Is the higher price of lower latency RAM justified when used only occasionally?
Is the higher price of lower latency RAM justified when used only occasionally?
I understand your point, but I need to choose something more affordable. The low-cost RAM is now sold out and the prices are climbing rapidly, which is quite alarming. Paying 180€ for the kit feels like a scam! I’m already making some adjustments I hadn’t anticipated, such as opting for cheaper fans with a new case. The case itself is reasonably priced—a Phanteks XT M3, which is a stylish and compact design with good airflow. It costs around 59€, ranging from 69 to 75€ with three fans. I’ll also be using a slightly more affordable motherboard. My goal is to ensure future compatibility with USB 4, WiFi 7, and improved power delivery compared to the extremely budget options. While the 225 would work fine, I think boards in the 150-200€ range will last longer than the cheapest ones with lower-quality components. Additionally, since the case has both plastic and glass sides visible, I’m considering a more customized build rather than a generic one. It might end up being a Frankenstein-style assembly. I also have to choose an 1TB M.2 drive, likely the Lexar NM790 on sale, but I’m curious about its reliability compared to Western Digital or Samsung. These compromises are starting to add up. I might need to buy a budget-friendly 80+ Gold PSU because the RAM prices keep rising. This model is in the C+ tier and costs around 60€ with a 5-year warranty. I’m checking out the review here: My system uses less than 300W, so even with a 650W PSU seems excessive coming from a low-power Seasonic. Even if I upgrade the GPU later, it would likely be an RTX 5060 or 6060, which have low TDP. There could be some good deals on PSUs during Black Friday, which might help me get something better for less. The RAM prices are really confusing me right now. Deciding on 16GB (two 8GB units) is one possibility, but I won’t be able to use XMP 3.0 afterward, so the RAM will slow down. Ugh, not a great time to build a computer.
Do note that the Lexar NM790 is DRAM-less SSD and i wouldn't waste my money on it at all.
Reason why here:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybIXsrLCgdM
That's a low quality unit, borderline mediocre quality. I wouldn't buy it to power even office build without dedicated GPU, let alone any PC with dedicated GPU.
To make it simple;
PC with dedicated GPU (be it gaming, workstation, any that has dGPU in it) - Tier A (good quality). Tier A+ (great quality) is preferred while Tier A- will do too.
PC without dedicated GPU (office PC, using iGPU or APU) - Tier B (mediocre quality). Tier A would be better but Tier B units do fine as well.
Everything else, is waste of money. Low quality (Tier C), crap quality (Tier D), complete junk (Tier E) and fire hazard (Tier F).
In my years, including recently, i have seen countless of times where even Tier B units have acted up in the PCs with dedicated GPU in it. Tier B units have even killed GPUs and MoBos when they act up. And that is the reason why i suggest only Tier A for dedicated GPU builds.
Unless...
🤔
you have money to replace blown PSU and everything else it killed, if you go with cheap/budget PSU.
No matter how i look at it, saving €60 now on a PSU doesn't make it cheaper, when it goes pop and takes something else with it. Since then, you need to fork out money for new PSU, preferably good/great quality unit (easy €120) and also buy new GPU/MoBo/CPU/RAM which died.
Just gave a look-see and Seasonic Focus GX-750 ATX 3.1 goes for €123 in my local store.
I said it before and i'll say it again: Since PSU powers everything, it is
the most important component
inside the PC.
NEVER cheap out on PSU! Also, never buy used PSU either and don't use PSU past it's warranty period.
When it comes to power delivery, it is serious business due to the risks it carries.
When you cheap out on CPU, worst that can happen is that your CPU takes longer to compute stuff. Cheap out on GPU and worst is that you're playing on 720p with low settings. Cheap out on SSD/HDD, and you're looking slow read/write times with good chance of data corruption and loss of personal data. Cheap out on PC case and... No, PC doesn't need PC case what-so-ever. PC case is just a tool to keep all PC components in one neat place, while giving the sensitive electronics some form of protection from outside forces (e.g child or cat can't poke their paws into it).
No other component, except the PSU, has the ability to fry other components and worse, put your very life and house in danger (crap quality PSUs have catched fire and burned down houses, even lives have been lost).
If you want good and cheap PSU, you have to buy 2x PSUs: the cheap one and the good one. Simple as that.
Don't have enough money for proper PSU? Cheap out on every other component until you do.
As i said above, PC case isn't needed at all. Either reuse your old PC case or put your MoBo on cardboard box (aka breadboarding) and run it as such. Money saved from PC case is enough to get proper PSU.
Back in the day (2016), when i bought 1st parts of my (now retired) Skylake build, i had a choice:
* Buy better GPU: GTX 1060 6GB, but cheaper PSU: Seasonic M12II-620 EVO (80+ Bronze).
* Or weaker GPU: GTX 1060 3GB, but better PSU: Seasonic PRIME 650 (80+ Titanium).
You can guess which option i picked.
With new build, the component juggling is common.
E.g i initially planned to get 64GB of RAM for my AM5 build, but after deciding to go with beefier CPU, i didn't have funds for 64GB RAM and i had to settle with 32GB RAM. I also switched out MoBo. I was planning to get MSI but had to pick cheaper AsRock one.
Just took a look and the 32GB RAM kit that i bought for €150.80 3 months ago, now costs €225.
Oh, if the Core Ultra 200 wouldn't been such a flop, i was dead set getting myself a stunning MoBo: MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X,
specs:
https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MEG-Z890-UNIFY-X
But alas, i had to switch to AMD and also ditch MSI as my MoBo vendor (but i still plan to buy MSI GPUs and monitors).
ASRock boards provides a lot of great features, a robust VRM section, and 20K capacitors that should last longer. However, we still encounter many dead CPUs with ASRock and AMD models. This applies to the 9800X3D, 9600X, and 9700X series at least. I don’t believe there are major problems with Intel CPUs, but I’m hesitant about taking any risks. MSI appears to have the fewest issues and is considered a very reliable brand, especially for motherboards, so I’m considering it if prices drop on two models I’m evaluating.
Regarding M.2 SSDs, I can’t afford the ones with DRAM and honestly don’t think I need them. I’ve read some discussions here or on the TPU forum where someone bought a Samsung 990 Pro and then used the SN7100 without noticing any difference in real-world performance. He’s been a long-time member and experienced user. Also, remembering that I don’t do anything too demanding, plus even the current Samsung EVO 870 works fine, just that it’s too small.
It's not only AsRock MoBos where high-end Ryzen 9000-series has died, but any brand MoBo. E.g: MSI: https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-Stat...ent-145012 Asus: https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDHelp/comment..._a_gaming/ Essentially any MoBo can burn the chip. If you want to be safe running R7 9800X3D; * use latest BIOS * do not enable PBO (and/or Auto OC) * do not OC the CPU * do not undervolt the CPU Also, have proper cooling for CPU and MoBo with 16 main phase VRM (or more) to keep the CPU power stable. E.g my AsRock X870E Nova Wifi has 20 main phase VRM (in 20+2+1 conf), rated 110A with SPS. Heck, my VRMs even have active cooling in form of a small fan (i guess 40mm) built-in into the VRM heatsink. And i have not enabled PBO/Auto OC or undervolted the chip. I'm also running the latest BIOS (well, the latest when i assembled my builds. But as of now, there is one never version of BIOS available.). There sure are. All 13th and 14th gen Intel CPUs suffer from degradation. Article: Since then, Intel has rolled out BIOS update that is supposed to be fixing the degradation issue, but i've seen reports with even latest BIOS that Intel CPUs still degrade. So, there is no actual fix. E.g this topic here: https://forums. Turns out, whatever fix Intel did, did not help the CPUs that were already affected, article: Even Core Ultra 200 isn't issue free, article: Yes. That's why i ran MSI MoBos in my previous builds for 9-10 years and also wanted MSI MoBo for AM5 builds as well. But MSI MoBos price is way out there. Easy €100 more while not offering the same value in terms of MoBo features. Initially, i was eyeing MSI X870E Carbon for my Intel Core Ultra 200 build but that MoBo costed a nice €525.91. With AM5 build, AsRock X870E Nova caught my eye, with much cheaper price of €402 but being equally good feature wise. Also, MoBo aesthetics look nice. Pros of Nova (compared to MSI Carbon); * cheaper price (diff: €124) * more VRM phases (20+2+1 vs 18+2+1) * lowest VRM temps (best in class) * more M.2 slots (5 vs 4) * MoBo backplate Cons of Nova; * less M.2 Gen5 slots (1 vs 2) * less USB 3.2 ports (13 vs 16) I don't know about you, but to me, these differences between AsRock and MSI MoBo do not justify the €124 higher price tag of MSI MoBo. Though, GPU wise, i still like MSI and despite the price markup, MSI GPUs are often better cooled and much quieter than other brand offerings. Namely the Gaming series GPUs. Ideally, i'd get Suprim/Vanguard series GPU from MSI but those cost even more than Gaming X/Z series. Fun fact: You will not see real world difference between 2.5" SATA SSD and M.2 PCI-E 3.0 (Gen3) drive. Despite the read/write performance between them is 6 fold. Let alone noticing differences between PCI-E 3.0 (Gen3), 4.0 (Gen4) or 5.0 (Gen5) drives. With PCI-E M.2 drives, read/write performance doubles between generations. Way back in time, in 2018, i used to run my Win7 OS from 2.5" SATA SSD (Kingston HyperX 3K SSD 240GB). Then, i bought my 1st M.2 PCI-E Gen3 drive: Samsung 960 Evo 500GB. After OS swap, i could not tell a diff between SATA SSD and NVMe SSD. Only small diff was 2 seconds faster boot up time from cold boot. In 2022, when running Win10, i upgraded my OS drive from Samsung 960 Evo 500GB to Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB (both are PCI-E Gen3 drives) and i could not see speed diff (i needed more storage). Now, in 2025, when running Win11 with my AM5 build, my OS drive is Samsung 9100 Pro 2TB, which is PCI-E Gen5 drive. And i still can not tell a diff between it and my older OS drives. Only way where you can see a diff, is when you move 20+ GB files from drive to drive. Or run synthetic benchmarks. In day-to-day tasks, there is no difference in speed to be felt. That's the speed side of things (read/write speeds). But main reason why i don't suggest DRAM-less drives is due to their longevity. Those drives won't last that long since their NAND is used more. Different persons have different standards (some have higher standards while others have lower standards) and it's up to every person to decide how good of a build quality components are safe to use in their PC. I already told you what i think about PSUs build quality. I don't think i need to repeat myself. However, if you think Tier B is sufficient for you, then you could go with a bit cheaper unit. Like Asus TUF 650 80+ Bronze (Tier B); store: https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/PSUASU0...lus-Bronze Did look at your store and there are no good options. Cheapest Tier B+: Deepcool DA750R-GMA: https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/PSUSVT1...wer-Supply Cheapest Tier A: Be Quiet! Pure Power 13M 750W: https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/PSUBQT5...ly-80-Plus A bit of price calculation; $129 for 5 year warranty unit (CM MWE Gold V3), specs: https://www.coolermaster.com/en-global/p...ar-series/ $182 for 10 year warranty unit (BQ 13M), specs: https://www.bequiet.com/en/powersupply/5960 That's $53 for extra 5 year lifespan. In 5 years when your CM unit expires, you will not find a PSU for $53 that would last you another 5 years. Your call. I'd get Tier A PSU. Since with 10 year warranty, it can easily last you this build and also the next one you plan to upgrade in 5-6 years time, whereby you can re-use your PSU. Even i didn't buy everything new. I re-used my PC case (case fans) and PSU. Since i have 12 year warranty PSU that is now 9 years old, i still have at least 3 year lifespan on my PSU, before i'd replace it. As for your build you don't need 32GB RAM. Buy 1x DIMM of 8GB. It saves you a lot of money. And in the future, when you need more RAM, buy more. Same with me. 32GB is sufficient as of now for my use (even 16GB would be). But i need to test some to see if 64GB (what i initially aimed for), is even needed. You could re-use your PC case as well, given that your current build isn't in proprietary PC case. There are may ways where you could save money from the new PC build. Look the PSU as a foundation of a house. If you cheap out on it and get sub-par foundation, then it doesn't matter how fancy (or how small) of a house you build on top of it. Since when foundation gives out, entire house will collapse. Same with PSU. When PSU goes pop, it can take the rest of the components with it. Where, the lower the PSU's build quality is - the higher of the chance of PSU taking other components with it. As i said, i've seen Tier B units taking other components with them when going out. GPU is usually 1st one to go when PSU acts up. Followed shortly by MoBo. CPU and RAM are more durable but not invulnerable either.
The VRM modules with 14 phases for VRM can handle the 9950X without any problems, according to tests by Hardware Unboxed. For instance, the ASRock B850 Pro RS (priced between 170-180€) performed well with this CPU. The temperatures on the PCB back plate stayed under 60°C, and it didn’t affect the performance of the 9950X at all. Still, I appreciate the improved VRM design. With MATX boards, I won’t get that level of power delivery, but it would still be sufficient for low-power CPUs without causing throttling.
The RAM cost is around 180-200€ for a 6000MT/S CL30 Kingston Fury Beast, which made the whole situation more complicated. The 6400/CL32 model now exceeds 200€. I’m in a tough spot! It was really frustrating waiting.
I need at least 16GB of RAM. Currently, I have two 4GB DDR3 modules from Kingston Gaming, with XMP enabled. With many tabs open often, this amount isn’t enough for Windows 11. My memory usage is already near 90%, so 16GB is definitely necessary. It’s wise to buy the RAM as a kit rather than individually, since there could be variations even with identical products. Testing kits twice might explain the differences.
A 5600 CL36 kit with two 8GB DDR5 modules costs about 110€. This is quite expensive! I watched a clip comparing Core Ultra CPUs using 6000/6400/7x00/8x00 MT/S RAM, and the optimal choice was 6400, which is officially supported. Going higher gives better FPS but with minimal gain in cost per frame.
As I mentioned before, if I opt for two 8GB DDR5 modules now and add two more later, totaling four 8GB units, I don’t think the memory controller will struggle with XMP 3.0. I don’t want to end up with a slow 5200 or worse baseline speed. I found a 6000/CL30 kit with two 8GB modules for 120€—probably the best compromise I can make now. I can sell it later and upgrade to a faster kit when prices drop. This still bothers me because 32GB should be the new ideal, covering my needs for the next 6-10 years.
If I stick with the mini-ITX case, I’ll have to spend more on an MATX motherboard, which isn’t as good as what I’m considering from MSI. Plus, it would mean a smaller, harder-to-clean case. The CPU cooler might not fit an LGA1851 socket either. The older 92mm Noctua is still in use. A new case costs around 70€ with pre-installed fans and makes much more sense. It will run much cooler in a larger MATX case, giving me peace of mind about longevity. Plus, it’s easier to clean compared to the current setup where I have to remove the PSU and GPU. This is definitely a mistake to go for a small case!
That PSU link came from an unknown site. I don’t live there! The price in Europe (55€) is very reasonable for that B Tier model with 80 Plus Gold certification. Other higher-rated models cost more, like 80 Plus Bronze, which I can’t afford. I’m hoping to find a better option within the next few weeks, as the best BF deals should still be available soon from major retailers. As you said, the 10-year warranty would let me use the PSU in future upgrades if I decide to upgrade around 2030—though that would mean replacing the motherboard and CPU at about 2030, when DDR6 is expected to arrive in 2029. Time will tell.
When it comes to MoBos, not all of them are created equal. E.g when i was looking for X870E chipset MoBo for myself, i read this roundup, link: https://www.techspot.com/review/2907-amd...herboards/ Which has tested and highlighted best MoBos. Whereby $330 AsRock X870E Nova Wifi is much better than e.g much expensive $500 Gigabyte X870E Aurous Master. More VRM phases, lower VRM temp, more M.2 slots. If you go with Intel Z890 chipset MoBo, then here, MoBo roundup for you as well, link: https://www.techspot.com/review/2949-int...herboards/ This is true. Further reading: https://forums. This was the exact idea of mine. You buy less RAM now and in the future, when you need more RAM, you take the old RAM out of the system and slot in new, bigger capacity DIMMs. This is actually what i need to do as well, since i don't think memory controller would like to run 4x DIMMs at once (DDR5 is poor on running 4x DIMMs). It actually all comes down to your wallet thickness. If you would have more funds, you wouldn't need to make such compromises as you do right now. When it comes to PC case, maybe look at 2nd hand market. There are cheap options there and there isn't much that is wrong with PC case. After all, it is just a metal frame. And when used/2nd hand PC case doesn't come with any fans, you can buy the 120/140mm fans cheap. Those start as low as €3 per 120mm and €4 per 140mm fan, pcpp: https://de.pcpartpicker.com/products/cas...&s=120,140 You do not need to buy €25 or €30 fans (like yours truly ). Then again, the fans i have, are running ~16h per day since 2017 and are still working fine. So, the longevity is great for expensive fans. Usually, when people link stores, they link their local ones. And this is what i thought you did as well. I, somehow, thought that the store domain was.cz whereby that's domain for Czech Republic (Europe). So, i thought you are from there. But now, looking closely, that store domain is actually.co.nz and that is New Zealand. Though, i was wondering why the store showed currency as $ rather than €. But i digress. Best to invest in long-term gains rather than short-term ones. The thing is, i don't know your financial situation in the future. In 5 years time when PC upgrade rolls around, you may have more funds or you may have less. Some scenarios: 1. If, by that time (5 years), you have more funds and you are using 5 year warranty PSU - great, you can buy new PSU too. But it would generate more electronic waste since you need to junk the old PSU. 2. If you have more funds and are using 10 year warranty PSU - great, you can save money not buying a new PSU. 3. If you do not have more funds and are using 10 year warranty PSU - great, you can keep using your PSU. 4. If you do not have more funds and are using 5 year warranty PSU - then you are screwed. Without funds for new PSU, PSU will be a limiting factor. When considering PSU's lifespan and component upgrades, using shorter warranty PSU is bad idea in both situations (scenarios 1 and 4). More funds situation means more electronic waste (scenario 1). Less funds situation means you are screwed and stuck with the PSU (scenario 4). While using longer warranty PSU has win-win in both funds situations (scenarios 2 and 3).
I agree with you. I have core ultra 265KF and it's absolutely fine in gaming. I have stable fps in any game and so far I didn't see any game that would squize my CPU. Mostly it stays with 15-20% load. People are insulting intel CPUs and praising AMD CPUs like it's a day and night difference, when in reality it's not. Yes, sure, AMD might be a bit better giving you more fps maybe, but unless you play those specific games where every frame matters and where your GPU is so strong that CPU is a bottleneck, you're absolutely fine with core ultra CPUs.
Yep, I got my CPU one of those crazy deals on Amazon. I got it for $230, which is a fantastic price for such a beast CPU if you ask me. It also came with 2 free games (Dying Light: Beast & Civilization).
Aeacus
You appear to be familiar with power supplies. I have a query for you: I own a PSU on my system, the XFX PRO1050W Black Edition. According to online sources, it has 80 PLUS Gold certification (up to 90% efficiency), high-quality Japanese construction (rated 105C), a maximum power output of 1050W, full modular design, single rail (+12V@87A), and features like SolidLink and EasyRail Technology. However, this PSU is around 13-14 years old (likely released in 2011 or 2012). Should I consider replacing it because it’s outdated? Or should I inspect the capacitors and decide if keeping it is wise?
I’ve noticed signs of aging in my PSU, such as unexpected shutdowns or restarts, frequent random crashes, freezing, or BSODs, grinding noises from the fan bearing, loud buzzing or crackling sounds near the PSU area, and any smoke or burnt smells coming from the case. The computer sometimes fails to start or powers on briefly before shutting down. To be honest, I don’t see these symptoms.
Additionally, I recently purchased a new PSU for my wife’s PC: the Thermaltake Toughpower GT 850W 80 Plus Gold. She no longer plays games and mostly uses it for browsing. Her system has an i5 10400F processor, a B chipset motherboard, and a GTX 1070 GPU. Should I replace our PSUs?
I’m having trouble locating my wife’s PSU in the tier list you shared. I’m confused about this.
The topic hijack isn't permitted here. A direct PM/DM would have been preferable. However, I can address your questions unless it leads to more discussion. Otherwise, the mod should intervene and remove the topic.
This was first released in 2011, which is the earliest review I found for XFX Pro Black Edition PSUs (850W).
Yes.
It seems you've reviewed what I previously mentioned about PSUs and their aging behavior (reply #9). But you missed the key point:
No. Never open up the PSU, even if you just want to check.
If you notice the plastic getting warm or smoke coming out, it's too late.
Hardware often stops working without a clear reason. For PSUs, failures tend to be sudden and dramatic, like a big explosion.
Moreover, the older the PSU, the more likely it is to fail unexpectedly. Unless you're testing how far you can push things, I wouldn't risk it and would opt for a proper Tier A PSU for the next decade.
In the PSU tier list, check the bottom of the page. There are several tabs. Choose "Full list" and then GT will appear as a speculative PSU. Tier B-.
But this rating can change after a thorough review. If it hasn't improved, the unit should stay speculative and not be purchased.
Personally, I wouldn't install a Tier B- unit in my system, let alone speculative Tier B- units. It could easily drop to Tier F after proper testing (as has happened with some Gigabyte P-GM PSUs).
It's too late, I've already opened it, lol. I was hoping to check the condition of the capacitors and they seem to be in good shape. All these years I've been playing games every day. Anyway, I'll stop here now, so we don't stray from the main topic.