Best RAM to upgrade to for 5900x?
Best RAM to upgrade to for 5900x?
Hey guys, I'm currently rocking a 2700X and some G.Skill DDR4-3600 18-22-22-42 running at 3200 16-18-18-38. I just bought a 5900X and I'm considering upgrading RAM as well. I've been out of the loop for a while now so I'm curious: 1. Is samsung B-die still a relevant thing to look for? More specifically, is ddr4 3200 cl14 still the highest binned RAM? 2. What's with all the 3600mhz cl 14 kits out there that seem to be discontinued? 3. Should I be getting the 4000mhz cl18 kits? Those are the cheapest and I assume the lowest binned... can the 5900x's infinity fabric even allow 4000mhz RAM? Ig overall I'm just figuring out what's the best 2x16GB kit for a 5900x assuming price and overclocking effort don't really matter (within reason).
My main needs for speed come from typical workloads. Mostly I run games (about half), work with C++ compilation (about forty percent), a little other languages (five percent), and occasionally edit videos on Sony Vegas (five percent).
Usually the weakest side is the lowest quality bin of B die. The optimal choice varies by maker, but for G.Skill it's often 4400MHz CL17 (though this model tends to be quite costly). Most commonly it caps around 3800MHz. A few processors can handle higher frequencies, but stability drops sharply above 3800MHz. I wouldn’t recommend swapping your RAM. In everyday use, the speed gap between 3600CL18 and 3800CL14 is usually only 5-10%, and in certain tasks it may not even noticeable. If you spot a good used B die, be aware many buyers who upgraded to DDR5 end up buying cheap refurbished units—some great deals exist, like getting a dual-rank kit for under $80 instead of the original $300. Otherwise, stick with what you have.
Upgrading to faster RAM speeds often doesn't pay off, especially if you're checking the specifications in the box. Most differences are seen in real-world tests rather than fake benchmarks. Spend your money elsewhere. I suggest getting a good meal instead.