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Mhz or Cl?

Mhz or Cl?

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evore07
Junior Member
8
02-09-2020, 05:46 AM
#1
I’m planning to assemble a PC and am unsure whether to choose a 3600MHz Cl16 or a 3200MHz Cl16 processor. They’re priced similarly, and the CPU is a 5600X. I watched some videos about this, but it was for Zen 2—does that apply to Zen 3 as well?
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evore07
02-09-2020, 05:46 AM #1

I’m planning to assemble a PC and am unsure whether to choose a 3600MHz Cl16 or a 3200MHz Cl16 processor. They’re priced similarly, and the CPU is a 5600X. I watched some videos about this, but it was for Zen 2—does that apply to Zen 3 as well?

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DarianaMathews
Junior Member
25
02-09-2020, 06:10 AM
#2
Choose 3600mhz with cl16—it's superior and the price gap isn't that large compared to this option.
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DarianaMathews
02-09-2020, 06:10 AM #2

Choose 3600mhz with cl16—it's superior and the price gap isn't that large compared to this option.

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BenTheUmbreon
Junior Member
4
02-09-2020, 10:52 AM
#3
Speed matters more than timing details. A 3600MHz CL18 outperforms a 3200MHz CL16, and the latter is actually the one you should aim for. You can often find the 3600MHz CL16 at a lower price than the 3600MHz CL18, making it a more sensible choice.
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BenTheUmbreon
02-09-2020, 10:52 AM #3

Speed matters more than timing details. A 3600MHz CL18 outperforms a 3200MHz CL16, and the latter is actually the one you should aim for. You can often find the 3600MHz CL16 at a lower price than the 3600MHz CL18, making it a more sensible choice.

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xDestroyer099
Junior Member
19
02-10-2020, 04:45 AM
#4
The majority of 3200 units perform well at 3600, so I suggest choosing the 3200.
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xDestroyer099
02-10-2020, 04:45 AM #4

The majority of 3200 units perform well at 3600, so I suggest choosing the 3200.

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sprinklekitten
Junior Member
27
02-11-2020, 12:47 PM
#5
CL14 3200 sticks are ideal for running at 3200 RPM. Most CL14 3200 sticks work fine at 3600 RPM without problems. I also have a G. Skill Flares set that handles timing well, so if you can find one with better settings, it’s worth considering.
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sprinklekitten
02-11-2020, 12:47 PM #5

CL14 3200 sticks are ideal for running at 3200 RPM. Most CL14 3200 sticks work fine at 3600 RPM without problems. I also have a G. Skill Flares set that handles timing well, so if you can find one with better settings, it’s worth considering.

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The_Rockers
Junior Member
13
02-12-2020, 07:24 AM
#6
Indeed, at this point I would be looking for 3200C14.. get it while you can, because once its gone, its gone..
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The_Rockers
02-12-2020, 07:24 AM #6

Indeed, at this point I would be looking for 3200C14.. get it while you can, because once its gone, its gone..

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Rxnger
Member
198
02-13-2020, 11:42 PM
#7
Yes for bandwidth, though it’s not the main concern these days. The key factor for gaming is overall latency.
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Rxnger
02-13-2020, 11:42 PM #7

Yes for bandwidth, though it’s not the main concern these days. The key factor for gaming is overall latency.

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_RocketGoof_
Junior Member
40
02-14-2020, 08:25 AM
#8
Yes, total latency depends on both clock cycle time and clock latency. The 3600MHz CL18 and 3200MHz CL16 have the same total latency, but the 3600MHz model offers superior performance due to its higher clockspeed. That’s why I recommended choosing the 3600MHz CL16—it outperforms both options without a significant extra cost.
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_RocketGoof_
02-14-2020, 08:25 AM #8

Yes, total latency depends on both clock cycle time and clock latency. The 3600MHz CL18 and 3200MHz CL16 have the same total latency, but the 3600MHz model offers superior performance due to its higher clockspeed. That’s why I recommended choosing the 3600MHz CL16—it outperforms both options without a significant extra cost.

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JamesHond7
Posting Freak
838
02-14-2020, 11:28 AM
#9
It varies. It looks like Ryzen setups are more sensitive to latency, while Intel setups focus more on frequency. For a few reasons: On Ryzen machines the clock speeds often hit around 1600-1800MHz, which means you're stuck with a range of 3600/3800MHz, making it practical to aim for better timings since increasing them can disconnect memory and bandwidth, hurting performance. Intel systems can usually reach higher frequencies because their internal clocks (IMCs) are designed to work with faster memory. Also, until the 11th generation they defaulted to matching memory frequency with the system clock, unlike Ryzen.
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JamesHond7
02-14-2020, 11:28 AM #9

It varies. It looks like Ryzen setups are more sensitive to latency, while Intel setups focus more on frequency. For a few reasons: On Ryzen machines the clock speeds often hit around 1600-1800MHz, which means you're stuck with a range of 3600/3800MHz, making it practical to aim for better timings since increasing them can disconnect memory and bandwidth, hurting performance. Intel systems can usually reach higher frequencies because their internal clocks (IMCs) are designed to work with faster memory. Also, until the 11th generation they defaulted to matching memory frequency with the system clock, unlike Ryzen.