Looking at RAM in preparation for a Zen 2 build... What's the difference between these two models?

[ProtoflareX]

As mentioned in the thread title, I am currently looking at RAM in preparation for a Zen 2 build that I am crafting. After some research, I was pointed in the direction of the "G.Skill Flare X" RAM series which contains the "Samsung B-Die" technology that supposedly synergizes very well with Ryzen CPUs. However, I cannot identify the difference between the following two 3200MHz models:

Model #1 - F4-3200C16D-16GFX: http://gskill.com/en/product/f4-3200c16d-16gfx

Model #2 - F4-3200C14D-16GFX: https://www.gskill.com/en/product/f4-3200c14d-16gfx

When I searched for both of those models on Newegg, I noticed that Model #1 is nearly $80 cheaper than model #2 despite them having the same speed. There has to be a reason for that. Anyone care to elucidate?

 

[yorben_vandyck]

the base speed at stock before overclocking on the 14D is 2400mhz the one from the 16d is 2133mhz also the 14d was tested on lower latency making it slightly faster at stock then the 16d
edit: 14d latency tested 14-14-14-34
16d :16-18-18-38

 

[Supahos]

Both are 2400 the second set is cl14 meaning it's a bit faster when performing a task. Ryzen does speed up with both higher speed and lower latency

Edit: I don't know what he's talking about stock speeds for the cl14 and 16 are the first (most important) timing at the rated 3200 speed

 

[ProtoflareX]

the base speed at stock before overclocking on the 14D is 2400mhz the one from the 16d is 2133mhz also the 14d was tested on lower latency making it slightly faster at stock then the 16d
edit: 14d latency tested 14-14-14-34
16d :16-18-18-38

Those are the only differences? Perhaps I don't understand RAM well enough, but nothing you mentioned justifies such a steep price differences to me. If I understand what you said correctly, overclocking both to 3200MHz would make them essentially the same product, meaning purchasing the more expensive variant would be completely pointless.

 

[Supahos]

Incorrect. The lower latency on the second set will make both the ram and your ryzen processor a bit faster

Now is the $80 better spent on a different part? That's debatable

 

[ProtoflareX]

Incorrect. The lower latency on the second set will make both the ram and your ryzen processor a bit faster

Now is the $80 better spent on a different part? That's debatable

Ah, I posted my previous comment before I read your post. Thank you for clarifying that. So, now I understand that the second set is "faster" than the first set. However, I am not quite sure what the implications of that are. Perhaps you can help me understand if the difference in speed is high enough to justify the price difference? Also, will the increased speed have noticeable effects on game performance? I probably should have mentioned this in the OP, but the rig I'm going to be building will be used primarily for gaming.

 

[Supahos]

Just kind of depends. If that $80 would let you get a better gpu, larger SSD, better motherboard, higher end cpu cooler all of those might be better spent than the difference between those Rams. If you're pretty locked in on the rest of your build it might be worth it. The chips on the ram sticks are binned (tested for quality) the 3200 at cl14 chips on that ram are a lot more rare than chips that'll run at cl16 hence the price premium.

 

[ProtoflareX]

Just kind of depends. If that $80 would let you get a better gpu, larger SSD, better motherboard, higher end cpu cooler all of those might be better spent than the difference between those Rams. If you're pretty locked in on the rest of your build it might be worth it. The chips on the ram sticks are binned (tested for quality) the 3200 at cl14 chips on that ram are a lot more rare than chips that'll run at cl16 hence the price premium.

Thanks to your explanations, my understanding of this matter is gradually improving, but I'm still unclear about the differences in regards to gaming. Let's assume that I am willing to pay the price for the more expensive model, but am still value per dollar conscious. I understand that you probably can't give an objectively correct answer to this without having the actual equipment necessary to test it, but do you think that I would see a great enough difference in game frame rates with the more expensive model to justify buying it over the other one? Based on my current understanding, the more expensive model will probably always be faster than the cheaper model with non-gaming related computer functions, but my foremost concern is gaming performance.

 

[Supahos]

Anytime you're cpu bound the cl14 kit will always make things a bit better. You have to decide if a small increase is worth $80 in this case. Usually you can find a 3200 cl14 kit closer in price than that.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/jpH48d/gskill-memory-f43200c14d16gvk

One such example, I stuck with gskill and black in case those were a preference

 

[ProtoflareX]

Anytime you're cpu bound the cl14 kit will always make things a bit better. You have to decide if a small increase is worth $80 in this case. Usually you can find a 3200 cl14 kit closer in price than that.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/jpH48d/gskill-memory-f43200c14d16gvk

One such example, I stuck with gskill and black in case those were a preference

How bizzare, I compared the specs on the RAM you linked you to the more expensive model from earlier, and disregarding their initial clock speeds, they seem to be the same product. What would cause this CL14 model to be cheaper than other one? Does it lack the Samsung B-Die technology or something? Also, I apologize for all of my annoying questions, but I'm trying to build a futureproof rig and want to make sure I understand what I'm buying.

 

[Supahos]

No they're both bdie chips. The prices just move around based on stocks at the moment. The flares are usually more due to being marketed as ryzen compatible. And the tridents more for being premium... But they have the same ram under the hood

 

[ProtoflareX]

No they're both bdie chips. The prices just move around based on stocks at the moment. The flares are usually more due to being marketed as ryzen compatible. And the tridents more for being premium... But they have the same ram under the hood

All right, thanks for putting up with my barrage of questions. I feel informed enough to make a decision now. I selected one of your earlier posts as the answer.

 

[kerberos_20]

for gaming there is no diff between cl14 and cl16 (1-2fps diff is nothing)
frequency matters more (for ryzen)