Consider the setup for 3600mhz CL18 and 3200mhz CL16 on a 5600x display.
Consider the setup for 3600mhz CL18 and 3200mhz CL16 on a 5600x display.
Hey there, so I'm planning to upgrade to a 5600x this week and thought it'd be smart to boost my RAM too. Right now I'm using a 2600 with 3200mhz CL16, and seeing many people mention faster RAM has made me consider jumping to 3600mhz CL18. But I'm limited by budget—my best option is around 3600mhz CL18. After some research, it looks like switching from 3200 to 3600 on a 5600x doesn't really improve gaming performance much, especially at 1080p. Since I'm mainly focused on gaming at that resolution, I'm wondering if it's still worth the upgrade to CL18 or if sticking with my current setup will be fine. Thanks for any advice!
CL18 operating at 3600 MHz matches the same total latency as CL16 at 3200 MHz. Latency is expressed in clock cycles, meaning 18 cycles at 3600 MHz equal 10 nanoseconds, identical to 16 cycles at 3200 MHz, indicating consistent performance with a marginally quicker speed.
It really comes down to the GPU, I think an RTX 2070 probably won't make a big difference in memory usage.
The GPU plays a minimal role since the game runs at 1080p resolution.
Consider adjusting your existing DDR4-3200 setup using the Ryzen DRAM Calculator and Thaiphoon. I wouldn't switch to DDR-3600 or above unless you could actually save money—like by selling your 3200 kit to cover the expense of the 3600.
Consider checking for tighter timing on your existing setup. I've used it at 3400 CL16 before without any problems, though it wasn't a long-term solution—I was hesitant at the time. For my 3200 model, I'm looking at around $40, while the 3600 costs about $100.
I’m not necessarily limited, but most games I play don’t fully use the GPU at 100%. A quicker CPU would definitely assist, and if I can get optimal RAM to support that new CPU without extra costs, that would be a win. So, going back to my original question.