Compatibility with 9900K and Z390 RAM modules
Compatibility with 9900K and Z390 RAM modules
9900k works fine at 3600Mhz. It operates smoothly, though it might be a bit sluggish at 4000Mhz.
B-dies are low CL. So you are both in the same boat, the difference being he bought his RAM for a really good price. Now here's something interesting. In this current build I started with TridenX 16gb CL14 (B-die), and than sold it and bought 32gb CL16. My benchmarks reported faster speeds afterwards. Not sure why, but I'd wager Asus bios plays better with Corsair RAM. Edited September 28, 2020 by HumdrumPenguin
OP here... Just a brief update. I skipped the Corsair 3600MHz CL14. The $400 wasn’t worth it for 4x8GB of CL14 RAM. I went with Crucial Ballistix Elite 3600MHz CL16 for $150, which offers 4x8GB and runs at 3600 (XMP) as claimed. The system stays stable. I won’t try overclocking—it’s not my expertise. Performance didn’t improve much, but the slim design now fits my AIO neatly without touching the memory slots. My Geekbench 5 single-thread score stayed the same, though my multithread score jumped nearly 1000 points, which feels odd. Still, I’m okay with it.
The budget kit looks solid. Micron E-die seems to work fine. I suggested it recently and often recommend the 2x8GB version too. It should handle overclocking well. Memory overclocking can be tough, but some people really enjoy the challenge. Here’s a good starting point if you’re considering it.
Some believe the Corsair 3600 CL14 is a Samsung B-die, but honestly, the price makes it seem overkill. I’m unlikely to notice much improvement in performance either. Appreciate the info! Maybe I’ll test it this weekend.