High speed RAM offers faster data access, while low latency RAM minimizes delays in response times.
High speed RAM offers faster data access, while low latency RAM minimizes delays in response times.
Hello everyone, I'm wrapping up my new build and have a query about RAM. I'm comparing two 16GB sticks—both Corsair Vengeance LPX, but one at 3200Mhz with tighter CAS timings and the other at 3600Mhz with looser CAS timings. Which would suit gaming better? Would the quicker speed of the first make it superior, or does the lower CAS timing of the second give it an edge? I'm also considering the Team Group 8Pack Edition at 3600Mhz with slightly different CAS settings. My motherboard is the Asus Maximus XI Hero (WiFi). Any thoughts?
3600C18 is superior; you'll find even better options if the board isn't too expensive with lower-quality hardware compared to what other brands provide. It doesn't matter much for Intel, but AMD tends to be trickier to choose.
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll likely choose one of those boards. WiFi will be a limitation, so I think I can only use the Taichi or Master among them—the Ace doesn’t seem to support it. Between the Taichi and Master, which one do you prefer? Also, if you upgrade to a different motherboard, what RAM would you recommend pairing it with?
In the US you can find Patriot Viper 16GB 2xX8 DDR4 4000MHz CL19 kits. If those are costly, consider a Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz CL16 kit instead. For alternatives, a 3600MHz CL16 or 17 will work too.
Just a note, the Team Group 8-pack kit you referenced turns out to be superior to a generic 3600MHz CL16 kit because of its much tighter out-of-box timing—it’s essentially exclusive to Samsung B-die. This holds true for all similar 16-16-16-36 configurations, though 16-19-19-39 models are more widely available and significantly cheaper. You’ll need a high-end board to handle the power demands of 9900k, but 3700X consumes far less, so flagship options aren’t strictly necessary for reliable power delivery. If you’re after advanced features, the X570 Master, X570-E, Ace (limited to 4 SATA ports), and Taichi are on par with their counterparts on Z390—this time Asus delivers better performance. For overclocking, you probably won’t notice much difference by switching to something like an Asus X570 TUF WiFi.
Additional cores provide little benefit in gaming, and extra memory speed won't matter if frequencies and clock speeds stay the same. With the same settings, performance remains limited. Even on AMD systems, XMP configurations often don't work reliably.