Two options available: 2 units of 32GB RAM or 4 units of 16GB DDR5. Choose your preference.
Two options available: 2 units of 32GB RAM or 4 units of 16GB DDR5. Choose your preference.
Hello, fellow builders! I'm currently in the process of adding parts to my cart for my new AMD5 Build and I would love some advice. Should I go for a 2X 32GB stick of Corsair Vengeance 6200MHz CL32 or Corsair Vengeance (4x16GB) 6200MHz CL32 DDR5 memory? Unfortunately, I cannot find the Corsair Dominator 6000MHz CL30 in Australia, but I'm open to any other suggestions or advice on lower RAM speeds. Ultimately, I want the best bang for my buck. As for the motherboard, I was thinking of going with the ASUS ROG Strix X670E-F Gaming WiFi paired with the 7800X3D. I am aware of the news about Asus and the new X3D CPUs, but I assume the problem has been sorted out/fixed by now. The other motherboard I was considering was the B650E Aorus Master, but I have heard that Gigabyte is discontinuing it for some reason and they have not updated the BIOS for it since March 22, which has me wondering. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Rejecting four sticks will be quite a challenge on Zen 4. It’s not even reliable on Raptor Lake. Look for the 5600C28-30, ideally with an AMD EXPO profile that operates under 1.3 volts. That’s the optimal balance of stability and speed on the 7800X3D. Yeah, you’re right. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work as expected yet. Asus’ solution is the least effective among all suppliers. Gigabyte and MSI are better choices compared to many board makers that don’t meet the 1.3V VSOC requirement set by AMD. Do you really need PCIe 5.0? The B650-A Pro from MSI remains a strong option for me, along with Gigabyte’s B650 Aorus Elite and the Gaming X models.
There’s an issue where the board tends to shut down the VRM during AVX workloads. It’s unclear why this would be an issue that can’t be fixed with a BIOS update, but it seems unresolved, impacting many units and leading to their removal from the market. I still wouldn’t buy an X670E-F Strix because of the CPU overheating—though it’s said to be resolved—but since the B650E-E Strix offers more features at a lower cost, it’s better to go with that. Regarding memory, both models should function, but the 2x32GB setup is generally more practical. If the 4x16GB version isn’t worth the savings, stick with the 2x32GB. Also, while most Ryzen 7000 series chips support 6200 MHz, not all do, so some tuning might be necessary. If it’s cheaper than a comparable 6000-spec board and you’re prepared to invest time, consider getting a 6000 CL32 EXPO model instead.
I'm opting for a 4 x 8 configuration since it performed better than 2 x 16 in tests with the 5900x series. I'm not certain if this holds true for the newest AMD CPUs, but using all dimm slots seemed optimal before. Right now, I believe it's wiser to choose a 4 x 16 setup and wait until everything stabilizes, keeping the extra 2 x 16 ready for future use. I stick to matched kits because they're carefully selected for compatibility, even though in theory another 2 x 16 of the same spec should work later on.
It's a challenging situation since 32GB sticks are less common in certain regions and they appear to differ from the 16GB CL30 models—though I haven't tested whether the 3D V-CACHE reduces this gap. The timing data I've encountered comes only from non-3D components. Luckily, I chose to delay upgrading until all voltage-related issues for this SoC are fully resolved. According to the latest reports, the Gigabyte BIOS still exhibited odd behavior, sometimes running the SoC at 1.4v during startup, especially on POST; it can only be identified by examining the VRM output. Even briefly exceeding the maximum voltage during a few seconds each boot could cause lasting damage to the CPU over time.
The top options in Australia were the Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB and the G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo. Both offered 32GB of RAM, though the first had a lower latency range while the second ran at 89ms. The voltage was slightly different—1.1V versus 1.25V—but for gaming performance, I think 32GB would be more than enough.
Thanks in advance for the helpful guidance. It really helps to understand a few points. I might avoid Asus for now and consider MSI, Gigabyte, or even Asrock boards.
When choosing a motherboard, stability comes first. Look at the design, but it’s not the main focus. The right board can be tough to find because each manufacturer presents unique challenges. I stick with M.2 SSDs and need a minimum of four slots, so upgrades happen every five to six years. My current setup is a 6800 XT Aorus Master GPU, which I plan to replace later.
This doesn’t make sense to purchase and store half your RAM. Use two 16s and let the AM5 sit for a while. You can always buy more later at a lower cost.