Finding RAM for your Ryzen 9 3900x? Need some advice! 😄
Finding RAM for your Ryzen 9 3900x? Need some advice! 😄
I've studied RAM speeds with a 3900x and what I've learned is that anything above 3733 won't be fully utilized at full speed and may suffer from CPU throttling. It's been a while since I assembled a PC (back when BIOS screens were blue and jumper overclocking was the norm), so this might seem unfamiliar. That being said, I've reviewed several articles and forums and feel confident about choosing an ASRock X570 Velocita paired with a Ryzen 9 3900x. The MOBO supports RAM speeds above 3733, so I initially considered RipJaws ddr4-4000. I also checked CPU compatibility details and performance reviews, which showed mixed results—some suggest 3200 is ideal, while others claim the 3600 range delivers better speed. Personally, I favor the 3600 "theory" because it's faster, even though it costs more. If you're leaning toward the 3600, these are the RAM options I've found: Crucial Ballistix 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 and G. Skill Ripjaws V 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18. The Ballistix offer lower latency, but the extra $65 might not be worth it unless you're targeting that sweet spot. If you think my assumption is wrong and 3600 isn't optimal, let me know what you think—I'd appreciate any advice on getting the best value without unnecessary features.
You're checking how the computer handles tasks. In games, RAM speeds often only count if the CPU is the bottleneck, which isn't common. Most apps don’t rely heavily on memory, but with a 12-core processor, you might have productivity programs that could use improved RAM.
The ideal RAM speed varies by Zen generation. For Zen and Zen+, 3200MHz works best. Zen 2 and Zen3 benefit from 3600MHz. Your purchase should fit your needs, but timing changes will only affect performance by a few percentage points (3-4% max). Hardware Canucks released a video a while back showing these differences if you want concrete data. The decision mainly hinges on overall system budget—spending $4000 makes the extra $65 a negligible gain, while $1500 leaves more room for a noticeable 3-4% boost.
depends on your CPU's fCLK features if it can handle that speed then it should work fine (that high = half of RAM's listed speed) my setup can run 1833 without issues (which equals 3666 RAM) while 3600 works on most Zen 2 chips, though not all will perform optimally for safety, 3200 CL14 would be ideal. Personally I was using 3600 CL18 and switched to 2666 CL16 recently because I needed more capacity and thought the extra speed wouldn't justify double the price for RAM.
Thanks for the details. You already have a PSU, case, and RTX, so focusing on RAM, M.2 storage, CPU, and GPU should bring you in around $2200. Reusing parts keeps costs down, and spending about $2200 gives you a solid, stable build. A $65 buffer for peace of mind is reasonable. I agree—prioritizing stability over a tight budget makes sense.
You're considering what tasks you'll run on this PC and why you chose the 3900X. If productivity is your main goal and cost efficiency matters, this model fits well. For heavier workloads or gaming, a 5800X or 5900X could offer better performance. However, for gaming at 3600Mhz with 64GB RAM, a 3200Mhz option might be more reliable. The concern is that higher speeds may not work out of the box with larger capacities, requiring adjustments later. This applies to all the mentioned CPUs since they share the same memory controller.
Fair point. My setup has a 5900X and I rely on programming and streaming occasionally, but it’s more than enough for my needs. For budget reasons, the 3600 model works just as well. You’d probably miss the difference unless you tested with synthetic benchmarks. If you’re looking to cut costs, buying two 2x16GB sticks totaling 64GB (which is cheaper at 2x2x16GB) could save you money now. However, if you plan to upgrade later to 128GB, your current setup still makes sense.
Still superior to my reasoning for a 5900X. My justification was simply "I've already invested $2000 in the rest of the setup, what's another $100 for an additional 4 cores." Plus, "CPU goes crazy." What I'm really aiming for is using all the cores to run GPU-P on my 3080, so I can launch an entire CS:GO team from a single machine.