Need assistance deciding on a 3950x RAM option...
Need assistance deciding on a 3950x RAM option...
Hey everyone, I'm starting from scratch and want to dive back into overclocking. This system will handle a lot—gaming, streaming, video editing—so I'm aiming for the most stable performance possible. I'll be comparing a few different options to match my build, and then I'll share the full specs afterward.
Wait, you should wait. There are no guarantees if you purchase two separate kits and they don't function well together, even if they work individually. You won't have any recourse because memory makers never promise that mixed kits, even with the same part number, will work together. They only guarantee compatibility when all the memory is in one kit, as long as it's listed as compatible on their own compatibility lists—like G.Skill's RAM configurator or Corsair's memory finder—and the motherboard's QVL list. These QVL lists are usually just barely inclusive and only include a few tested models.
Initially, I thought about switching boards. I’m aware of at least three individuals who experienced early failures on their Crosshair Hero VIII boards, even without overclocking, and then faced frustrating replacements. That happened before the Covid 19 situation. One person received a used replacement, but the rear I/O cover was damaged, and ASUS refused to fix it. I used to be very supportive of ASUS, but recent experiences have shifted my perspective. They’ve become overly confident and no longer bothered with keeping their components in good shape.
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/asus-...fi/14.html
I’d look into another board instead, and unless you truly need extra M.2 slots, the Tomahawk Max would be a better choice—it could save money for a higher-quality memory solution. A 3600mh CL14 chipset would definitely improve performance.
Ryzen 9 3950X on Good and Bad B450 Motherboards
As we expected when reviewing AMD’s new flagship 16-core Ryzen 9 3950X, instead of testing it on the top-tier Gigabyte X570 Aorus Xtreme, we should...
www.techspot.com
There’s also limited room for overclocking with 3rd Generation Ryzen chips, and as you go higher up the CPU line, AMD offers less flexibility for further tuning. Most people have reached the limits of what these processors can achieve, even with their default boost settings.
Starting with your response, thank you a lot. Back in my day, Asus was highly regarded, and this definitely brings up some concerns. My top choices from then were Gigabyte and the Aorus Master, since both fit my aesthetic preferences. I’m planning to use two M.2 drives, so the Gigabyte one is probably unnecessary unless I need extra space for games or editing. Both boards have solid stock VRM cooling that matches my style, and I preferred Asus over Gigabyte mainly because of the USB ports.
I read that the 3950/3900 chips are grouped together, with the 3950 offering better performance and overclocking potential. I initially considered the 3900x but thought it might be enough once I have room in my setup. I’m curious if using a 4x16 configuration instead of two 2x16 would improve results, though I’m not sure how much more it would help.
I know this system is quite advanced for what I likely need, but I’m treating myself to it now. I’m approaching retirement and recently had a ruptured Achilles, so my athletic career is over. This is just a way to cope with the recovery process.
So, mainly on this Ryzen setup but also in general on any non-HEDT platform lacking a quad or higher memory architecture, the more DIMMs you install, the less likely it is that you'll be able to run everything at the advertised speed without issues. If you can accommodate the full amount of memory you need using two DIMMs, then that would be ideal.
This approach reduces stress on the memory controller for both AMD and Intel, and especially on these AMD platforms, it significantly boosts the chance of achieving full speed. They clearly state that running at full speed becomes difficult once you exceed four DIMMs at certain speeds, depending on the Ryzen CPU generation and chipset in use.
I would prefer to stick with two DIMMs unless you can secure the full memory capacity you require with just two.
Gigabyte was also my initial preference for a while. I have numerous ASUS and Gigabyte boards around, including a Hero VIII board about five years old (6700k) in my current rig. However, I plan not to stick with them when upgrading, likely around the release of the 4th Gen Ryzen CPUs. I won’t be purchasing any more Gigabyte boards either, as they’ve been showing declining quality in recent generations.
In the past, I haven’t been very positive about MSI because their motherboards often had quality control issues and questionable design choices. But over the last three years, there’s been a significant improvement, particularly on mid to high-end boards. Still, I wouldn’t recommend any budget enthusiast chipset motherboard from them. The Tomahawk/Max and Gaming Pro Carbon are among the best B450 boards you can get without breaking the bank—usually offering just a few extra PCIe slots, M.2 slots, or SATA headers, plus possibly more power phases depending on the board. These additions rarely make a big difference for overclocking, except for the power phase, which is especially strong in the Tomahawk and Pro carbon models.
But I understand the absence of M.2 support and color options. To be honest, I’ve noticed some minor issues with certain Gigabyte X570 boards like the Elite. My advice would be to avoid those. I also get why someone might want an X570 for PCIe 4.0 compatibility if you plan to use multiple M.2 drives and ensure you select PCIe 4.0 NVMe drives; otherwise, the X570 is essentially wasted. I’m expecting the B550 boards to arrive soon, which should offer much better performance.
What kind of sports were you involved with?
I play basketball and at my age 46 (47 this summer), after having both knees scoped and now a ruptured Achilles, it's time to stop. Keeping up with the game like I used to, with that competitive edge, hasn't helped much. Being a gamer all along has made it easy to fall back on that. After losing everything when my apartment burned down in 2005, I haven't returned to the system or tweaking.
Beyond gaming, I plan to hike more and create some 4k scenery videos. To be able to game, stream, and render videos quickly, I'm going for a 64gb or more RAM setup. I also want the hardware to last me 3-4 years, so it won't fail me. Both m.2 drives are Gen 4, and I'm choosing the Sabarent's.
It's worth keeping in mind. You might revisit the Crosshair Hero, but unless you're investing in a custom loop and the board is set up for open loop cooling with mono block, it wouldn't be worth the cost.
You should wait. You get no guarantees if you buy two separate kits and if they don't play nice together, but work individually, you have no recourse because memory manufacturers NEVER guarantee that mixed kits, even when they are the EXACT same part number, will work together. They DO guarantee them if all the memory came in a single kit, and so long as the memory is listed as compatible on either their own compatibility list (G.Skill has RAM configurator and Corsair has Corsair memory finder. Others may or may not have similar compatibility listings) or the motherboard QVL list. The QVL lists are always barely inclusive and only list a very few tested models. The memory manufacturer compatibility lists are generally ALL inclusive and include any memory that has been validated for a given motherboard. There are good reasons for this, and I'll offer you a few of them. The odd man out, (Or, mixed memory) While memory modules that did not come together in a matched set that was tested by the manufacturer to be compatible, certainly CAN still work together, often it does not. Right up front I'll tell you that if you are trying to get sticks to work in the same machine together that were purchased separately, even if they are otherwise identical according to the kit or model number or if they would seem to have identical timings and voltage requirements, there is a very good chance that you simply will not be able to do that. There is also a pretty fair chance that you might be able to if you are willing to take your time, listen to and understand what you are being told and follow the steps necessary to determining if they will "play nice" or not. The exception in most cases will be that if the memory from both sets are the same speed and timings and both kits are within the JEDEC specifications for the default speed on that platform, so for example, 2666mhz on the latest Intel Z390 platform, 2133mhz on Ryzen first and second Gen platforms, then they stand a much better chance of working together but if they are higher speed kits the chances begin to diminish from what they might be at the low speed and loose timings end of the scale. A word of advice. If you just purchased this memory, and for whatever reason you bought two separate sticks of the same memory instead of buying them together in a matched set, see if you can return them for a refund or credit towards buying a similar or same set of matched sticks that come together in a kit. It is ALWAYS better to have matched modules because from brand to brand, or even within the same brand, in fact, even when the part numbers are IDENTICAL, there can be anything from simply slightly different memory chips that were sourced from different bins at the end or beginning of a production run to entirely different configurations altogether even though the model numbers seem to be the same. Some manufacturers even reuse model numbers when they discontinue a product. Point being, memory is only the same for sure when all sticks came out of the same blister pack or packaging and were sold as a tested kit. In order to determine if differences in the memory, or a need for increased voltage when using more than one stick (Especially if you are running three or more sticks) are responsible for the problems you are having you will always want to begin your troubleshooting process by attempting to boot the machine with only a single stick of memory installed. Also, for practically every consumer motherboard that's been sold since at least as far back as about 2014, the A2 memory slot which is the second slot over from the CPU socket, is THE slot that is most commonly designated for the installation of a single memory module. Slots A2 and B2 are almost always the slots specified in the motherboard memory population rules for use with two modules. If you need to install a third module I have no opinion on which of the remaining slots to use for that, but typically since the A1 slot is right next to the CPU socket and often interferes with the CPU cooler or fan, I'd say the B1 slot was probably just as good. Honestly, I don't ever recommend that you HAVE three modules installed anyhow. Using memory in pairs is almost always a better option, except on boards that support triple channel memory population, so that normal dual channel operation will occur. And that's another thing. When it comes to memory there are no "single channel" or "dual channel" memory modules. There are ONLY memory modules and the motherboard and CPU architecture will determine whether or not dual, triple or quad channel operation is possible based on the architecture and how many modules are in use. Occasionally though there are situations where it might make sense to run three modules and some boards CAN use three modules in a FLEX type mode where two of the modules will operate in dual channel while the third oddball module will run in single channel. I'd avoid oddball configurations though if possible because many motherboards will simply run ALL modules in single channel mode when an odd number of modules are installed. If you think you will ever need 16GB of memory, then buy 16GB of memory from the start so you can get it all in a matched set that has been tested, and eliminate a lot of problems right from the start. And also, some empirical evidence of why using identical part numbers does not guarantee same model sticks will necessarily work together: https://forums.
A ton of great info here I once again thank you greatly. I was actually told by a system builder that if I wanted 64gb but could only afford 32 atm just to grab that and add the additional later. Both kits the 2x16 and 4x16 are G.Skill Royal 16-16-16-36 B-Die. The 64gb kit has been sold out for 10days so far why I've thought about grabbing the two separate. I get really stuck on the price/gb ratio when I'm shopping as I always want the best for my money. I was also looking at a 4x8gb 3600 cas 14 set that was cheaper, but also half the total memory and about $5/gb more.
Again ideally I would want to go with stock 3600 rather then going with 3200 correct?