The make or break point on a new system build often times comes down to skimping on that fancy new memory kit. While it may not seem like such a big deal you could be leaving large chunks of performance on the table.

iXBT Labs continues their series on testing CPU performance with a look at how modern CPUs handle varying memory speeds and multiple memory channel setups:

This time we expanded the memory frequency range to test the most memory clock rates available: from DDR3-800 to DDR3-1600. The former does not exist as such, but we still conducted such a test for the sake of an extra dot on each diagram. We also wanted to find out how the number of channels of the Core i7 memory controller affected performance. Obviously, the fastest mode would be the one with all three channels enabled. However, this requires 3 [identical] memory modules, and not every user can afford that many. Thus, we wanted to see how much you could lose, using just 2 channels.

Some interesting performance results which you’ll want to take into account when it’s time to pick your next memory kit.

Tweaker targeted memory kits tend to try and grab a potential customer’s attention with flashy colors and menacing heatspreaders. In cases such as this they’d rather stick to one of the most recognizable names in gaming.

The OCZ Fatal1ty 6GB DDR3 Triple Channel Memory Kit can be used as run of the mill RAM but you’ll most likely want to push it to new extremes on your Intel Core i7 setup. Benchmark Reviews has a look:

OCZ introduced their latest Fatal1ty Edition Memory kit in early 2010. The difference between this DDR3 system memory kit and the previous Fatal1ty kits is that the OCZ3F1600LV6GK model supports triple-channel bandwidth and works with a relatively low voltage. DDR3 memory prices are going down and 6GB kits are very affordable now.

A slick kit for your upcoming gaming build.

Notebook computers tend to trail the desktop in many aspects which puts those with power-hungry needs at a bit of a disadvantage when they’re on the road and are required to get their work flow on.

Enter the Crucial 8GB DDR3 SODIMM Kit which will boost your laptop’s RAM storage space that much more. HardwareLogic has the review:

Things are little more tempered in dual-channel territory, where 4GB is still respectable, but 8GB separates the power users from everyone else. And with the proliferation of DDR3 in notebooks, an 8GB upgrade isn’t just a statement of your commitment to run with the big dogs, it’s also a costly investment. Outside of bragging rights, is it worth it?

If you’re running some sort of high-end application you’ll probably want to pick yourself up a kit of it, if you want a pleasant mobile workstation experience that is.

As PCs get more powerful you see new applications pop up that take advantage of the new-found number crunching capabilities which in turn use up increasing amounts of memory for its various needs.

The Kingston HyperX 1600MHz 12GB Triple Channel DDR3 Memory Kit obviously offers quite a bit of memory space for your system. TestFreaks has a look:

Kingston one of the premier names in memory business has released the HyperX 1600MHz 12GB Triple Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3K6/12G). This set is designed for those using an X58 LGA 1366 motherboard in conjunction with the Core i7 series. The kit is composed of six 2GB sticks of DDR3 memory designed to operate at 1600 MHz.

Six 2GB sticks might not be the optimal configuration for the power user wanting 24GB of system memory but it does cut down on the cost by quite a bit.

The benefits of a 64bit operating system are quite clear when you’re dealing with massive amounts of information. It allows for native support of large amounts of memory which your carefully crafted applications can address and make full usage of.

BCCHardware has grabbed 24GB of DDR3 memory and tested Microsoft Windows 7’s ability to cope with a large amount of RAM:

It wasn’t that long ago that 4GB of memory was a lot of RAM in a system and some crazy people were considering 8GB of memory for high-end 64-bit systems.  Recently, Crucial launched 4GB and 8GB memory modules that allow more people to be able to load up their systems for some serious multi-tasking applications.  We will be briefly looking at two pair of 12GB kits in our test system that gives us 24GB of memory to play with.  This is a pretty solid chunk of kit and it will currently set you back close to $1,000.  The interesting thing to see is if we can bog down a system and make it bleed.  We will be running a few benchmarks as well as some gaming while we have the system loaded in order to find the breaking point.

A worthy upgrade for those virtualization users out there and, well, anyone that uses a large chunk of system memory for a task.

Intel’s P55 and X58 Express chipsets occupy two separate price categories but it isn’t always clear cut on which offers the best possible performance given that each handles a different processor socket.

TweakTown has a look at how well each platform performs, given a bit of an overclock, when running the same memory:

In wondering what we could do with the two kits and how we could work them both into a single article, I thought it was time to see how the old Tri-Chan vs. Dual-Chan debate is going on with our X58 GIGABYTE board and P55 ASRock one.

If you’re a price conscious performance seeker you may have just found your next upgrade path.

The point of getting a memory kit with a bit of headroom has always been to allow for some sizable performance gains by overclocking the memory kits. That formula is unlikely to change any time soon.

Mushkin’s DDR3-1600 Blackline memory kit offers up good performance at its normal operating specifications and allow for some of that magical tweaking to occur as well. Legit Reviews has the details:

Now dropping to CAS8 really let the kit stretch its little legs. DDR3-2040 is a hefty 27.5% overclock at what I’d consider to be pretty decent timings for a $110 kit of memory. With more time manually playing with sub-timings and vdimm/vtt combinations I believe DDR3-2100 would be possible through at least Super Pi 32M.

A speedy and inexpensive choice for your next PC build.

AMD’s Black Edition CPU lineup is a fan favorite of the enthusiast given its unlocked multipliers and overclocking capabilities, it was only a matter of time until someone targeted it with enthusiast level memory.

OCZ’s Black Edition DDR3 Memory Kit sports some mighty fine overclocking headroom and memory profiles specifically tweaked for AMD’s CPU Black Edition lineup. Benchmark Reviews takes a look:

The pair of DDR3 DIMMs under test is rated at 1600MHz with relatively tight timings of 8-8-8-24 (CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS) at a low 1.65 volts. OCZ has taken advantage of the Black Edition Memory Profile (BEMP) feature that AMD has built into the latest release of AMD OverDrive (AOD), and made these modules capable of having their optimum settings loaded directly into AOD, via download from an AMD web server. This is quite different from how SPD values are normally loaded into the system BIOS.

A slick set of memory if you’re going for that AMD build and have a desire to eek every last bit of performance out of your setup.

It’s getting more and more difficult to differentiate PC hardware especially when it comes to memory products. The biggest thing most manufacturers can do is toss in a few gimmicks and be on their way.

Thankfully the G.Skill RipJaws DDR3-1600 memory kit relies on more than just some snazzy heatspreaders, its performance is its key point. Benchmark Reviews takes a look:

The Ripjaws definitely look the part of gaming kit, and G.Skill deserves a lot of credit for going outside the box with their design. The low operating voltages involved has given module manufacturers a little more wiggle room in the thermal dissipation department, and G.Skill made the most of it.

And once these memory sticks have reached the end of their useful life they’ll make for fine cheese graters.

Yes your new rig is quite impressive what with its many hyper-threaded cores and graphics cards to match, unfortunately your RAM isn’t keeping up with the demands for bandwidth. Whatever will you do?

Kingston’s HyperX T1 4GB DDR3-2133 memory kit allows for some mighty fine overclocking allowing your computer to hit new performance heights without breaking a sweat. PureOC has the review:

In Everest we see that the modules are again competing extremely closely at rated speeds, virtually a wash across the speeds and settings. The Kingston modules really start to stretch their legs, so to speak, around standard 1866MHz (particularly at CAS8) but we’ve seen they have plenty left in reserve, so if you have the motherboard to push them, you can very comfortably run these modules above their rated speed of 2133MHz. The maximum overclock is where the difference is really evident.

Extremely potent memory here, just don’t go bragging too much to your friends…if you want to keep them that is.