Question Which one of these RAM kits should I get?

[monere]

Hey guys!

I've been hunting for a RAM kit for my new build and after 2 days of price hunting and research I've come to the conclusion that these are the best candidates for what I'm having in mind:

Kingston Fury Renegade (model number: KF436C16RB1K2/32)
G.Skill Ripjaws V (model number: F4-3600C16D-32GVKC)
Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO RT Gunmetal (model number: CMN32GX4M2Z3600C16)

I've already gotten the CPU (Ryzen 5 5600), and the GPU (XFX RX 570 RS) while the MoBo (AsRock B550M Steel Legend) is on its way. So, while I'm waiting for the MoBo to arrive I have hunted for the RAM kits, like I said, but I can't decide between these 3 since they all seem almost identical in features (minus the RGB of the Corsairs which I would like to have).

I did do some research online for these but, unfortunately, all of these come with negative reviews (actually, I've not seen a single kit or brand of the 20-30 that I've researched over the last 2-3 days that hasn't had a single negative review), so yeah... I can't really differentiate them based on reviews

What I would like to ask you is which one of these 3 kits do you recommend considering that I DO intend to overclock both the CPU and the RAM (and even the GPU if it can be OC'd)? Based on the aforementioned, I am looking for system stability and low temperatures mostly since the performance is more than guaranteed for my basic needs by the OC-ing of these 3 components (CPU, GPU and RAM)?

What do you guys say? Which RAM kit should I get? Please let me know your expert opinions, and thanks in advance

 

[Darkbreeze]

Well, I'll tell you right off the bat that Kingston Fury and Hyper X kits tend to have a MUCH lower success rate of compatibility, when used with Ryzen platforms. Corsair Vengeance kits are VERY hit or miss on Ryzen platforms as well, even if there has been indication of compatibility to be found, as Corsair has a bad habit of changing the IC's (Memory chips) used on a specific kit model from time to time which means even a kit that is on the QVL or is listed by Corsair as compatible with a given board, might not be after subsequent production runs.

And the G.Skill kit you have listed is specifically NOT indicated as compatible by G.Skill for that board even with 5000 series Ryzen CPUs.

It is always best to try, whenever possible, to stick to memory kits that are on the motherboard QVL list OR are listed as compatible with that board by the memory manufacturer. This makes it, especially and primarily, for Ryzen, much preferred to stick to G.Skill, Crucial and Corsair kits as they have their own compatibility lists/utilities on their websites (G.Skill memory configurator, Crucial memory advisor, Corsair memory finder) unlike basically all other memory manufacturers or brands.

Foremost is probably what country you are in, because what's available in one region often is not available in another.

 

[Lafong]

Did you eliminate G Skill RGB choices for some reason?

I would never expect to find a RAM kit without negative reviews. Or any PC hardware for that matter.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I would never expect to find a RAM kit without negative reviews. Or any PC hardware for that matter.

I agree. And especially in this case, I'd ignore them, because if you're seeing poor reviews for G.Skill Ripjaws, then that is a person or site I'd avoid listening to ever again since G.Skill is just about the most reliable memory manufacturer out there for aftermarket memory and so long as you choose a kit model that is verified as compatible, you'd be VERY hard pressed to find better memory than Ripjaws or Trident kits without spending WAY more money, and maybe not even then. Although, keep in mind, just like any other brand they have both very good and very mediocre kit models that are part of any memory "series" they sell.

The idea that you get what you pay for usually very much applies when it comes to memory kits, but you can still get very decent memory that isn't terribly far behind what a more expensive kit might run, for a reasonable price.

 

[geofelt]

Ryzen is very particular about ram.
And performance benefits from fast ram.

Buy only an explicitly supported ram kit.
Either on the motherboard ram QVL support list for your mobo/cou combo.
Or... explicitly supported by the ram vendor on their support site.

 

[monere]

Well, I'll tell you right off the bat that Kingston Fury and Hyper X kits tend to have a MUCH lower success rate of compatibility, when used with Ryzen platforms. Corsair Vengeance kits are VERY hit or miss on Ryzen platforms as well, even if there has been indication of compatibility to be found, as Corsair has a bad habit of changing the IC's (Memory chips) used on a specific kit model from time to time which means even a kit that is on the QVL or is listed by Corsair as compatible with a given board, might not be after subsequent production runs.

And the G.Skill kit you have listed is specifically NOT indicated as compatible by G.Skill for that board even with 5000 series Ryzen CPUs.

It is always best to try, whenever possible, to stick to memory kits that are on the motherboard QVL list OR are listed as compatible with that board by the memory manufacturer. This makes it, especially and primarily, for Ryzen, much preferred to stick to G.Skill, Crucial and Corsair kits as they have their own compatibility lists/utilities on their websites (G.Skill memory configurator, Crucial memory advisor, Corsair memory finder) unlike basically all other memory manufacturers or brands.

Foremost is probably what country you are in, because what's available in one region often is not available in another.

damn, you've given it to me blunt! After 2 days of trying to come up with the elixir of life here comes you telling me that it's just piss LOL. But I appreciate you saving me from throwing money at garbage, no worries

I am from Romania and there are a lot of options for RAM in here, but they are incredibly expensive for me at this very moment as I've decided to invest more into a good PSU. So I can't go over $100 (give or take $5)...

Anyway, what do you recommend in this price range, I'll see if I can locate it...

Did you eliminate G Skill RGB choices for some reason?

nope! On the contrary, I would LOVE to have RGB, but after rigurous research (or so I thought lol), these are the kits that I was left with. As you can see the Corsair does have RGB, so I've not dismissed them at all, it's just that I didn't find any suitable RGB kits in my price range ($100). But hey, if you can find me stable OClable kits with RGB that are $100 I'll take them

I would never expect to find a RAM kit without negative reviews. Or any PC hardware for that matter.

https://i.postimg.cc/zX8hkJZb/so-it-would-seem.gif

I agree. And especially in this case, I'd ignore them, because if you're seeing poor reviews for G.Skill Ripjaws, then that is a person or site I'd avoid listening to ever again since G.Skill is just about the most reliable memory manufacturer out there for aftermarket memory and so long as you choose a kit model that is verified as compatible, you'd be VERY hard pressed to find better memory than Ripjaws or Trident kits without spending WAY more money, and maybe not even then.

noted!

Ryzen is very particular about ram.
And performance benefits from fast ram.

🙁

Buy only an explicitly supported ram kit.
Either on the motherboard ram QVL support list for your mobo/cou combo.
Or... explicitly supported by the ram vendor on their support site.

ok, back to the drawing board then...

Do you have a recommended brand that you know from experience that is usually stable with my MoBo / CPU combo?? Or a few brands that I should focus on? Because there are dozens of them, and I don't have any history with any of them. My current PC (which has been built in 2013 I believe) has been using a Kingmax DDR3 kit that it doesn't even exist anymore. This is my only personal experience with RAM brands, so any tip that can point me in the right direction is welcome!

 

[Lafong]

I'd try to find a G Skill or Corsair kit that was IN FACT mentioned as compatible with your motherboard at G Skill or Corsair web sites.

Those choices may collide with your budget limit or they may lack RGB.

You might be forced to choose between:

1; increasing your budget
2; omitting the RGB requirement
3; accepting "slower" RAM to stay within your budget
4; taking more risk on RAM incompatibility than you'd prefer.

 

[Darkbreeze]

This kit is fully compatible with your board and CPU combination, and while it is slower than the kits you listed at only 3200MT/s, it also has a lower CL latency, making it actually about the same speed as those 3600MT/s CL19 kits that I'm seeing from G.Skill, Corsair, Teamgroup and Kingston, within your price range. Yes, there are other memory kits that are 3600MT/s with CL16 latency, but they are either not compatible or outside your price range you listed. This is a very high quality kit, is available in your region and will work perfectly fine with your platform. I've used this memory kit with several 5600G based systems on a number of X570 and B450 and B550 boards with great success.

PCPartPicker Part List

Memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory (436.98RON @ PC Garage)
Total: 436.98RON
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-10-30 20:24 EET+0200


If you can stretch the budget to about 130 US dollar equivalent, I can probably find a 3600MT/s CL16 kit that would be somewhat faster, but honestly it's not going to be TERRIBLY faster so it then becomes a question of whether the additional cost is worth it and for most people the answer is no, unless you have no budgetary restrictions or are an extreme memory snob like me, when working on my own systems. Even I'm hard pressed to spend much more than I have to if it's only going to net me gains no synthetic benchmarks and not actually allow me to "feel" a difference in how snappy the system is.

 

[monere]

I'd try to find a G Skill or Corsair kit that was IN FACT mentioned as compatible with your motherboard at G Skill or Corsair web sites.

Those choices may collide with your budget limit or they may lack RGB.

You might be forced to choose between:

1; increasing your budget
2; omitting the RGB requirement
3; accepting "slower" RAM to stay within your budget
4; taking more risk on RAM incompatibility than you'd prefer.

got it!

I can give up RGB if anything, but I won't accept taking risks. Given that it's the 1st time in my life that I use AMD and that I OC stuff I think that this is enough risk already 😛

Why did you put "slower" in quotes? What's the catch here??

This kit is fully compatible with your board and CPU combination, and while it is slower than the kits you listed at only 3200MT/s, it also has a lower CL latency, making it actually about the same speed as those 3600MT/s CL19 kits that I'm seeing from G.Skill, Corsair, Teamgroup and Kingston, within your price range.

PCPartPicker Part List

Memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory (436.98RON @ PC Garage)
Total: 436.98RON
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-10-30 20:24 EET+0200

yeah, I saw that kit coming up numerous times during my research. And I like it (although I won't buy it from PCG since this site has negative reputation here in Romania), but the problem that doesn't sit well with me is the frequency (3200) because I've heard numerous people (even on this forum if memory serves me well) saying how you can only get the best performance from a Ryzen CPU if you pair it with 3600 MHz kits, which is why I'm only searching for 3600 RAMs now...

But I appreciate the suggestion, but I don't think I'll go with 3200 RAM...

Yes, there are other memory kits that are 3600MT/s with CL16 latency, but they are either not compatible or outside your price range you listed.

how much out of range are we talking about?

This is a very high quality kit, is available in your region and will work perfectly fine with your platform. I've used this memory kit with several 5600G based systems on a number of X570 and B450 and B550 boards with great success.

yeah man, but they're 3200 MHz 🙁

I'll check G.Skill's site and see if I can find anything at 3600 MHz...

 

[Lafong]

got it!

😛

Why did you put "slower" in quotes? What's the catch here??

Because there is a difference between:

1; slower as measured by this benchmark

2; slower as measured by that benchmark

3; slower as measured by your preferred measuring method

4; slower that you could personally detect by using your PC as you normally would. Suppose you had 2 identical PCs side by side doing identical tasks. They differ only in RAM A versus RAM B. Could you tell the difference if you did not know which was which? Some people are so concerned with RAM that they would be unhappy with the "slower" RAM even if they admitted they could not tell which was which.

Maybe you are such a person. Maybe not. If you are, then you face the issue of buyer's remorse. "Yeah, I can't tell the difference, but I still wish I bought the "faster" RAM".

 

[Darkbreeze]

You can, but it's going to cost more if you want a 3600MT/s kit with a CL16 latency. And if you go with anything higher than a CL16 latency, then the 3200MT/s kit is likely going to be the same or FASTER, because it will have a lower True latency.

How fast a memory kit is depends only somewhat on the clock frequency of that kit. The timings often have considerable input on the true latency, and therefore the ACTUAL speed that it all translates to.

Here's the deal.

1 / Frequency (not DDR) x Latency = True Latency (nanoseconds).

Stock 3200 @ 14 is faster than Stock 3600 @ 16:

1 / 1.600GHz x 14 = 8.75nS
1 / 1.800GHz x 16 = 8.89nS

So you have to take that into consideration as well. In this light, a 3200MT/s CL16 kit is potentially identical because using the true latency formula that kit would have a true latency of 10 while a 3600MT/S CL18 kit ALSO has a true latency of 10.

1 / 1.6MT/s x 16 = 10nS
1 / 1.8MT/s x 18 = 10nS

They are the same speed once you factor in the lower latency. Plus, a MUCH higher quality kit, as the Trident Z sticks are generally a moderate step up in quality over most of the Ripjaws, almost any of the Vengeance kits, and I'd take even Ripjaws over almost anything sold by Kingston, Teamgroup, Patriot, etc. just on build quality alone.

If you get a 3600MT/s CL19 kit, which probably won't play nice on a Ryzen platform anyhow as they tend to not like kits with the odd numbered latencies for the most part, then it would actually be SLOWER than the 3200MT/s CL16 kit. And if you can find a 3200MT/s CL14 kit, then that is not only going to almost certainly be a Samsung B-die kit, but it's going to also be faster than anything else mentioned here. Again, not be so much that you'll ever REALLY notice it, but factually, it will probably provide measurably better results in synthetic benchmarks.

 

[monere]

Some people are so concerned with RAM that they would be unhappy with the "slower" RAM even if they admitted they could not tell which was which.

I guess I'm one of those people 😛 ... But damn it, I want only the best for my PC, can I be blamed for this?

Maybe you are such a person. Maybe not. If you are, then you face the issue of buyer's remorse. "Yeah, I can't tell the difference, but I still wish I bought the "faster" RAM".

😀 (I guess I'm a stereotype, huh? 😛)

You can, but it's going to cost more if you want a 3600MT/s kit with a CL16 latency. And if you go with anything higher than a CL16 latency, then the 3200MT/s kit is likely going to be the same or FASTER, because it will have a lower True latency.

How fast a memory kit is depends only somewhat on the clock frequency of that kit. The timings often have considerable input on the true latency, and therefore the ACTUAL speed that it all translates to.

Here's the deal.

1 / Frequency (not DDR) x Latency = True Latency (nanoseconds).

Stock 3200 @ 14 is faster than Stock 3600 @ 16:

1 / 1.600GHz x 14 = 8.75nS
1 / 1.800GHz x 16 = 8.89nS

So you have to take that into consideration as well. In this light, a 3200MT/s CL16 kit is potentially identical because using the true latency formula that kit would have a true latency of 10 while a 3600MT/S CL18 kit ALSO has a true latency of 10.

1 / 1.6MT/s x 16 = 10nS
1 / 1.8MT/s x 18 = 10nS

They are the same speed once you factor in the lower latency. Plus, a MUCH higher quality kit, as the Trident Z sticks are generally a moderate step up in quality over most of the Ripjaws, almost any of the Vengeance kits, and I'd take even Ripjaws over almost anything sold by Kingston, Teamgroup, Patriot, etc. just on build quality alone.

If you get a 3600MT/s CL19 kit, which probably won't play nice on a Ryzen platform anyhow as they tend to not like kits with the odd numbered latencies for the most part, then it would actually be SLOWER than the 3200MT/s CL16 kit. And if you can find a 3200MT/s CL14 kit, then that is not only going to almost certainly be a Samsung B-die kit, but it's going to also be faster than anything else mentioned here. Again, not be so much that you'll ever REALLY notice it, but factually, it will probably provide measurably better results in synthetic benchmarks.

I never considered CL18 kits, so the comparison is not meaningful. But I got what you're saying, no worries

Suppose I do pick the 3200 kit (although I dread it, not gonna lie): will this at least keep my system stable? Stable as in: I activate XMP (or whatever the name is, I understood that it has different names based on the MoBo's brand), I log into Win / Linux (whichever I prefer as I will be dual-booting the hell out of this computer) and I am able to run everything PERFECTLY for 10 years straight without shutting down the computer once? I am stretching it a little bit, but the point I'm trying to make is that - since this is the 1st time I'm overclocking and toying with volts and higher temps, etc - I might screw things up and I don't want to short the components (in this case the RAM kit) due to some dumb mistake that I will probably make? And I also don't want to get BSODs and crashes / freezes and the SSDs not being recognized and whatnot. Does that Z Trident kit guarantee complete and eternal system stability if I activate XMP and then dual boot in whichever OS I feel like using for that day?

 

[Darkbreeze]

and I am able to run everything PERFECTLY for 10 years straight without shutting down the computer once?

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, now you're just trolling huh? Yeah right. So when you find ANY system that meets those requirements, you let me, and the rest of us, know. I won't hold my breath, that's for sure.

I don't care if you spend ten grand on a system with enterprise hardware and the best ECC memory money can buy, THAT, is not going to happen. In fact, I don't care what hardware you buy, you aren't going to make it past the first cumulative Windows update without having to do that AND more importantly, you're never in the modern world going to find a system that does not at some point have some kind of stability issue, at least temporarily, due to something in a Microsoft or hardware manufacturer driver update, or a bug in the BIOS, or any of twenty other things.

If you think you are ever going to find this, you are going to be a very angry individual when reality sinks in. And for the record, running SLOWER memory isn't going to ever affect system stability when compared to a faster kit. The opposite will actually be true. Any system is far more likely to be moderately more stable running it's memory kit at the native speed (2100-3200MT/s generally for DDR4 depending on the generation and platform) than it it will at the XMP, A-XMP, D.O.C.P, AMP or EXPO configuration with it's higher clock frequency and tighter timings.

LOL. That literally almost made me spit coffee out my nose though, so kudos for the laugh even though I know that's not what you intended. Sorry, wasn't trying to make any fun of you either, just, it was funny though.

 

[USAFRet]

and I am able to run everything PERFECTLY for 10 years straight without shutting down the computer once?

No.

Software updates, particularly the OS, require a reboot once in a while.
Not necessarily "often", but at least a few times a year.

 

[monere]

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, now you're just trolling huh? Yeah right. So when you find ANY system that meets those requirements, you let me, and the rest of us, know. I won't hold my breath, that's for sure.

I don't know why you think I'm trolling but if I troll the people that want to help me God will punish me, that's one of my life's mottos. So no, I'm not trolling 😛

I only wanted to make a point: that I want everything to run perfectly and be stable, I've been saving this money to buy this new PC for the last 2.5 years, it's obvious that I don't want to buy a component that fries my entire computer

In fact, I don't care what hardware you buy, you aren't going to make it past the first cumulative Windows update without having to do that AND more importantly, you're never in the modern world going to find a system that does not at some point have some kind of stability issue, at least temporarily, due to something in a Microsoft or hardware manufacturer driver update, or a bug in the BIOS, or any of twenty other things.

man, I don't care about minor things like bugs and updates and whatnot, My main concern is malfunctioning the components. Given how slow and sneaky the companies here are in replace broken components / fulfilling the warranties if I risk frying one of the components I'll never have it replaced because they will try to put the guilt on me and since I'm not a tech-savvy person I will most likely take the loss while they laugh behind my back. I couldn't care less about their laughs, but I've been saving this money for nearly 3 years and I'd dread having to lose even one component in the 1st few years of use, that's why I am so freaked out and I seek stability and safety over everything else...

If you think you are ever going to find this, you are going to be a very angry individual when reality sinks in. And for the record, running SLOWER memory isn't going to ever affect system stability when compared to a faster kit. The opposite will actually be true. Any system is far more likely to be moderately more stable running it's memory kit at the native speed (2100-3200MT/s generally for DDR4 depending on the generation and platform) than it it will at the XMP, A-XMP, D.O.C.P, AMP or EXPO configuration with it's higher clock frequency and tighter timings.

got it!

LOL. That literally almost made me spit coffee out my nose though, so kudos for the laugh even though I know that's not what you intended. Sorry, wasn't trying to make any fun of you either, just, it was funny though.

yeah, that wasn't my intention, but glad that you've got a chuckle. Life is short (and ugly), man! Let's make the best of it

No.

Software updates, particularly the OS, require a reboot once in a while.
Not necessarily "often", but at least a few times a year.

oooffff... I was just trying to make a point and you guys took it literally. Nevermind...

I kind of found out what I needed to know, so everything is good now... (I'll check the QVL lists of G Skill and Corsair to see if I can find any kit that works at 3600 MHz, and if I'm not finding anything decent I'll just go with the 3200 Trident things, as much as I hate it)

Thanks for the help everyone! Cheers!

 

[Darkbreeze]

And that's assuming you never encounter trouble with any Windows update, outdated or conflicting drivers, CPU errata, bugs or lack of support for a newer component in the BIOS, problem with other software AFTER Windows decides to change the way it does something or any of a hundred other common problems that might result in an error, restart or conflict. And also 100% assuming that you don't change ANY other hardware in this system over the next ten years, which seems unrealistic to me.

 

[USAFRet]

oooffff... I was just trying to make a point and you guys took it literally. Nevermind...

Well...we HAVE had people come here with that mindset.

All we out here have to go by is what YOU write.


But to your "10 year" thing....how well do you suppose a PC from 2013 will run with modern games or other top end software?

For trivial things, sure. But beyond that, no.

 

[Darkbreeze]

RAM Configurator - G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd.

Find compatible memory kits for your motherboard. Just select the motherboard from the dropdown list and click on Search for a list of compatible G.SKILL memory kits.

www.gskill.com

https://www.corsair.com/us/en/c/memory?type=findbycompatibility

Crucial Upgrade Selector Tool

Find your compatible DRAM and SSD upgrades with the Crucial Upgrade Selector Tool. This advisor tool helps you find and compare Crucial products to decide which ones are right for you.

www.crucial.com

 

[monere]

Well...we HAVE had people come here with that mindset.

All we out here have to go by is what YOU write.

I guess...

But to your "10 year" thing....how well do you suppose a PC from 2013 will run with modern games or other top end software?

For trivial things, sure. But beyond that, no.

this one was able to run Subnautica (GotY 2018) pretty decently, although the GPU heated up and hummed like a tractor at times 😛

So, for about 5-6 years I would say, which is exactly how often I intend to buy new PCs from now on. I think 5 years is a good, round number to keep any PC if you can afford to build one with fresh components

RAM Configurator - G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd.

Find compatible memory kits for your motherboard. Just select the motherboard from the dropdown list and click on Search for a list of compatible G.SKILL memory kits.

www.gskill.com

https://www.corsair.com/us/en/c/memory?type=findbycompatibility

Crucial Upgrade Selector Tool

Find your compatible DRAM and SSD upgrades with the Crucial Upgrade Selector Tool. This advisor tool helps you find and compare Crucial products to decide which ones are right for you.

www.crucial.com

 

[Kona45primo]

F4-3600C16D-32GTZN​

16-16-16-36

If you're overclocking you might as well go with the tighter timings.

 

[monere]

F4-3200C16D-32GTZN​

16-18-18-38


or if you can spend a few more $$'s

F4-3600C16D-32GTZN​

16-16-16-36

that's not "a few more" money, it's 30% more money

But I appreciate the input, no worries! I know that these are the best kits for my system, but I've already settled for the 3200 MHz version for now. If it so happens that my retarded Romanians actually do something right and discount the products by 50% to 99% for BF like all normal societies do instead of jacking the prices up by 10%, I might actually get better deals on the RAM and PSU (the 2 most expensive components for me at the moment), but I'm not holding my breath on this...

Anyway, thanks again for the tip, much appreciated!

 

[Kona45primo]

Yeah, I was using "a few" rather loosely. Honestly I never really noticed much of a difference between ram. Now CPU & GPU were obvious.

 

[monere]

Yeah, I was using "a few" rather loosely. Honestly I never really noticed much of a difference between ram. Now CPU & GPU were obvious.

all good