[SOLVED] Is it worth buying another 16 GB G.Skill Flare-X 3200MHz?

[Countess_C]

I have the 16 GB (2x8 GB) G.Skill Flare X 3200 MHz CL 14 set installed in my PC since last year, and it works great. Now I'm thinking about installing another 16 GB. But if I understand this correctly, these RAM sticks had the B-die that I don't think is made anymore. But the same Flare X from G.Skill are still on the market, so they must have another die, right? Would a new set of RAM sticks work with mine?

Or should I save a little more money and buy a set of G.Skill 32GB (4x8GB) DDR4 3600MHz CL16 Trident Z Neo?

 

[Darkbreeze]

So here's the deal, regardless that this is a very good memory kit, the fact remains that if you add another set of DIMMs to the existing set you have the same chance of them not wanting to play nice as you would if you were adding completely different part numbers.

One of three things could happen.

One, they could work fine, with no problems.

Two, they could work, but with some minor issues that may or may not be able to be sorted out through manually adjusting the timings and voltage

Three, they don't play nice with each other. At all. And this happens a lot more often than you might think when two kits of the same part number are put together.

So, yes, getting an entirely new set of sticks, that ALL come together in ONE kit, is generally the BEST idea if you need to increase the memory capacity. That being said, you can certainly TRY to add a second kit, but you might save yourself some headaches by simply going straight to the purchase of a new kit.

What are your motherboard and CPU model numbers?

You really don't want to intentionally put yourself into a four DIMM kit right off the bat, ESPECIALLY with Ryzen, where it has been made clear by AMD and board partners that the advertised supported memory speeds listed for any given CPU and motherboard are assuming TWO DIMMs, not four. There is pretty much always a penalty to be paid in terms of maximum supported speed when four DIMMs are used on any Ryzen platform. Some users have been fortunate enough to be able to run four high speed DIMMs, but a lot of users have not. In general, not just on Ryzen, I recommend sticking to two DIMM installations because for one thing it a lot less stress, half in fact, on the memory controller.

Four DIMMs will definitely contribute to a leaning towards an increase in package temps and will usually require a bump in memory voltage, when it works at all, which will further increase the stress on the IMC and package temps.

I'd recommend going with a 2 x16GB kit, and if you can do a higher speed kit with lower latency, so much the better.

Knowing your motherboard model is the only way to make recommendations on memory kits that are KNOWN to be compatible, and have been validated at the XMP profile speed and timings.

 

[Countess_C]

Thanks. I have a Gigabyte Aorus Elite X570 , and the CPU is a 3700X.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Any of these would provide a faster than 3600mhz CL16 performance, and are an optimal configuration for your CPU and are validated for your motherboard.

RAM Configurator-G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd.

G.SKILL

www.gskill.com

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But they are expensive. You are probably just as well off in general to simply go with a 3600mhz CL16 kit, which is much cheaper.

RAM Configurator-G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd.

G.SKILL

www.gskill.com

,

 

[Countess_C]

Thank you very much! I'm still in the planning stage and might get the new RAM together with a 3900X if the price goes down.

 

[Darkbreeze]

👍