Worth it to upgrade RAM? If so, to what?

[PopeCheese]

Current build:

MSI z170a Gaming M5
Gigabyte Aorus 1080 TI (non xtreme version)
7700k 4.8 GHz at 1.310 vcore with Noctua D14
Corsair RM650x
EVGA 16GB 2X8GB DDR4 2400 C15
Two Corsair ML140 Pro fans
Fractal Design Define C with window

I just upgraded from a 6600k and a 1070. The only thing left in my build that could use an upgrade would be my RAM.

I'm looking for suggestions. Of all PC components, I know the least about RAM. From what I've read, it seems as if certain RAM functions better with certain mobos and CPU's, but I'm not sure how to determine what would run best with my set up.

Things I am looking for/concerned about:

1) My heatsink is massive. My current RAM is pretty low profile and there is not too much room left. This is not a dealbreaker as the fans are adjustable. Technically I can fit any size RAM, as I can move the fan up on the heatsink as much as I need to, but I'd prefer to move them as little as possible so as not to reduce airflow through the heatsink itself.

2) I am not terribly concerned with getting the absolute highest speed out of my RAM. If I get a 3200 speed and I can only get it up to 3100, oh well. I'm not going to lose sleep about it.

3) I'm slightly worried about my PSU. I know it is a very quality unit, but the wattage is a bit low. I don't OC my GPU, but my temps are pretty good on it so I was thinking about it. Probably just a mild overclock, but still. I don't really know how much power draw is added when you overclock your components, be it RAM, CPU, or GPU.

4) I could care less about aesthetics. You can't see it under the heatsink fan anyway.



Lastly, like I said, I'm not terribly familiar with RAM, or OCing it. I overclock my RAM to 2400 right now but simply pressing the big glowing XMP on button in my bios. Will this be what I can expect to do with a 3000/3200 speed RAM, or do I need to delve further into it. What do I need to be aware of? Right now with XMP on, my cpu reaches no higher than the high 60's under extended load.

Thanks everyone in advance, Toms Hardware has been so helpful for me in my quest to upgrade so far.

 

[Karadjgne]

You'll not see much of any improvement in the vast majority of games, only a few really take any real advantage of high speed ram. That said, you already have 16Gb, it fits under your heatsink, so basically I personally would just leave well enough alone.
If anything, I'd look into multiple monitors, mechanical keyboards, gaming mice, headphones, storage upgrades etc

DDR4 is a base speed of 2133MHz. Intel eXtreme Memory Profile (XMP) can bump that up if it's supported by the ram. So if you have 2400, base is 2133, XMP profile 1 will be 2400. With 3000, base will be 2133, XMP profile 1 will be 3000, XMP profile 2 could be 2666, XMP profile 3 be 2400. You'll find all that information if you run cpu-z and look at the jadec tables. So yes, pretty much you can just use the bios (or button) to hit your wanted XMP profile.

 

[PopeCheese]

You'll not see much of any improvement in the vast majority of games, only a few really take any real advantage of high speed ram. That said, you already have 16Gb, it fits under your heatsink, so basically I personally would just leave well enough alone.
If anything, I'd look into multiple monitors, mechanical keyboards, gaming mice, headphones, storage upgrades etc

There is nothing else I want or need. I have 3 monitors, main one being 1440p 144hz Gsync and an SSD, Logitech G502 and a Corsair K70, and I forget what my headphones are called but they are new, and I like them a lot. I'm happy with all my peripherals and storage options.

At this point I'm looking to upgrade my RAM because well.... I've already upgraded everything else. It's the last piece left, and I just need to finish it

lol

 

[Karadjgne]

Well, did edit my post lol. But wow, nice. I'm jealous. You could always look into full custom loop, totally change the look of the entire build, and there's a constant learning curve that'll continue to evolve, unlike upgrading ram and wondering what's next?

Personally, I'm a fan of g-skill, the Sniper are low profile, I also like Patriot. If you went water cooled the Trident RGB are quite nice, with tailorable coloring.

 

[PopeCheese]

Well, did edit my post lol. But wow, nice. I'm jealous. You could always look into full custom loop, totally change the look of the entire build, and there's a constant learning curve that'll continue to evolve, u like upgrading ram and wondering what's next?

That will come on my next build in a few years. Right now I am only concerned with performance. I've come too far to start caring about aesthetics now, and my cooling is good as it is.

I see your edit. I appreciate the pointers. A couple questions though:

How much can I expect my CPU temps to raise when using XMP at 3000? I saw an increase of a couple degrees going to 2400. Also, does it increase power draw a lot?

Lastly, Do you have any suggestions as far as RAM which will work well with my CPU/MOBO?

 

[Karadjgne]

Power draw on ram is minimal, like 5w per stick so even running XMP, it'd not be much different than adding a case fan.

You have a kabylake cpu. Base speeds for the MC is 2400MHz for those cpus, so you've actually reached the 1:1 ratio, which includes easiest transmission to heat ratio. By going faster, you force the cpu (Memory Controller) to work harder, so naturally it'll get a little warmer. It ran cooler before XMP because at default 2133 it was half asleep and takin it easy. So yes, fast ram will bump temps, but with that cooler, not by anything dramatic. I oc'd my 1866 manually from 1600 default to 2400 and cpu only bumped 4° at best under load, about 2° idle, but voltage was 1.55v (280mm aio). So it's different for every setup, and different again because of setup.

Personal recommendation?
Memory: Team - Dark Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($184.99 @ Newegg)