G.SKILL Sniper Low Voltage Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR2

Pros: Great RAM... when it works.

See cons.

Cons: ===NOT COMPATIBLE WITH ASRock Z77 Extreme4 Motherboard!!!===

Do not under any circumstances purchase this RAM if you are on a Z77 motherboard. Many Z77 motherboards have trouble accepting RAM this is this low in voltage. I would experience hard lock-ups, system failures, and freezing issues at least once per day, no more than two times per day.

When the computer would freeze up on me or crash, there was never any sort of error message or blue screen, and there were no error messages in any of the system logs except the PC logging the critical system failure.

Due to the nature of the issue, and my own limited knowledge and experience with current-gen computer hardware, you can understand how difficult it would be to root out the issue. It would happen so rarely, without warning, and without any indication of what was failing, I couldn't find the cause.

I took apart my PC and did an external build, piece by piece, testing each individual component for errors or defects. I even used spare hardware from another PC for things that I had suspected, like my GPU. When I tested the RAM under Memtest86, I never encountered any errors at all, so I erroneously ruled that out.

About a week ago, I stumbled into a a forum post from someone who had the exact same problem as me, and extremely similar hardware, however, he had much, much more PC experience than I did. He still suspected the RAM, and he upped the voltage to 1.5 in the UEFI BIOS. Bam, problems disappeared.

I tried the same thing, and my problems were seemingly gone too, for about a three days, and then I got another crash. I have tried everything, but I cannot get the voltage to stay adjusted at 1.5v. It always reverts back to the original.

I have tried to get into contact with G.Skill about getting a refund for the RAM or sending it back for a replacement set in the non-low voltage version, but they've been entirely uncooperative, and they refuse to do anything to help me with my problems. All I wanted was for some nice enthusiast RAM for my new machine, and it has been nothing but trouble from my build completion date.

I really hope G.Skill will do the right, moral, human thing and help out one of their loyal customers after having so much trouble. I've used their hardware in the past and have never had any trouble like this before. Terrible, unacceptable customer support.

Now I'd like to address the level of Ownership and Tech Knowledge that I have listed for this review. I have had this RAM for four months. I know quite a lot about computer hardware and personal computing, especially the hardware that is currently standard and widely accepted, more so than legacy hardware. I have listed my tech knowledge as average for two reasons. One, I have no formal training in any tech field, I am a teacher, and secondly, I have no college education or work experience in computer hardware. I am simply a computer enthusiast/hobbyist.

Anyone else like me should do them same thin

Other Thoughts: Now I'd like to address the level of Ownership and Tech Knowledge that I have listed for this review. I have had this RAM for four months. I know quite a lot about computer hardware and personal computing, especially the hardware that is currently standard and widely accepted, more so than legacy hardware. I have listed my tech knowledge as average for two reasons. One, I have no formal training in any tech field, I am a teacher, and secondly, I have no college education or work experience in computer hardware. I am simply a computer enthusiast/hobbyist.

Anyone else like me should do them same thing and list average as their tech level, because putting it higher is unrealistically misleading to the average consumer on this website. Not everyone knows not to put complete faith in reviews.

Manufacturer Response:

.
Dear Customer

We will be more than glad to assist you with this problem. The G.Skill support team is always readily available to assist you, so contact us directly and we will be glad to help. You can receive prompt support via email, forum, and telephone. If you are having issues with the low voltage memory kit, and would like to exchange for the standard voltage kit, that is no problem at all! When you purchase G.Skill, we guarantee the RAM to work flawlessly in your computer. If there is any problem or incompatibility, we have absolutely no problem exchanging your kit with another model that works better. Once you are done with the G.Skill support team, your computer will be very fast and stable.

Thank you
GSKILL SUPPORT

Quality and customer service are our top priorities.

Tech Support Email: ustech@gskillusa.com
RMA Dept Email: rma@gskillusa.com
G.Skill Forum: http://www.gskill.us/forum/

Pros: Bought two sets of these. Both worked...sort of

Cons: Random freezes and crashes on both sets.

Other Thoughts: I've built two computers recently using the same components. I bought two sets of the of G.Skill RAM to go with my Extreme6 mobos (even on the approved QVL memory list).
Kept getting random shutdowns and freezes on both computers even after having one set swapped by Newegg (wouldn't even boot with one stick - the other worked though)! I tried changing the UEFI settings and using one stick, etc. etc. I decided to swap the G.Skill RAM out of both PCs and and test them with the free Team set that came with the Extreme6. The issues stopped immediately. The Team sets have been working great ever since I put both sets in.

Intel Core i5-3570K
ASRock Z77 Extreme6
SAPPHIRE 100352-2L Radeon HD 7950
CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 600W
Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600
SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD500KW
TOSHIBA PH3300U-1I72 3TB 7200 RPM 64MB

Manufacturer Response:

.
Dear Customer

This is an ultra low voltage memory kit with specifications outside of standard. You will need to enable the XMP Profile in UEFI in order for the memory to work properly. It is not plug and play. Once you input the proper settings, the memory should work smoothly. If unstable, test each module individually to see if one may be bad causing problems. If you continue to have issues, please feel free to contact us directly. The G.Skill support team will make sure the RAM is running fast and stable in your computer.

Thank you
GSKILL SUPPORT

Quality and customer service are our top priorities.

Tech Support Email: ustech@gskillusa.com
RMA Dept Email: rma@gskillusa.com
G.Skill Forum: http://www.gskill.us/forum/

Pros: I bought back in 12/2011 and it's working great still. No issue on my system. I guess the prices for this will not come down any soon as I'm planning to get another 8 to make my system 16GB.

Cons: None. No issue on my system so far.
Knocking on the wood!!!!

Pros: Great RAM, 1600 hz is quite fast. It's also lower profile so you can get some of those bulkier coolers in for you CPU. Works flawlessly. 8gb is plenty for most users

Cons: None. Used it for about 5 months now and still going strong

Pros: Works great, no issues. Cheap.

Cons: Could be less, but that is what coupons are for.

Other Thoughts: Worked from the start.

Pros: Second shipment (after RMA) one out of two sticks work.

Cons: System has been running with two of these for over a year. Ordered second pair to upgrade memory. First shipment - both sticks failed. RMAed (return shipment at my cost) to NewEgg. Received replacement today. One out of the two sticks failed. I'm keeping the one that works. I'm exasperated that it's going to cost me close to the price of an additional 4G of memory to continue to RMA this product due to G.Skills lack of QA.

Other Thoughts: Next system build will not include G.Skill.

Manufacturer Response:

.
Dear Customer

We are sorry to hear you are having such issues. You should never receive two bad kits of RAM. Please RMA directly to G.Skill and you will find that there is no lack of QA. We can not control handling of distributors or vendors, so it is possible to receive defective modules. This is a high performance memory kit, so you should be very pleased with the result. Keep in mind it is not guaranteed two separate kits can work in a single system, so that may be a potential problem. Increasing DRAM Voltage may be necessary to stabilize full slots, or exchanging for a 16GB kit. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us directly. We will make sure 16GB is working fast and stable in your computer.

Thank you
GSKILL SUPPORT

Quality and customer service are our top priorities.

Tech Support Email: ustech@gskillusa.com
RMA Dept Email: rma@gskillusa.com
G.Skill Forum: http://www.gskill.us/forum/

Pros: This RAM is great. It's fast, cheap, cools well and overclocks without problems. I've done the RAM test on it and no errors have been noticed. Just pure flawless RAM.

Cons: None

Pros: purchased on 6/23/2011, memory continues to function and no issues.

Cons: None

Pros: Have installed 10 sets over last the 5 months with great results. Be sure to verify the timings/voltages/speed in your BIOS match the capabilities of the RAM and, even better, e-mail G.SKILL and ask for the proper settings for your specific motherboard and CPU setup as certain combinations are more stable at higher/lower timings and voltages. Their customer service is quick and very helpful. I am not an overlocker and nor do I want to be. I require stability and solid, stock performance and these kits deliver.

Cons: Had several BSOD's in Win7 Pro with a couple of sets, but the problem was the BIOS incorrectly set timings and voltages for the RAM. G.SKILL was very quick to reply to e-mail and their recommended settings have been solid and stable.

Pros: Works great. Thought I had a bad stick but it just needed to be re-seated. My ASRock Z77 Pro4-M automatically set it to 1600mhz, too.

Cons: None