RAM.

[MaSonZ]

On my never ending quest to better my knowledge of computer hardware and software i been on NewEgg . com a lot recently. I'm looking at 3 different types of RAM from G.Skill and I notice theyre the same capcity but 2 of the sets are significantly more expensive. I compare them and i notice this for the 3 different sets.

                          Cheaper set           middle price            Expensive set
Cas Latency:               9                           8                            7
Timing:                  9-9-9-24                8-8-8-24                  7-8-7-24

my questions, what exactly does "Cas Latency" mean? does a smaller number on the Cas Latency and Timingmake the ram "quicker" and therefore the  price go up?

Link to the Comparison chart:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007611%2050008476%20600006050%20600006069&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&CompareItemList=147|20-231-431^20-231-431-TS%2C20-231-426^20-231-426-TS%2C20-231-445^20-231-445-TS

not sure why the whole link isnt clicky. Copy and PAste to your Address bar.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

The ram timings affect the speed with which your system can access the ram. The higher ras/cas etc. numbers your ram has the more wait cycles are needed before the ram can be accessed again (simplified explanation). Especially on multi-core systems high quality ram can give some speed gain as long as it's properly configured in bios, not all bioses configure agressive timings straight out of the box.

If you're on a tight budget and don't plan to do overclocking then mid-price ram is probably what you want to go for. Paying the price premium for the expensive stuff will not give you reasonable bang for buck and going for the cheapest one is risky for stability reasons.

Basically what you should do is check the ram compatability table provided by your motherboard manufacturer and buy ram that's certified to be used with your board.

[MaSonZ]

I have the cheaper set of the 3 there. got a 6 core processor with the combo deal I got my case, mobo, PSU, HD and dvd reader. once i get it up and goin fully I MAY play with settings a little. dont wanna do too much and mess something up. and i dont know much anyway. prob ably not gonna play with it unless i NEED to though.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

I have the cheaper set of the 3 there. got a 6 core processor with the combo deal I got my case, mobo, PSU, HD and dvd reader. once i get it up and goin fully I MAY play with settings a little. dont wanna do too much and mess something up. and i dont know much anyway. prob ably not gonna play with it unless i NEED to though.

Just remember that playing with ram timings is a good way to render your computer unbootable. So familiarize yourself with the CMOS clearing procedure before you start to experiment on it. If you don't know what CMOS is then this is what you should first google and learn about before studying what timings do.

[MaSonZ]

Just remember that playing with ram timings is a good way to render your computer unbootable. So familiarize yourself with the CMOS clearing procedure before you start to experiment on it. If you don't know what CMOS is then this is what you should first google and learn about before studying what timings do.

exactly why im not doing anything yet. I dont know much about computer hardware, let alone touching it. its all very new to me.

[Spikes]

Clearing the CMOS becomes your best friend when overclocking