News Ryzen 5000 RAM Guide: Find The Best RAM For Your Zen 3 CPU

[Admin]

We investigate the best memory frequency and configuration for the latest AMD Ryzen 5000 (Vermeer) CPUs.

Ryzen 5000 RAM Guide: Find The Best RAM For Your Zen 3 CPU : Read more

 

[escksu]

I don't really agree with the review in the sense that DDR3200 is the baseline... I would say its actually the sweet spot. Unless you have spare budget which cannot be used for anything else, then you spend it on upgrading your RAM.

Of course, what I am saying applies to mainstream users. If you are running photoshop or premiere or do video encoding frequently, I wouldn't consider you as mainstream user.

 

[damric]

It's a very weak article overall. Ever since they went to the format of "best of" links trying to sell you crap the content here has gone to hell.

 

[BogdanH]

I don't really agree with the review in the sense that DDR3200 is the baseline... I would say its actually the sweet spot.

I think it depends on what we understand as "baseline" and "sweet spot".

In that sense, I do see DDR3200 as baseline (a speed to start with). It doesn't really make sense, that someone who buys 5000 series CPU, would buy slower RAM -especially because price difference is quite small.

About "sweet spot"... just need to say I don't like that "fancy" term -because it tells nothing. Saying that, next step above "baseline" would be "advanced" or "professional" use -where DDR3600 suits best for performance and stability.

 

[danlw]

So in the single rank vs dual rank analysis we learn that... 32+GB is almost always better than 16GB?

 

[bigpinkdragon286]

Fine article, but does this differ much from previous Ryzen generations? I was under the impression it was sussed out already, RAM speed matters more with a Ryzen CPU than it's direct market competition, and 3200 MT/s is nearing that point of diminished returns. Yes, you can gain more, but the cost benefit analysis doesn't pencil well so one makes a personal judgement call whether to invest further. There is more performance to be had, but whether it's worth it is hardly something I would decide for others.

 

[VforV]

I think I stick to what Hardware Unboxed memory tests shown already. Plenty of videos on their channel.

About dual ranks vs single rank HU already proved that dual rank is faster most of the time and enough to be worth it, especially in gaming.

They also showed that 4 x 8GB SR sticks will work as DR automatically when used together. That's why it shows this even in your graph, but you failed to underline that and thus your conclusion was wrong. Or you just don't know, plain an simple.

As for frequency and timings these are by now almost accepted as an unspoken law:

• 3200 is base, 3600 is the sweet spot and anything above that is for enthusiast class.
• CL 18 is max accepted only at high frequencies, CL 16 is base at any speed and anything below that (CL15, CL14) is again, for enthusiast class.

 

[mathew7]

What I don't like about this "guide" is that they stick to the same numbers for latencies. They should stick to the same "time", not "cycle numbers".
CAS time is dependent only on memory voltage thus JEDEC speeds will have higher CAS times than XMP which is overvolted.
As in:

• CL15@2133 15/(2133/2)ms = 14ns (in this test)
• CL15@4000 15/(4000/2)ms= 7.5ns (in this test)
• CL8@2133 8/(2133/2)ms = 7.5ns (should been tested considering CL15@4000 runs)
• CL28@4000 28/(4000/2)ms = 14ns (or this should been tested if CL15 was best for 2133)

So for a "speed-only" comparison, CL should have been adjusted for each speed to be just above 7.5ns.

Just searched for "kingston DDR4 4000", and here are timings of HX440C19PB3AK2/16:
•JEDEC: DDR4-2400 CL17-17-17 @1.2V == CAS 14.1ns
•XMP Profile #1: DDR4-4000 CL19-21-21 @1.35V == CAS 9.5ns
•XMP Profile #2: DDR4-3600 CL17-18-18 @1.35V == CAS 9.4ns
See how 4000 has +2CL? CL18@4000 is 9ns.
Since you need to test high-speeds, then all tests would be with higher voltage. Thus 2133 would not be penalized so much.

The only real-world "benefit" is that whoever stays at 2133/2400/2666 will use JEDEC 1.2V and anybody who goes above 2800 will be 1.35V or more. But then again, who stays @JEDEC will not be looking at these graphs and/or know how to get to 4000. But even then, slower speeds are artificially penalized as JEDEC entries will have different timing numbers for different frequencies.

 

[creatorbros3]

I imagine these tests take some time to conduct. When may we see similar tests for Ryzen 7K or Intel 13K CPUs? Thank you for the valuable research you are able to conduct for us consumers. It is really appreciated.