[SOLVED] RAM recommendation for Ryzen 9 3950x

[lriuui0x0]

I'd like some good RAM recommendations for Ryzen 9 3950x. It seems that 16GB 3600hz ddr4 with cl18 is considerably cheaper than cl16 ones. I find it's very hard to find good guide on RAM with the best value.

 

[Phaaze88]

The best is going to be a dual channel 3600mhz CL16, but those are pricey...
There are the cheaper 3600 CL18s and 19s, but with timings that loose, you'd save more money and wouldn't miss out on much with a dual channel 3200 CL16 kit.

So:
-3600 CL16, or 3200 CL14, for the best plug-n-play option
-3200 CL16 for the best value plug-n-play option

 

[TechyInAZ]

If you're using B450 or X470 boards with the 3950x, only use 3200mhz or 3466mhz kits at most.

If X570 go with a standard 3600 CL16 kit. However stuff like CL18-21-21-40 aren't that bad. You can go CL18 and be fine. It's just the CL16 is mostly recommended because it's popular and it's the fastest 3600mhz latency around right now. Basically has similar latency to 3200mhz CL16 which isn't bad.

 

[sizzling]

If you're using B450 or X470 boards with the 3950x, only use 3200mhz or 3466mhz kits at most.

If X570 go with a standard 3600 CL16 kit. However stuff like CL18-21-21-40 aren't that bad. You can go CL18 and be fine. It's just the CL16 is mostly recommended because it's popular and it's the fastest 3600mhz latency around right now. Basically has similar latency to 3200mhz CL16 which isn't bad.

Why would you only use 3200 or 3466 on a B450 & X470?

 

[TechyInAZ]

Why would you only use 3200 or 3466 on a B450 & X470?

Much higher chance of unstable RAM at 3600. The nice thing with X570 is that the memory tracing is much improved over older boards, allowing super high frequencies like 3600-4200mhz.

Basically all B450 boards and most X470 boards don't even support 3600mhz on the DIMM slots themselves. (Of course this doesn't mean it WON'T run, just means they aren't rated for it.)

So you can run 3600mhz for sure on previous gen mobos, but much higher chance of it not working and you having to downclock to 3466mhz.

And 3600MHz CL16 isn't even that great of a performance bump over 3200MHz CL16, so gambling that 3600mhz will work on B450/X470 for a 3rd gen CPU in my opinion is just a waste of time.

 

[sizzling]

Much higher chance of unstable RAM at 3600. The nice thing with X570 is that the memory tracing is much improved over older boards, allowing super high frequencies like 3600-4200mhz.

Basically all B450 boards and most X470 boards don't even support 3600mhz on the DIMM slots themselves. (Of course this doesn't mean it WON'T run, just means they aren't rated for it.)

So you can run 3600mhz for sure on previous gen mobos, but much higher chance of it not working and you having to downclock to 3466mhz.

And 3600MHz CL16 isn't even that great of a performance bump over 3200MHz CL16, so gambling that 3600mhz will work on B450/X470 for a 3rd gen CPU in my opinion is just a waste of time.

I’m not sure if this is unusual but the B450 Tomahawk Max claims to support up to 4133mhz https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B450-TOMAHAWK-MAX

I have mine running at 3600mhz but that’s a set of 3200mhz I overclocked. Just I never heard this about the boards, read a few things about 1000 & 2000 series CPUs but not the boards.

 

[TechyInAZ]

Yeah the B450 Max boards are very unusual. Basically MSI's making baby B550 boards which is essentially what they are.

300 chipset vs 400 chipset memory support was a major feature differential too. 300 series boards had weaker memory support (weaker tracing) vs 400 chipset boards. 1usmus who makes the RYZEN DRAM calculator goes over this in his memory OC guide.

So yes memory compatibility is definitely board related. Fortunately, boards are really frequency limited, timings wise, you'll usually run into a RAM/CPU limit before the board limits tight timings.

 

[SFPCIT]

Ryzens do better with faster ram. Answer:
Asfast as you can possibly afford, with as low a latency you can get . Also, don't waste the money on the ryzen 3XXX if you aren't going to go DDR5, that's kinda the point, isn't it?