Question about memory issues and boosting performance
Question about memory issues and boosting performance
Hello, I recently purchased a 5600X at a significant discount in my region and have some questions about matching it with a budget motherboard and memory. My goal is to get an ASRock B450 motherboard (B450M PRO4-F), since I don’t want to pay extra for PCIe 4 support and the specs indicate compatibility with DDR4 3200+ (OC). I’m new to overclocking, so I’m wondering if using a 3000MHz memory (Corsair Vengeance LPX, 4x4GB) would allow me to push those memory speeds up to 3600MHz, or if it wouldn’t matter since the motherboard only supports 3200MHz. Also, can I find out which memory dies are included before buying? Is there any benefit to opting for a B550 instead of a B450 besides the PCIe 4 upgrade? I know Ryzen 5 supports quad-channel, but would that only improve FPS when using a B450 or is it fine with a B550 as well?
It might be possible to push performance further, but jumping from 3000 to 3600 is a significant increase. You could end up with around 3200 due to limitations in memory overclocking. The Ryzen 5 5600X supports dual-channel only, though it can handle four dimms (two per channel). For quad-channel operation, you'd need a more powerful CPU such as a Threadripper.
Currently, people have discovered that it's more efficient to purchase higher-rated RAM such as 3600 and downclock it to around 3200 while adjusting the timings. This approach tends to be the most cost-effective since memory with tighter timings costs more. Additionally, Corsair RAM isn't very good; Trident Z or similar options are preferable, JFYI.
I'm just getting started with AM4, but I'll keep it simple. Most issues I see on the forums relate to Corsair RAM, and my experience with their products is inconsistent even for Intel chips.
I meant boosting performance, though it seems to have some issues beyond that.
Memory dims come with different levels, some have one rank while others have two. You usually need to check the store page if a kit is single or dual rank since it's rarely listed clearly. With four dims, even single rank ones can switch to dual mode because they have double the chips. Single rank dims work a bit differently than dual rank, which might make dual rank quicker in some cases. Using four dims can help, but if the spec sheet says it's dual rank, you might prefer that. The advantage of moving from single to dual isn't huge, but getting two faster sticks instead of four slower ones usually boosts performance.