RAM upgrade advice
RAM upgrade advice
Hello, your system runs a Ryzen 5 2600X with an MSI B450-A PRO board. You currently have two 8GB Corsair Vengeance 2400MHz CL16 RAM modules, one of which failed, leaving you with 8GB. You're considering upgrading to two 8GB 3000MHz CL15 sticks. Your main concerns are: Do the 3000MHz modules work well on your board? According to the motherboard's documentation, it supports up to 3466 MHz with XMP enabled. Would using a second stick increase your total memory to 24GB? You're wondering if switching to higher speeds would lower the effective MHz for all sticks, and whether matching latency across sticks matters. Should you purchase another dual kit from the same manufacturer (2400MHz CL16) and use three identical sticks at the same speed and latency? Or would it be better to keep your current setup with two 8GB modules and upgrade to the 3000MHz version for the extra capacity? The price difference between Corsair Vengeance and HyperX Fury Black is minimal, around $2. Ultimately, thanks for your detailed questions—have a great day!
I’d likely opt for a fresh 2x8 here. GSKill or Crucial are better choices than Corsair or Kingston, unless style matters.
Thanks! I understand you're focused on performance rather than appearance. Those two options seem solid based on what I know about Corsair and HyperX. I'll check them out for you.
Zen+ handles up to 3200MHz smoothly with 2x8GB configurations. Adding more space improves performance slightly. In recent titles or those requiring higher frame rates, the gap becomes apparent. They don’t require it, but you can only use one set of timings across all sticks. Even with the same kit rated for the same frequency and settings, running dual channel uses only 16GB (or 8GB if single channel is used). This isn’t ideal—opt for 2x8GB if possible. Appearance matters less than functionality; choose what suits your needs. Unlike Crucial, they don’t restrict memory die models that influence tuning options.