Do I need ddr4 for skylake?

[devor110]

First of all I am at the planning faze of a cpu upgrade from my fx 8350.

The i5 6600k seems like a good choice with awesome performance at a really good price point, but sadly I'll need a new mobo, and likely ddr4 ram as well.

I've done a bit of research about ddr3 and skylake and the very first result straight up says that ddr3 damages skylake cpus. Tbh it seemed like one of the typical warnings against over clocking. Plus if ddr3 was that bad for skylake why can I get d3 edition z170 motherboards? Are those for other lga1151 cpus? Why is stuff like this so hard to get real information on?

 

[HyperXRAM]

You need ddr4 for skylake ;P Its needed! Dont even try to put ddr3...It can damage your cpu.ddr4 have different voltages then ddr3.

 

[Mongolete]

You cant even fit a ddr3 ram stick in a skylake motherboard.

 

[alexoiu]

Not hard to find: http://wccftech.com/skylake-does-not-support-ddr3-damage-ddr3l-only/

 

[Ecky]

Skylake does not officially support memory higher than 1.35v, and most DDR3 is 1.5v or higher. My DDR3 (system in signature) is actually 1.25v and would be perfectly safe to use with a Skylake CPU. That said, chances are you won't have a problem. The only issue you'll likely run into is that there are no Z170 boards that support DDR3, so there would be no point in getting the "K" CPU if you want to reuse your RAM. You could save some money and get an i5 6500 instead.

 

[lucas_7_94]

Answer to your question: No, There are Skylake motherboards that support DDR3 RAM.

Answer in general: Don't do it. DDR3 uses 1.5v meanwhile DDR4 uses 1.35v and you will need 'oc' the RAM to get that voltage and don't worth. Just get DDR4.

 

[Rookie_MIB]

Well, not necessarily. Skylake's memory controller does support DDR3L and DDR4, and you -can- get DDR3 versions of the LGA1151 motherboards from most manufacturers. The thing is, when DDR4 was in short supply, going with DDR3 made some sense as the DDR4 prices made being able to reuse DDR3 a viable option from a total build cost perspective.

However, with DDR4 at price parity with DDR3 at this time, it just makes sense to jump to DDR4. Lower power usage, faster speeds and it doesn't cost any more than DDR3.

Now, just to be clear, as HyperXRAM noted, DDR3 is not physically compatible with DDR4. Don't try to interchange them.

 

[alexoiu]

"The only issue you'll likely run into is that there are no Z170 boards that support DDR3"

"You cant even fit a ddr3 ram stick in a skylake motherboard. "

"You need ddr4 for skylake ;P Its needed! Dont even try to put ddr3...It can damage your cpu.ddr4 have different voltages then ddr3. "

a.s.o.



For those mentioning that there are no Z170 DDR3 boards, an example: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5488#ov

As already mentioned, DDR3L supported.

 

[joex444]

Skylake only supports DDR4 and DDR3L (DDR3L is 1.35V; DDR3 is 1.5V).

Since you don't have DDR3L memory you'd need to buy new memory to use Skylake whether it's a DDR3L or DDR4 motherboard.

Recommendation: Go with DDR4.

--

Unrelated, but the expression is "planning phase."

 

[Ecky]

"The only issue you'll likely run into is that there are no Z170 boards that support DDR3"

"You cant even fit a ddr3 ram stick in a skylake motherboard. "

"You need ddr4 for skylake ;P Its needed! Dont even try to put ddr3...It can damage your cpu.ddr4 have different voltages then ddr3. "

a.s.o.

For those mentioning that there are no Z170 DDR3 boards, an example: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5488#ov

As already mentioned, DDR3L supported.

I wasn't aware of that board's existence, thank you. However, it's almost $40 more expensive (on Amazon) than some of the least expensive DDR4 Z170 boards, which kinda defeats the point.

 

[alexoiu]

No problem. Definitely, I don't recommend going for DDR3L. Just wanted to make you aware that there are such kind of boards.

 

[synphul]

As others have mentioned skylake officially supports ddr3L or ddr4, not ddr3. Is it a blanket warning with little merit? Not sure, intel issued the warning and they created the memory controller within the cpu. Are you prepared to buy another cpu that won't be warrantied if it does harm the cpu?

It's true there are several skylake (1151) motherboards out there that have ddr3 slots and suggest it's ok to use ddr3 with skylake. In the past when the motherboard company was responsible for the memory controller and it was part of the board they were responsible for the claims and responsible if the memory controller failed. Motherboard companies have been at odds with intel a bit doing everything they can to make their own product more appealing to boost sales.

When intel created k series chips for overclocking on z series boards the mobo companies thought they'd weasel out of it by altering the bios to support overclocking of non k series cpus. Intel pushed back, they tried to do it again then intel updated their microcode to block them again. When people didn't want to spend on ddr4 ram the board manufacturers found a way to put ddr3 slots on them, again ignoring intel. They're not responsible for cpu's and gpu's just the board so they'd basically sell you magic tonic if they thought it'd make you buy their board. Anything else breaks, oh well.

Now however the memory controller is integrated in the cpu by intel, how will a motherboard guarantee the ram is 'safe' for a controller they don't even make? If it breaks (aka your cpu breaks) is the mobo manufacturer going to warranty the cpu since they claimed ddr3 compatibility? Not likely. This is the biggest issue I see, companies making suitability claims for hardware they don't produce, manufacture or have control over. It's not their place, anymore than it's the place of a plumber to tell you your electrical is fine. Did they install it? Are they in a position to give advice? No.

All of this boils down to trying to save $30 give or take which is roughly what 8gb of ddr4 costs. That's less than the intel tuning protection plan for a skylake i5. $30 to avoid headaches is a pretty good deal to me but that's my personal take on it. Not to mention it's one of the biggest reasons for moving to the skylake platform, if people are set on keeping ddr3 why not just go with the older tech it matches with which is haswell (1150). Sort of like upgrading to win10 then sticking with a gpu that only supports dx11, wanting to go with the latest and greatest but then sticking with the older versions it's designed to replace.

 

[devor110]

Omg I did totally spell phase as faze too much esl I guess 😀

First I thought ddr4 cost twice as much as ddr3, but that was only on one site, but my a ddr4 z170 does cost twice as much as a d3 variant

 

[synphul]

Where are you buying parts from? Are you comparing a ddr3 vs ddr4 z170 board or a b150 or h170 ddr3 board to a ddr4 z170 board? The z series is the performance line for the k series cpu's for overclocking, they have the most features and tend to cost more for that reason rather than what type of ram they take.

This is looking at u.s. pricing but the cheapest z170 board on pcpartpicker is a ddr4 board. Ddr4 2133 starts around $30, ddr4 2400 starts around $35 and ddr4 3000 starts around $40. It's been price matching ddr3 for quite awhile now.

One thing you will need if you don't already have a suitable one is a cooler for the 6600k. It doesn't ship with any cooler since it's meant for overclocking and most people end up using a 3rd party cooler anyway. If planning to run it stock without oc'ing for a bit on just the stock cooler until you can buy an aftermarket cooler that's not an option anymore like it was with previous i5's like the 4690k.

 

[devor110]

As others have mentioned skylake officially supports ddr3L or ddr4, not ddr3. Is it a blanket warning with little merit? Not sure, intel issued the warning and they created the memory controller within the cpu. Are you prepared to buy another cpu that won't be warrantied if it does harm the cpu?

It's true there are several skylake (1151) motherboards out there that have ddr3 slots and suggest it's ok to use ddr3 with skylake. In the past when the motherboard company was responsible for the memory controller and it was part of the board they were responsible for the claims and responsible if the memory controller failed. Motherboard companies have been at odds with intel a bit doing everything they can to make their own product more appealing to boost sales.

When intel created k series chips for overclocking on z series boards the mobo companies thought they'd weasel out of it by altering the bios to support overclocking of non k series cpus. Intel pushed back, they tried to do it again then intel updated their microcode to block them again. When people didn't want to spend on ddr4 ram the board manufacturers found a way to put ddr3 slots on them, again ignoring intel. They're not responsible for cpu's and gpu's just the board so they'd basically sell you magic tonic if they thought it'd make you buy their board. Anything else breaks, oh well.

Now however the memory controller is integrated in the cpu by intel, how will a motherboard guarantee the ram is 'safe' for a controller they don't even make? If it breaks (aka your cpu breaks) is the mobo manufacturer going to warranty the cpu since they claimed ddr3 compatibility? Not likely. This is the biggest issue I see, companies making suitability claims for hardware they don't produce, manufacture or have control over. It's not their place, anymore than it's the place of a plumber to tell you your electrical is fine. Did they install it? Are they in a position to give advice? No.

All of this boils down to trying to save $30 give or take which is roughly what 8gb of ddr4 costs. That's less than the intel tuning protection plan for a skylake i5. $30 to avoid headaches is a pretty good deal to me but that's my personal take on it. Not to mention it's one of the biggest reasons for moving to the skylake platform, if people are set on keeping ddr3 why not just go with the older tech it matches with which is haswell (1150). Sort of like upgrading to win10 then sticking with a gpu that only supports dx11, wanting to go with the latest and greatest but then sticking with the older versions it's designed to replace.

Wow thank you for the detailed and in debt answer. I have made up my mind and I will go with ddr4. My only concern was price. One of the local webshops here had only really expensive ddr4s and since I trust that webshop I thought prices were really that effect up, but luckily no, and there is cheap 2133mhz 16gb ddr4 for around the same price as equal amount of ddr3, so that was my bad. I was also wrong concerning the ddr3 z170 vs ddr4 z170 mobo prices d4 is still more expensive but only by around $30 as you mentioned.
You also kind of asked why I'm getting skylake if I don't really care about ram speeds and to that I'll say: because planetside. I'm already only upgrading because of that game, and since I am upgrading I want to be as future proof as I can, the same reason why I jumped to a 1070 from m, 270x, sure I could have spent less on an rx 480 or smth, but the 1070 is going to last me longer, hopefully.

Also for being the most detailed answer thus far you've earned yourself a 'solved' badge 😉

 

[devor110]

Where are you buying parts from? Are you comparing a ddr3 vs ddr4 z170 board or a b150 or h170 ddr3 board to a ddr4 z170 board? The z series is the performance line for the k series cpu's for overclocking, they have the most features and tend to cost more for that reason rather than what type of ram they take.

This is looking at u.s. pricing but the cheapest z170 board on pcpartpicker is a ddr4 board. Ddr4 2133 starts around $30, ddr4 2400 starts around $35 and ddr4 3000 starts around $40. It's been price matching ddr3 for quite awhile now.

One thing you will need if you don't already have a suitable one is a cooler for the 6600k. It doesn't ship with any cooler since it's meant for overclocking and most people end up using a 3rd party cooler anyway. If planning to run it stock without oc'ing for a bit on just the stock cooler until you can buy an aftermarket cooler that's not an option anymore like it was with previous i5's like the 4690k.

I'm not from the US sadly and ordering from Newegg or Amazon is more hassle than its worth.

Also I do have an aftermarket cooler which I'd consider to be good enough for the job, the CM 212 evo

 

[devor110]

Oh also before everyone abandons this thread after seeing the 'solved' seal, which z170 manufacturer has the best over locking interface? It's kind of a big deal for me as my current mobo's bios either doesn't display certain things or has it well hidden, so I want one that is not friendly

 

[synphul]

You might want to search the net a bit for images of various overclocking screens in the bios for various boards. Asus is different from msi is different from gigabyte. More or less they have similar controls but some people prefer one or another. My last several builds have been on gigabyte boards, I personally don't find the bios confusing but other people say they don't care for it and like others better.

Hard to say which one is best, just because I don't mind the bios for gigabyte doesn't mean you will find it easy or like it. Google has lots of photos of various bios setting screens, about the best way to look at them without being able to see/use them in person.

The 1070 should be a large upgrade from an r9 270x or 480. I think you'll be really happy with it. Parts suggestions in general are hard to predict with prices being different in other regions. It may seem basic for u.s. users that ddr4 is no more expensive because of our pricing, if local pricing is in fact a lot different where you're purchasing it can make a larger difference. Not all areas have a wide selection of hardware or may have higher prices due to their taxes, importing, etc.

 

[devor110]

You might want to search the net a bit for images of various overclocking screens in the bios for various boards. Asus is different from msi is different from gigabyte. More or less they have similar controls but some people prefer one or another. My last several builds have been on gigabyte boards, I personally don't find the bios confusing but other people say they don't care for it and like others better.

Hard to say which one is best, just because I don't mind the bios for gigabyte doesn't mean you will find it easy or like it. Google has lots of photos of various bios setting screens, about the best way to look at them without being able to see/use them in person.

The 1070 should be a large upgrade from an r9 270x or 480. I think you'll be really happy with it. Parts suggestions in general are hard to predict with prices being different in other regions. It may seem basic for u.s. users that ddr4 is no more expensive because of our pricing, if local pricing is in fact a lot different where you're purchasing it can make a larger difference. Not all areas have a wide selection of hardware or may have higher prices due to their taxes, importing, etc.

Alright I'll look around on Google. In addition to the price differences based on location, I have a prime example. The rx 480 is generally looked at as a budget card, due to its low cost $250 ( since there is no real point in getting the 4gb version let's be real). That 250 dollars translate to at most 75k HUF (FYI that is around 60-75% of the average wage here). Instead of that 75k you can only get the 480 for around 100-110k, so around 33% more. This could be explained by the stupidly high 27% tax rate, but then the I7 6700k should cost 33% more too, but it doesn't, in fact it's almost a one-to-one conversion from $ to HUF. Just thought I'd share.

 

[Karadjgne]

For bios, I've found that Asus and ASRock have the easiest for beginners/amateurs, Gigabyte is a little more technical and MSI the most technical. (for the mainstream boards, the enthusiast class boards are all quite involved and tech oriented). That's not to say MSI is better than Asus or vice versa, its just a difference in setup and approach not ability. A good idea of OC ability is simply looking at the heatsinks surrounding the cpu. That's where all the voltage regulatory circuitry is located. The more massive the cooling ability there, the better the mobo can handle stable high OC. Lack of, or limited heatsinks there makes for a lousy OC mobo.

As to prices, its a matter of supply and demand. The rx480 is king of 1080p, brand new release, extremely cheap compared to the 970 or 1070, so everybody wants one. Jack up the price. The 6700k is in less demand since the skylake i5's are plenty for any game and cheaper. So no real price hike.

 

[devor110]

For bios, I've found that Asus and ASRock have the easiest for beginners/amateurs, Gigabyte is a little more technical and MSI the most technical. (for the mainstream boards, the enthusiast class boards are all quite involved and tech oriented). That's not to say MSI is better than Asus or vice versa, its just a difference in setup and approach not ability. A good idea of OC ability is simply looking at the heatsinks surrounding the cpu. That's where all the voltage regulatory circuitry is located. The more massive the cooling ability there, the better the mobo can handle stable high OC. Lack of, or limited heatsinks there makes for a lousy OC mobo.

I've got a funny story regarding heatsinks especially ones on the VRMs of the msi 970 gaming and the CM 212 Evo on an fx 8350. Long story short mine probably has a faulyt heatsink and that causes the VRMs to overheat and throttle the cpu clock speed down to 1.4ghz, although the cpu itself is not running at any dangerous temperatures. The issue is yet to be resolved for good, but at the moment it is handled with a couple of case fans, though I cannot overclock.

 

[Karadjgne]

That's wild, the 970 Gaming's are usually excellent boards. Probably an issue with the thermal tape