3200Mhz paired with specific delays 16-18-18-36 versus 3600Mhz with delays 16-18-18-38
3200Mhz paired with specific delays 16-18-18-36 versus 3600Mhz with delays 16-18-18-38
Performance hinges more on clock speed than timing details, particularly subtimings. The key timing factor to focus on is the first one, called CAS Latency or CL. Even though both are CL16, a higher clock speed clearly outperforms, yet a 3600MHz CL18 would match the total latency of a 3200MHz CL16 while offering greater bandwidth.
On AMD systems, you can boost your infinity fabric speed to align with the 3600MHZ base clock and achieve a perfect 1:1 timing, just like with the 3200 without needing overclocking. I improved from 3600 to a 3600 kit with significantly better timing, though noticeable gains varied—some tasks ran noticeably smoother.
1:1 means comparing the FCLK chiplet connections to the memory speed. Ideally, these should match. For DDR4-3600, both need to be 1800MHz (DDR stands for double data rate, so 1800MHz doubled equals 3600). This is the standard FCLK ratio the motherboard should aim for when set to Auto.
Mine didn’t change by itself; I had to adjust it manually. Based on what I’ve noticed, most AMD Ryzen 3000 or 5000 chips can run smoothly at an 1800MHZ clock speed. You can go higher with faster RAM, but hitting that speed consistently can be tough or even unattainable. You’d likely lose some performance, though it probably wouldn’t be obvious. I’d expect only occasional tiny delays in games, which would probably go unnoticed.
Certainly! The standard setting is 1800, which corresponds to DDR3600. However, some users prefer 3200 for better performance.