F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop Choosing DDR5: What model should you opt for?

Choosing DDR5: What model should you opt for?

Choosing DDR5: What model should you opt for?

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TrainerGriffin
Member
233
01-31-2022, 02:08 AM
#1
I've had my computer fail so I thought about selling the old one and upgrading to DDR5. I'm planning to get a Z790 AX80 steel legend and am checking out DDR5 options for it. I'm looking at several sticks around 20 dollars each in price. I picked these because I have a white build and one that seems faster. I'm considering the Kingston models you mentioned, but I want to know if they really differ much or if buying the cheapest would be enough. I'm leaning toward Kingston since I like their look, even though I'm not really into RAM myself—I just use PC for gaming and plan to enable XMP. Also, does having UV on my CPU affect RAM performance?
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TrainerGriffin
01-31-2022, 02:08 AM #1

I've had my computer fail so I thought about selling the old one and upgrading to DDR5. I'm planning to get a Z790 AX80 steel legend and am checking out DDR5 options for it. I'm looking at several sticks around 20 dollars each in price. I picked these because I have a white build and one that seems faster. I'm considering the Kingston models you mentioned, but I want to know if they really differ much or if buying the cheapest would be enough. I'm leaning toward Kingston since I like their look, even though I'm not really into RAM myself—I just use PC for gaming and plan to enable XMP. Also, does having UV on my CPU affect RAM performance?

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Variiox
Member
180
01-31-2022, 04:09 AM
#2
The differences out of the box with those will be within a few percent in terms of real world performance. You can see for yourself in this testing by Hardware Unboxed: If the pricing is really close, I'd go with the DDR5-6400 CL32, just so you're basically guarenteed to be able to run it on your 13600K. Anything above DDR5-4800 is technically overclocking, and while most Intel CPUs can do DDR5-7200, there's a small chance that your CPU might not be able to handle it, and since there's no real performance difference, I would say it's not worth the risk - however small it might be. Unless, for some reason, the DDR5-7200 is cheaper, in which case, you can go with it and, if there's a problem, downclock the RAM a bit.
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Variiox
01-31-2022, 04:09 AM #2

The differences out of the box with those will be within a few percent in terms of real world performance. You can see for yourself in this testing by Hardware Unboxed: If the pricing is really close, I'd go with the DDR5-6400 CL32, just so you're basically guarenteed to be able to run it on your 13600K. Anything above DDR5-4800 is technically overclocking, and while most Intel CPUs can do DDR5-7200, there's a small chance that your CPU might not be able to handle it, and since there's no real performance difference, I would say it's not worth the risk - however small it might be. Unless, for some reason, the DDR5-7200 is cheaper, in which case, you can go with it and, if there's a problem, downclock the RAM a bit.

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Christos_jam
Junior Member
14
02-09-2022, 07:43 PM
#3
It shouldn't be like this. I want to highlight that the Intel memory controller varies a lot—over 1000MT/s differences between top and lowest CPUs. Running at 7200MT/s might be too much for many chips, making it hard to get reliable performance without extra work. If you're unsure about RAM specs, it's probably safer to skip it, especially if it's pricier than other options. For the 6400 CL32 versus 6000 CL30/32, the latter should perform slightly better, though not dramatically. If the 6400 models cost more than about $5 more than the 6000 ones, I’d stick with the cheaper ones (CL30 vs. CL32 should be similar). Regarding the Kingston versus G.Skill setups, the Kingston model has a better heat spreader and could handle higher voltages if you push it manually, but that’s not a big factor here since you’re not overclocking. I’d just go for the more affordable choice.
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Christos_jam
02-09-2022, 07:43 PM #3

It shouldn't be like this. I want to highlight that the Intel memory controller varies a lot—over 1000MT/s differences between top and lowest CPUs. Running at 7200MT/s might be too much for many chips, making it hard to get reliable performance without extra work. If you're unsure about RAM specs, it's probably safer to skip it, especially if it's pricier than other options. For the 6400 CL32 versus 6000 CL30/32, the latter should perform slightly better, though not dramatically. If the 6400 models cost more than about $5 more than the 6000 ones, I’d stick with the cheaper ones (CL30 vs. CL32 should be similar). Regarding the Kingston versus G.Skill setups, the Kingston model has a better heat spreader and could handle higher voltages if you push it manually, but that’s not a big factor here since you’re not overclocking. I’d just go for the more affordable choice.

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GreatElephantR
Junior Member
10
02-20-2022, 09:42 PM
#4
Thanks for the quick and thorough response. I’ll choose the Kingston 6000. The Kingston 6400 costs $20 more, so it’s not worth it.
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GreatElephantR
02-20-2022, 09:42 PM #4

Thanks for the quick and thorough response. I’ll choose the Kingston 6000. The Kingston 6400 costs $20 more, so it’s not worth it.