F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop Compare 3000 CL16 and 3600 CL18 options to decide which fits your needs best.

Compare 3000 CL16 and 3600 CL18 options to decide which fits your needs best.

Compare 3000 CL16 and 3600 CL18 options to decide which fits your needs best.

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Rezay27
Junior Member
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28
03-05-2020, 05:50 AM
#1
Hey there, I chose to boost my RAM from 16 GB to 32 GB. I’m using a Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8GB 3200Mhz CL16 setup. Since my motherboard is a mini-ITX, I can’t install more than two DIMM slots, so adding another stick isn’t possible. I’m limited to the Vengeance LPX model because of space. I understand Ryzen demands are strict, and I’m worried the Cl18 3600 kit might hurt performance. I have two choices: Corsair Vengeance Lpx 32Gb (2 x 16Gb) DDR4 3600Mhz or Corsair Vengeance Lpx 32Gb (2 x 16Gb) DDR4 3000Mhz. My current specs are ASUS B550-i 5600X with RTX 3070. Which should I pick? Will the upgrade to 32GB CL18 bring noticeable gains over my existing 16GB CL16? Thanks!
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R
Rezay27
03-05-2020, 05:50 AM #1

Hey there, I chose to boost my RAM from 16 GB to 32 GB. I’m using a Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8GB 3200Mhz CL16 setup. Since my motherboard is a mini-ITX, I can’t install more than two DIMM slots, so adding another stick isn’t possible. I’m limited to the Vengeance LPX model because of space. I understand Ryzen demands are strict, and I’m worried the Cl18 3600 kit might hurt performance. I have two choices: Corsair Vengeance Lpx 32Gb (2 x 16Gb) DDR4 3600Mhz or Corsair Vengeance Lpx 32Gb (2 x 16Gb) DDR4 3000Mhz. My current specs are ASUS B550-i 5600X with RTX 3070. Which should I pick? Will the upgrade to 32GB CL18 bring noticeable gains over my existing 16GB CL16? Thanks!

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Firenovas
Junior Member
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44
03-05-2020, 12:53 PM
#2
Do you notice that 16gb isn't sufficient in general? A 3600 cl16 model will outperform a 3000 cl16 mainly due to speed, and the sweet spot for Ryzen is 3600 anyway. So switching to a 3600 model shouldn't cause any noticeable performance drops.
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Firenovas
03-05-2020, 12:53 PM #2

Do you notice that 16gb isn't sufficient in general? A 3600 cl16 model will outperform a 3000 cl16 mainly due to speed, and the sweet spot for Ryzen is 3600 anyway. So switching to a 3600 model shouldn't cause any noticeable performance drops.

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stevenAK47
Junior Member
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15
03-10-2020, 01:16 PM
#3
The 3600 kit over the 3000 kit doesn't show much difference in performance, mainly because the 3200 cl16 tends to beat the 3600 cl18. Don't get caught by focusing only on the tight clash range; the real impact comes from subtimings like trfc, sr dr dd r/w/pre/act, trrd-l/s, tfaw, twr, etc. These are less common but crucial for overall timing. It's not as often used as subtimings, so it's surprising that the primaries aren't prioritized enough when they're technically called the primaries (except for trcd on Intel). The secondaries and tertiaries actually matter more, but it's just how things are.
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stevenAK47
03-10-2020, 01:16 PM #3

The 3600 kit over the 3000 kit doesn't show much difference in performance, mainly because the 3200 cl16 tends to beat the 3600 cl18. Don't get caught by focusing only on the tight clash range; the real impact comes from subtimings like trfc, sr dr dd r/w/pre/act, trrd-l/s, tfaw, twr, etc. These are less common but crucial for overall timing. It's not as often used as subtimings, so it's surprising that the primaries aren't prioritized enough when they're technically called the primaries (except for trcd on Intel). The secondaries and tertiaries actually matter more, but it's just how things are.

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