Just got my new build and I'm ready to mess with it!
Just got my new build and I'm ready to mess with it!
Before I start building my rig, I need to figure out if this setup works for overclocking. Also, since the GTX 1080 is just a stopgap until I get a 2080TI, can I safely use that 650W power supply? Even though PCPartPicker says it needs about 470W, did you think the extra wattage would be safe? Any advice on this stuff would help me out so much! Thanks so much!
A Ryzen chip with a 3600MHz speed has a tiny edge over one running at 3200MHz when it comes to RAM. Intel chips work differently, so there isn't much difference in how they use memory. Back when things were new, the old 1866/10 was actually slightly faster than a newer 1600/9, but sticks from around 1600MHz with low CAS (like Dominators at 7) went even further ahead. Back then, CAS speed was the main reason for big differences in how fast things were. Today, that doesn't matter as much because modern CPUs are so fast that timing is less important than raw speed. Also, newer hard drives mean people don't care about tiny time gaps anymore. AMD and Infinity Fabric focus on how fast memory talks to the processor rather than just its CAS setting. The 3200/14 stick was really good back then because it used a Samsung B-die, which was very stable and worked well with everything.
You're PSU is "good enough" for what you have. Steps for overclocking your system: Step 1: Enable PBO. I'd look at some 3600mhz RAM. You could probably get the RAM you have listed working at 3600mhz cl16, though.
Instead of just setting it to basic mode, you can boost the power limit by adding 200MHz and turning up the wattage cap. This lets your processor keep controlling itself and balance how much electricity it uses without hitting limits that a "cracked" overclock would force on.
Suppose I decide to upgrade my graphics card to a 2080 TI. Will the power supply still work? Why do people recommend 3600MHz RAM? I picked 3200MHz because it has a lower clock speed and uses CL14 timing, which works based on a chart I have. If I went to 3600MHz, I'd need to get DDR4 with CL14 to stay positive according to the chart https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5ePJLH...ZMYzg/view
That is really interesting. I am using this table to pick RAM. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5ePJLH...ZMYzg/view If I do not find 3600 at 14CL, I would rather keep the 3200 14CL if I can. I will definitely try your suggestion. If something goes wrong over locking the ram like that, could I know right away? Or could it take a few months before it shows up
Heh, that table only works for Intel chips. AMD uses Infinity Fabric to talk between the chiplets and cores. That setting depends on how fast your RAM moves. If you have cores running at 3200MHz, they will be exchanging data at a 1600MHz speed. When cores run at 3600MHz, the exchange goes up to 1800MHz. It's like losing a tiny bit of performance for better timing, but getting a small boost from faster talking. That's why almost everyone talks about how much Ryzen loves fast RAM. But there is a catch: the Infinity Fabric has limits. For the older 2k series, the limit was set at 3466MHz. After that point, it wasn't a perfect match anymore; instead, it became a 2:1 ratio. This caused 3600MHz to drop down to 900MHz communication, while 3200MHz stayed ideal with 1600MHz communication. For the newer 3k series, that limit went up to 3733MHz, making 3600MHz perfect again. You can work around this by manually turning off the Infinity Fabric from the speed setting, but unless you are very good at changing fclock, uclock, and mclock settings, or if your BIOS actually lets you do that, I don't think it makes sense to try it.
So that table only works if you have an Intel chip. I tried my best to understand what you said before. I'm guessing the 3600 is the best deal right now, especially when compared to a 3900X because it's basically 3 generations of AMD stuff, which sounds like "3k" to me. (It's been a long time since I heard that term). First off, don't mess with manual tweaks or settings; just stick to the defaults and let them do their thing. I'd prefer something as stable as possible but also want to start tweaking for overclocking in the future. Should I buy a 3600 instead of jumping straight up? And does it matter much if I choose -3200 CL14 or -3600 CL16, or even something like third option that doesn't show up here? If you could help me pick one, I'd really appreciate it. Oh, and I know the 1-to-1 rule for AMD chips (so buying one means getting another), so I want to keep that in mind. Also, I'm looking at a budget under $450, but $300-$450 is pretty much the sweet spot for me. Thanks for all your help! It's really appreciated by me.
On a Ryzen chip with 3600/16, you have a tiny edge over a 3200/14. Intel chips work differently than RAM sticks, so that small difference is actually pretty small. Back when they used older tech like 1866/10, the speed gap was noticeable, and even then, sticks from companies called Dominators on the Intel side were way faster. The main thing back then was how fast the chip was (Cas), but today Cas doesn't matter as much because chips are super fast anyway, so you need a really good calculator or benchmark to see a difference. SSDs just made timing less important since nobody cares about fractions of a second anymore. AMD and Infinity Fabric make it mostly about how fast the RAM talks, not the chip speed. The 3200/14 version was special because it used Samsung B-die, which was very stable, easy to set up, and could go full speed with little trouble. The higher end versions like 3200/16 used things from companies like SkHynix or Micron, but those had a lot of problems. People sometimes couldn't even start the computer, they would stay frozen at 2133MHz, or just barely reach 2933MHz. AMD fixed most of those issues back then. Honestly, there isn't much difference now except maybe some overclocking options or better software results for specific games. But if you're playing games today, it's basically the same speed as before.
Thanks so much! I will definitely use this info. Here are some final questions that need your help. I checked with Memory Express and am looking for products available in Winnipeg right now. I need a Ripjaws V Series 32GB DDR4 3600MHz CL16 Dual Channel Kit (two x 16GB). It's out of stock, but here is another one: Trident Z NEO Series 32GB DDR4 3600MHz CL16 Dual Channel Kit (two x 16GB). Also, there is a 64GB Ripjaws V Series 64GB DDR4 3600MHz CL18 Dual Channel Kit (two x 32GB), and I am really excited because this is the first time I'm going up to 64GB. My main reason for wanting more memory is that I like multitasking and having many browser tabs open at once, so a 64GB kit sounds better than 16GB. If I understand you right, CL isn't a huge thing for me, so all three of these options are fine whether they are CL16 or CL18. Is there a brand I should avoid to be safe? And is there one I should try to get instead? Finally, my last worry about this build is the memory, and now that we're done searching, I just need some answers!