[SOLVED] Memory RAM for PC - is important the voltage value for performance and impact in the motherboard?

[Manuel Jordan]

There is the option to buy a new PC Desktop, about the memory ram, there are these two options

• Memory Kingston Fury Beast, 16GB, DDR4, 3200 MHz, PC4-25600, CL16, 1.35V.
• Memory Kingston Fury Beast, 16GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz, PC4-21300, CL16, 1.2V.

At a first glance the first seems better than the second due the MHz value. But being curious - the reason of this post - observe that the volts values are different too: 1.2 vs 1.35

Because I am not an expert, about the volts

Question 1: What is the best recommendation, the higher or lower? and why? or it does not matter?
Question 2 What is the best recommendation for the motherboard, the higher or lower? and why? or it does not matter?

My concern is that it has any negative impact in the motherboard in someway

Consider the two questions involving performance and time life concerns.

 

[mamasan2000]

I would go with the faster kit. There is DDR4 with XMPs at 1.5-1.6 volts. Straight from the manufacturer. With warranty. The powerdraw of RAM is minimal, like 3 watts. A SATA SSD pulls more than that. Why would it be an issue for the motherboard?

 

[Manuel Jordan]

Thanks for the reply and for your suggestion

A SATA SSD pulls more than that. Why would it be an issue for the motherboard?

How an assumption: perhaps the motherboard can support a maximum of recommended voltage. My concern is avoid problems is a medium-time, so I want avoid reduce the time life of any component of hardware.

 

[geofelt]

Ram faster than 2600 is technically overclocked, hence needing extra voltage to run properly.
This is no big deal.
The particular motherboard and cpu will have limitations on what speed ram it will support. The difference you are looking at is not great, and if 3200 is supported, I would go with that if the price is reasonable.

 

[mamasan2000]

Thanks for the reply and for your suggestion



How an assumption: perhaps the motherboard can support a maximum of recommended voltage. My concern is avoid problems is a medium-time, so I want avoid reduce the time life of any component of hardware.

The maximum voltage a motherboard can supply is usually 1.80v or 2.00v. That doesn't mean your RAM will survive that. It's not a motherboard issue. Longevity shouldn't be an issue. In 10 years time, the parts you get now are barely going to be better than a new phone.
XMP is a spec and I would assume that in that spec they also consider a lifetime of more than 2-3 years. Some RAM comes with a lifetime warranty. It's not by accident.

 

[Manuel Jordan]

The maximum voltage a motherboard can supply is usually 1.80v or 2.00v

Interesting - I didn't know that information

That doesn't mean your RAM will survive that

What do you mean with that?

Longevity shouldn't be an issue. In 10 years time, the parts you get now are barely going to be better than a new phone

Agree, but is always important take care of expensive hardware.

 

[mamasan2000]

Interesting - I didn't know that information


What do you mean with that?


Agree, but is always important take care of expensive hardware.

Mobo can supply RAM with 1.8-2.0 or so volts. The extreme RAM overclockers do run that high voltage. But they have to disable most of the RAM or it wont work. There is a Windows setting to set RAM amount used. Overclockers set it at around 2-4 gigs. And of course a fan over the RAM. But that high voltage is not safe for daily. Meaning daily usage. Most overclockers settle at 1.55v with a fan over RAM, for daily. Should be fine up to 1.5volts without fan. Depends on the chips in the RAM sticks. I think it was Samsung C-die that hates anything over 1.35v. It might work for a year and then possibly die. I have a set of it. Thaiphoon Burner misreports it as B-die. It has none of the characteristics of B-die.

I have been running 1.55v + fan for almost a year now. Cheap Kingston 3600 Mhz RAM, running at 3800 Mhz, tighter timings than XMP. I can take the RAM up to 4400 Mhz but since on Ryzen you have to have F-clock and RAM-clock tied to each other, I would actually get worse performance at 4400 Mhz than I do with 3800 Mhz. I can't raise F-clock, it becomes unstable.