[SOLVED] Using RAM with a higher voltage than CPU (Best memory for a 12900k workstation/gaming pc?)

[rushrage]

Hey y'all, I'm trying to build a system for gaming, rendering, game dev, and 3d modeling. My CPU is going to be either a 12900k or 12400kf (with a RTX 3090 Ti).

I've been looking into ram and though I would go for DDR4 and 2x16GB, with a speed of 3600 and CL14 memory (I chose the G.Skill TridentZ RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL14 Memory).

But when I added the ram to my build (on PCPartPicker) I got a warning that the operating voltage of the memory (1.45 V) exceeded the recommended maximum of the Intel Alder Lake CPU (1.35 V):

So I thought, easy—I'll just find a different stick of memory with 1.35 V while still maintain a speed of 3600 and CL14 memory. Wrong! It seems like at the lower voltage I have to sacrifice either speed or CL memory.

For example, the best sticks that I could find the the G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory (keeps the speed but losses CL) and G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL14 Memory (maintains most of the CL but losses a lot of speed).

Is it better to shoot for speed vs CL memory? Or to buy the original stick (PCPartPicker said, "This memory module may run at a reduced clock rate to meet the 1350 mv voltage recommendation, or may require running at a voltage greater than the Intel recommended maximum.")? But would using ram with a higher voltage be worse than just taking the hit and buying cheaper ram?

Price isn't too much of an issue, and I wasn't really planning on overclocking at all.

I'm pretty new to memory and just don't want to bottleneck anything unnecessarily.
Thank you so much for your help!

 

[Eximo]

Well, I would say you are going down the wrong path in a few areas.

You have Ryzen 7000 which launched yesterday, and Intel 13th generation October 20th. So either a 16 core 7950x or a 24 core (8p/16e) core 13900K available soon. You also have the RTX 4090 which launched, which puts the 3090Ti to shame for the same price.

In terms of power supply, there should be the new ATX 3.0 spec on the market which has direct connection support for the new PCIe 5.0 16-pin power connector.

Not sure why those particular sticks need 1.45 volts, seems high to me. Still you can also opt for DDR5 5600.

I'll put together a short list of options that would make more sense.

 

[Eximo]

RTX 4090 hasn't shown up on other retailers yet, but shouldn't be long.

Mind these are cheaper than the 3090Ti you were looking at. Though Best Buy does have the 3090Ti Founder's Edition at $1100 now.

RTX 4090 Liquid cooled - But is MSI which matches your motherboard, and the power supply I selected ($1750)
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/msi-nv...ess-4-0-graphics-card/6522334.p?skuId=6522334

Regular RTX 4090 - I like the Gigabyte one, but there is also an air cooled MSI. (both $1600)
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/gigaby...-windforce-fans-black/6521517.p?skuId=6521517

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/msi-nvidia-geforce-rtx-4090-24gb-gddr6x-gaming-trio-pci-express-4-0-graphics-card/6522371.p?skuId=6522371

CPU is a place holder for the 13900K. I can do an alternative AMD build if you like, though motherboard prices are still quite extreme.

I don't know if that power supply is any good, but it does have the new power connector. You would have to add another $200 to get one of the Seasonic Primes, they have two though, which is a lot (1300W PSU and up)

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K 3.2 GHz 16-Core Processor ($579.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 72.8 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($116.91 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI MPG Z690 EDGE WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($274.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-5600 CL30 Memory ($419.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($234.86 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 5000D AIRFLOW ATX Mid Tower Case ($158.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: MSI A1000G PCIE5 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($199.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1985.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-09-29 13:13 EDT-0400

 

[gskill support]

Hey y'all, I'm trying to build a system for gaming, rendering, game dev, and 3d modeling. My CPU is going to be either a 12900k or 12400kf (with a RTX 3090 Ti).

I've been looking into ram and though I would go for DDR4 and 2x16GB, with a speed of 3600 and CL14 memory (I chose the G.Skill TridentZ RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL14 Memory).

But when I added the ram to my build (on PCPartPicker) I got a warning that the operating voltage of the memory (1.45 V) exceeded the recommended maximum of the Intel Alder Lake CPU (1.35 V):

So I thought, easy—I'll just find a different stick of memory with 1.35 V while still maintain a speed of 3600 and CL14 memory. Wrong! It seems like at the lower voltage I have to sacrifice either speed or CL memory.

For example, the best sticks that I could find the the G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory (keeps the speed but losses CL) and G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL14 Memory (maintains most of the CL but losses a lot of speed).

Is it better to shoot for speed vs CL memory? Or to buy the original stick (PCPartPicker said, "This memory module may run at a reduced clock rate to meet the 1350 mv voltage recommendation, or may require running at a voltage greater than the Intel recommended maximum.")? But would using ram with a higher voltage be worse than just taking the hit and buying cheaper ram?

Price isn't too much of an issue, and I wasn't really planning on overclocking at all.

I'm pretty new to memory and just don't want to bottleneck anything unnecessarily.
Thank you so much for your help!

High / extreme performance kits will commonly be higher than Intel recommended as that is compared to standard specs. XMP, overclocking, pushing limits is about going higher than standard.

As long as you use a combination listed on the G.Skill QVL or RAM Configurator, full XMP specifications should work great.

https://www.gskill.com/qvl/165/166/1620975274/F4-3600C14D-32GTZRA-Qvl

https://www.gskill.com/configurator