Question Ram Configuration on New Threadripper Pro 8 Channel Platforms

Mar 29, 2021
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I recently purchased a Threadripper pro processor (3955wx)with 16 core/32 threads. I have learned that it actually has 8 channel memory. I will be using the system for video editing – mostly 4k 10 bit footage with plenty of special effects. I will be using either a Nividia 3060 or 3080ti for my GPU. I fast 4th gen NVME drives to work from. My motherboard is the ASUS Prime TRX40 Pro. Here are my 3 questions:

1. What would be the optimal ram configuration to make themost out of these 8 channels?For example, for 64gb of ram, would it be 32gbx2, 16x4, or8x8?For 128gb, would it be 16x8 or 32x4?
I have noticed that the ram recommended for my motherboard(ASUS Prime TRX40 Pro) has better specs when I install less in my system (forexample, I can find 3600mhz with low latency at 32gbx2, but 32gbx4 or 33gbx8drops to 3200Mhz).

2. Would it be beneficial to sacrifice a bit of MHz (3600down to 3200) in order to populate more of the 8 channels. In other words, with video editing, would I really benefit from having faster ram, or is more ram better? The final part of my question is:

3. Since I am only editing 4k footage, I only really “need”between 32 and 64gb of ram. Would I BENEFIT (faster speed) in any way having 128gb of ram?Especially since processor has 8 channel memory?Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
 

yeetbucket

Proper
Jan 14, 2021
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Normally I would say above 64gb is diminishing returns in gaming, but since you are video editing, That does not apply to you. 64gb is good for video editing, and if you can afford high speed-ish 128 gb ram then go for it. No you do not benefit from having same speeds in higher ram size. You should probably go for a faster 64gb kit of ram
 
ASUS Prime TRX40 Pro has quad channel support so I would make use of that for possible gains when Video editing. Not so much extra performance but double the bandwidth.

1. I recommend G.Skill Trident Z RGB F4-3200C16Q-32GTZR 32GB (4x8GB) 3200MHz DDR4.
This kit is a quad channel kit and should work with your system. As with all OC RAM you will have to configure Bios manually for Timings and voltage. I could not find any suitable kits for 32GB or 64GB listed on the MB QVL except in dual channel config.

2. The higher the MHz the more you pay and there is NO guarantee they will work at their rated SPD.

3. The only benefit is time to process large Videos. If your requirement is professional production then yes 64GB would be the go. 128GB is overkill IMO. Upgrade and fill the other banks later if you feel you require the extra RAM.
 
Last edited:
Mar 29, 2021
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ASUS Prime TRX40 Pro has quad channel support so I would make use of that for possible gains when Video editing. Not so much extra performance but double the bandwidth.

1. I recommend G.Skill Trident Z RGB F4-3200C16Q-32GTZR 32GB (4x8GB) 3200MHz DDR4.
This kit is a quad channel kit and should work with your system. As with all OC RAM you will have to configure Bios manually for Timings and voltage. I could not find any suitable kits for 32GB or 64GB listed on the MB QVL except in dual channel config.

2. The higher the MHz the more you pay and there is NO guarantee they will work at their rated SPD.

3. The only benefit is time to process large Videos. If your requirement is professional production then yes 64GB would be the go. 128GB is overkill IMO. Upgrade and fill the other banks later if you feel you require the extra RAM.

Thank you for very much for this in-depth reply. I have discovered that I need to get a WRX8- motherboard to get the 8 channel ram support. With this board, there are not many ram kits listed on the motherboard's website. Is it ok for me to buy ram not on that list? If so, would 3200mhx (8gbx8) be the way to go? I am considering https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-64gb...&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-HTya.IztKSuDrBklO_ZiFg Thanks again.
 
Yes the Ripjaws are good as a matching quad channel kit and CLl14 will provide excellent performance.
As the cost for the kit is high, Just make sure you can return the kit should they not play fair.
It may take a little tweaking in Bios to get them stable at 3200MHz should any XMP or D.O.C.P profile not work.
The MB QVL is probably not up to date however I would update your Bios and Chipset. You can update via the rear IO panel using flashback.
Current Bios is 1402 for improved RAM performance and stability.
 
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mikewinddale

Distinguished
Dec 22, 2016
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For maximum performance, you need to populate 8 DIMMs to get 8 channel memory.

Read the motherboard manual before you buy a motherboard. The section on RAM should have recommendations. But I guarantee you it will tell you to populate all 8 DIMMs. Right now, there are 3 motherboards for the ThreadRipper Pro: see here for Anandtech's summary of the three.

But here's my personal recommendation: to preserve the option to upgrade in the future, fill only 4 out of 8 slots. You'll "only" have 4 channels of memory, but that's still as many as a ThreadRipper non-Pro, and twice a Ryzen. So it's not as if you'll be sacrificing a ton of performance. And in return, you'll have empty slots, so you'll be able to upgrade your RAM capacity in the future without throwing any current RAM away.

Also, the ThreadRipper Pro supports ECC RDIMMs. So I recommend buying registered memory - such as 4x16 GB. That way, if you ever want to upgrade to ludicrous RAM, you can add a few more sticks of registered memory, such as 4x64 GB. You can't mix unregistered and registered memory, so if you ever decide to upgrade to ludicrous capacity but you have unregistered memory, you'll have to get rid of the unregistered and start anew. But if you start out with 4x16 GB of registered ECC, you can always add 4 more sticks of registered memory without having to throw away the RAM you'll already have.

In my own personal ThreadRipper Pro 3955WX, I installed 4x64 GB ECC RDIMM.