorry, I didn't think about just posting this here, haha. I'm a little confused, because you told me before that it is best to go with 1333 when I suggested a 1600 4gig dual channel kit. Is this required? I have a basic understanding of overclocking, and from what I understand, OCing the CPU will inadvertently OC the RAM as well. I'm assuming because of uping the voltage to the CPU. Is it required that I get the 1600 if I plan to OC the CPU? What is a good 1600 DDR3 RAM you recommend?

Should I stick with the Kingston?
Newegg.com - Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model KHX1600C9AD3K2/4G

People seem to be very happy with this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231277