AMD Ryzen RAM

[joeacejr15]

Hello, I am parting together an AMD Ryzen system and I was wondering about memory support. Is anything over a certain frequency finicky and anything under a frequency guaranteed to work with every single RAM kit on every single processor on every single AM4 motherboard?

 

[drea.drechsler]

Basically, memory support depends on the specific processor: most 2000 series are specc'd for 2933, most 1000 series for 2666. Support has been good with 'quality' kits up to 3200 but there are no guarantees since so much depends on quality of CPU, motherboard and RAM since this is, basically, sanctioned overclocking.

One piece of advice: Ryzen loves Samsung 'B' die ram, you're just ever so much more likely to be successful getting higher clocks at lower latencies with it. It's more expensive but if your goal is a high-performance memory subsystem then that's the best assurance of success there is.

 

[Crosslhs82x2]

1 more piece of advise if wanting 32gb stay with 2x16gb kits.
You can do 4x8 but the 2 channel memory controller will set the the default speeds 2666 maybe 2933.
Could still work but how much hair do you feel you want to pull trying to get say 4x8 @3200 bought to only get 2933 out of it.

 

[joeacejr15]

Basically, memory support depends on the specific processor: most 2000 series are specc'd for 2933, most 1000 series for 2666. Support has been good with 'quality' kits up to 3200 but there are no guarantees since so much depends on quality of CPU, motherboard and RAM since this is, basically, sanctioned overclocking.

One piece of advice: Ryzen loves Samsung 'B' die ram, you're just ever so much more likely to be successful getting higher clocks at lower latencies with it. It's more expensive but if your goal is a high-performance memory subsystem then that's the best assurance of success there is.

So what you are saying is any DDR4 RAM on Ryzen 2000 (My motherboard will have 2 RAM slots) will run at 2933? So I can just buy the cheapest DDR4 RAM (8x2 or 16x2) and set it to 2933 for Ryzen 2nd gen or 2666 on Ryzen 1st gen and it will work all the time?

 

[joeacejr15]

1 more piece of advise if wanting 32gb stay with 2x16gb kits.
You can do 4x8 but the 2 channel memory controller will set the default speeds 2666 maybe 2933.
Could still work but how much hair do you feel you want to pull trying to get say 4x8 @3200 bought to only get 2933 out of it.

My motherboard is only going to have 2 RAM slots anyway.

 

[drea.drechsler]

Basically, memory support depends on the specific processor: most 2000 series are specc'd for 2933, most 1000 series for 2666. Support has been good with 'quality' kits up to 3200 but there are no guarantees since so much depends on quality of CPU, motherboard and RAM since this is, basically, sanctioned overclocking.

One piece of advice: Ryzen loves Samsung 'B' die ram, you're just ever so much more likely to be successful getting higher clocks at lower latencies with it. It's more expensive but if your goal is a high-performance memory subsystem then that's the best assurance of success there is.

So what you are saying is any DDR4 RAM on Ryzen 2000 (My motherboard will have 2 RAM slots) will run at 2933? So I can just buy the cheapest DDR4 RAM (8x2 or 16x2) and set it to 2933 for Ryzen 2nd gen or 2666 on Ryzen 1st gen and it will work all the time?

No, I'm not. Your RAM will only run at the maximum speed it's capable of. If you get RAM that's 'rated' to 2933 then that means they tested it at that speed and the chances it will run at that speed in your Gen 2 system are pretty good. But if you get RAM 'rated' at 2400 that means it's tested only to 2400...so the chances of operateing at 2933 are much less.

It might though, depends on how good the RAM they were binning that day turned out. For instance: if they binned a whole bunch of dimms at 2933 and they needed more 2400 they may have marked them 2400 (and loaded the XMP tables accordingly) and subsequently tested them only to that speed even if it's capable of 2933.

But that's a gamble And it also means you'd have to manually determine appropriate timings for the higher frequencies (since the RAM is rated at a lower frequency it can use tighter timings) and enter them in the timing tables in BIOS.

 

[joeacejr15]

Basically, memory support depends on the specific processor: most 2000 series are specc'd for 2933, most 1000 series for 2666. Support has been good with 'quality' kits up to 3200 but there are no guarantees since so much depends on quality of CPU, motherboard and RAM since this is, basically, sanctioned overclocking.

One piece of advice: Ryzen loves Samsung 'B' die ram, you're just ever so much more likely to be successful getting higher clocks at lower latencies with it. It's more expensive but if your goal is a high-performance memory subsystem then that's the best assurance of success there is.

So what you are saying is any DDR4 RAM on Ryzen 2000 (My motherboard will have 2 RAM slots) will run at 2933? So I can just buy the cheapest DDR4 RAM (8x2 or 16x2) and set it to 2933 for Ryzen 2nd gen or 2666 on Ryzen 1st gen and it will work all the time?

No, I'm not. Your RAM will only run at the maximum speed it's capable of. If you get RAM that's 'rated' to 2933 then that means they tested it at that speed and the chances it will run at that speed in your Gen 2 system are pretty good. But if you get RAM 'rated' at 2400 that means it's tested only to 2400...so the chances of operateing at 2933 are much less.

It might though, depends on how good the RAM they were binning that day turned out. For instance: if they binned a whole bunch of dimms at 2933 and they needed more 2400 they may have marked them 2400 (and loaded the XMP tables accordingly) and subsequently tested them only to that speed even if it's capable of 2933.

But that's a gamble And it also means you'd have to manually determine appropriate timings for the higher frequencies (since the RAM is rated at a lower frequency it can use tighter timings) and enter them in the timing tables in BIOS.

As far as the timings go, would I have to edit all 4 numbers or just the 4th number?

 

[drea.drechsler]

As far as the timings go, would I have to edit all 4 numbers or just the 4th number?

Most likely all 4 in addition to increasing DRAM voltage. But there are something like 27 different paramaters in all. You probably shouldn't have to touch them all but that's why they are exposed in the BIOS for editing. They allow you to stabilize and optimize extreme memory overclocks and sketchy DIMM's. Which trying to run 2400-rated RAM at 2933-3200 pretty much should qualify for.

Look...take some advice. Don't cheap out, buy the best memory you can afford, rated at the speed you want to operate and set XMP in BIOS to use the preloaded timings.

 

[joeacejr15]

As far as the timings go, would I have to edit all 4 numbers or just the 4th number?

Most likely all 4 in addition to increasing DRAM voltage. But there are something like 27 different paramaters in all. You probably shouldn't have to touch them all but that's why they are exposed in the BIOS for editing. They allow you to stabilize and optimize extreme memory overclocks and sketchy DIMM's. Which trying to run 2400-rated RAM at 2933-3200 pretty much should qualify for.

Look...take some advice. Don't cheap out, buy the best memory you can afford, rated at the speed you want to operate and set XMP in BIOS to use the preloaded timings.

Yeah im not comfortable increasing DRAM voltage. Id rather just buy the cheapest 8x2 2933 MHz DDR4 RAM. Or is therer something else I need to watch out for/

 

[drea.drechsler]

Yeah im not comfortable increasing DRAM voltage. Id rather just buy the cheapest 8x2 2933 MHz DDR4 RAM. Or is therer something else I need to watch out for/

1.2V is commonly spec'd on 2666 and slower DIMM's but the spec climbs starting around 2933 and most 3200 DIMM's ask for 1.35V. All DDR4 DRAM's must operate at 1.5V so don't be afraid to bump up voltage. But then, it's natural to want to keep it as low as possible too.

I really wouldn't go for 'cheapest' since that could get you god knows what. There's a lot of good names but Crucial and GSkill seem to have the best quality DDR4 kits and prices are more reasonable than a few months back. Don't cheap out, not on memory.

 

[joeacejr15]

Yeah im not comfortable increasing DRAM voltage. Id rather just buy the cheapest 8x2 2933 MHz DDR4 RAM. Or is therer something else I need to watch out for/

1.2V is commonly spec'd on 2666 and slower DIMM's but the spec climbs starting around 2933 and most 3200 DIMM's ask for 1.35V. All DDR4 DRAM's must operate at 1.5V so don't be afraid to bump up voltage. But then, it's natural to want to keep it as low as possible too.

I really wouldn't go for 'cheapest' since that could get you god knows what. There's a lot of good names but Crucial and GSkill seem to have the best quality DDR4 kits and prices are more reasonable than a few months back. Don't cheap out, not on memory.

I meant the cheapest RAM made by 1 of those companies or another known brand.Maybe il get one with the samsung die things in it