CPU Choice for 128GB DDR5
CPU Choice for 128GB DDR5
I'm designing a workstation for gaming and productivity, aiming for maximum memory performance while supporting 128GB of DDR5 RAM. The 13900k appears to be the top pick, boasting "128GB DDR5-5600 support" as advertised. I've watched some clips showing speeds around 6000 MT/s, though results can differ. The 7950x seems to lag significantly in memory capabilities, needing much slower rates. While I favor AMD's efficiency, the 13900k also offers lower idle power—valuable since the machine will mostly sit idle viewing VDI for work. In short, Intel seems more suitable for this mixed use case. Any advice?
Edit: If I can't secure the full 128GB, I might switch to 96GB using the 48GB DIMMs listed here:
https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-96gb/p/N82E16820374465
For 128GB, I'd consider the 64GB option:
https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-64gb-288-...6820374383
What scenario gives you the advantage of extra memory? Find out precisely how your applications gain from it. You won't be able to push past 4800mhz, probably. Microcenter ads are still in early stages, they rely on what sellers say without independent testing. It’s been tried by beginners and a handful of other creators, but you won’t achieve top performance with 4x32 dimms. 4x24 might work, but it won’t deliver the same results, and 2x48 is another option, though speeds won’t be exceptional and stability will be a concern. A workstation needs strong reliability over raw speed.
I use DaVinci Resolve, Blender, and develop software. I’m also exploring Unreal Engine. Running multiple apps at once is a habit, and I need to know the recommended CPU for a virtual machine.
Start with the basics—always close programs when not in use. Having extra RAM won<|pad|> can help slightly, but it won’t fix the core problems. Video editing is doable if you’re earning from it, but if you’re just doing it for fun without income, spending too much isn’t wise. A 64 GB setup is probably enough. VMs seem unnecessary unless you need a virtual environment for specific tasks. Unless you’re doing work that requires it, there’s little value in prioritizing one. When choosing a CPU, Intel is the better option, though even then it won’t offer much improvement. Jayz2Cents shared his experience with 128 GB RAM, which struggled to reach stable speeds above 4800 MHz. Level1Techs also found the same issue, confirming that 128 GB isn’t ideal beyond the minimum requirements.
Quad rank performance is currently at 5200, but 13th gen chips can sometimes behave unpredictably—memory stress tests show errors every 12 hours. Running at 4800 would be optimal for a 128GB RAM workstation on 13th gen, though I might slightly reduce it to 4400MT/s for safety. A 4x24 or 2x48GB configuration would improve results, and a 6800MT/s dual rank version offers better reliability. The 6400 CL32 model has a much higher success rate.
It seems the 48GB dimms can reach improved clock speeds. For 128GB? I’ve only seen users hitting around 4600–4800MHz with a bit of luck. From what I’ve noticed, higher speeds are possible with AMD, and some managed 5000MHz with both 128 and 192GB. The threads on the neighbor forum might help: the first one here and the second here. As someone who uses 128GB RAM, I’m a bit let down by the density and speeds on DDR5 systems, plus the challenges they bring. My 5950x ran smoothly at 3200MHz without any issues.
I strongly disagree with that point. Video editing tools can really consume memory when working with ProRes files. I discovered this, but later realized it might not be accurate since he checked performance using Task Manager. I’m now corrected on that, though I initially overlooked it. Tomorrow I’ll review the links more closely and might opt for 2 x 48 GB to avoid any trouble.
Again, you can make it WORK, its all about balance. People who actually edit for a living yes it makes sense to do this. Are you actually dealing with the amount of Footage they do? Are you a video editor at one of these places where you are actually utilizing it? Remember they are, and if you are just doing this for a hobby, it really does not make sense to do it. If you are only editing a few 100 GB of footage every now and again you wont run out of ram with 64 GB, if you are dealing with it a LOT more then just every once in a while sure i could see it being worthwhile to do 128. Just because they do it does not mean you should, often times they do not pay for it they get sent it and do sponsor reads, advertising etc. Gotta get the best for what works for you and what you will actually use, not just what they use. If you feel as if you will get benefits from it from your own personal testing, then by all means go for it, but please do test to make sure because 128 GB is going to take a bit of tuning to get it properly stable.
Yeah, his stability checks are pretty weak. XTU mostly skips stress testing for memory and CPU; it only really notices issues once Windows starts randomly freezing. Second, he suggests doing stress tests for just about an hour, which isn’t enough for DDR5 chips (though it’s similar for AMD too). With high-frequency testing, most problems show up after an hour or more—usually just FCLK issues or temperature faults, not CPU instability like you see with Intel. I’ve seen errors after four hours or more, and those are usually just a few at a time. Those rare errors after four hours can crash the OS or cause random crashes, which isn’t ideal for everyday use. Even at 5600 MHz, the system would likely fail under a hard test like Y-Cruncher VST for more than five minutes. The Intel memory controller handles better than AMD, but at least the AMD side stays consistent—no random errors after four hours or more.
I approached this with caution. He only achieved 5600MHz and didn’t conduct any solid stability tests. Still, he noted that 6000MHz failed to boot. For 1DPC it appears true, but for 2DPC—especially with high-density dimms—Intel’s IMC seems to collapse entirely. The 12th-gen DDR5 on DDR5-128GB couldn’t exceed 4000MHz, often halting at 3600MHz, which is essentially the same as DDR4 performance most users can expect. Checking the links I shared earlier, with 128/192GB sizes, booting at 5000MHz or higher is common, though random errors often appear after extended testing.