[SOLVED] Does core i9-9900K only support upto DDR4-2666 memory but most people recommend 3200 or higher RAM frequency? Why?

[Deshan]

The i9-9900K operates at a 3.6 GHz with a TDP of 95 W and a Turbo Boost frequency of up to 5 GHz. This chip supports up to 128 GiB of dual-channel DDR4-2666 memory
Why most people recommend to use 3200 or higher frequency ram if it says core i9 9900K chip supports up to 128 GiB of dual-channel DDR4-2666 memory?

 

[Gam3r01]

2666MHz is the max supported memory speed as determined by intel's settings.
You can run higher speed RAM by enabling the XMP profiles in the motherboards BIOS settings, this is technically considered an overclock on the memory speeds.
So intel only specifies up to 2666MHz but the processor is capable of running higher speeds.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Why most people recommend to use 3200 or higher frequency ram if it says core i9 9900K chip supports up to 128 GiB of dual-channel DDR4-2666 memory?

Available ram frequencies depend on motherboard being used.
Motherboard needs to support ram overclocking. If it doesn't, then you're limited to 2666mhz with i9 9900K.
Z-series boards like Z390 support OC.
H and B series boards (like B365) doesn't.

 

[helpstar]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VElMNPXJtuA

 

[RTV-5]

I'll probably spark a debate here but the best way to maximize performance via RAM, especially with an i9 processor is to go with 3200MHz and tighten the timings down. Economically it makes the most sense by opting for 3200MHz over 3600MHz, and after you tune the timings, the difference isn't that wide and in some situations nearly equal to 3600Mhz. You'll see the largest performance gains up to 3200Mhz and then it trails off to the point where it becomes a question of spend more for less gain. With an I9 processor you will absolutely notice a difference, at least benchmarking-wise, that the extra bandwidth provides and even more so if you have a hopped up GPU. Lastly, when it comes to over-clocking 3200Mhz is definately the sweet spot; any higher speed is paid for at a premium. All around, including if you chart out price compared to gains I totally recommend 3200Mhz over 3000, definately (but after 3200Mhz the percentage of price vs improvments starts to climb higher). If you plan on overclocking you may regret going anywhere under 3200Mhz.

 

[Gam3r01]

I'll probably spark a debate here but the best way to maximize performance via RAM, especially with an i9 processor is to go with 3200MHz and tighten the timings down. Economically it makes the most sense by opting for 3200MHz over 3600MHz, and after you tune the timings, the difference isn't that wide and in some situations nearly equal to 3600Mhz. You'll see the largest performance gains up to 3200Mhz and then it trails off to the point where it becomes a question of spend more for less gain. With an I9 processor you will absolutely notice a difference, at least benchmarking-wise, that the extra bandwidth provides and even more so if you have a hopped up GPU. Lastly, when it comes to over-clocking 3200Mhz is definately the sweet spot; any higher speed is paid for at a premium. All around, including if you chart out price compared to gains I totally recommend 3200Mhz over 3000, definately (but after 3200Mhz the percentage of price vs improvments starts to climb higher). If you plan on overclocking you may regret going anywhere under 3200Mhz.

I dont think there is much to debate there, modern intel processors level off much earlier than Ryzen in terms of RAM speeds, so for intel platforms RAM speeds are much less important.