Upgrade your PC memory for better performance.
Upgrade your PC memory for better performance.
I've been considering upgrading my PC's memory because of the demanding games I play. The issue is locating the same RAM card I bought initially. Right now I have 8 GB, and I'm aiming for 16 GB or 32 GB based on the prices I found. I've gathered some details from CPU-Z that should help identify compatible options. If no one has the exact model, I'd appreciate suggestions for affordable, reliable RAM that meets my needs. DESKTOP-ILKK23I.txt also contains general specs from Speccy and CPU-Z.
The specifications are listed in the document. I’ll skip the details and focus on the main points. There’s a Ryzen 1500 paired with an AMD 1050ti. The setup seems to use a B450 chipset, but the file mentions an A320 which supports DDR4 up to 1333 MHz. That’s a bit slower than what you’d expect. I thought about getting faster RAM, though—Newegg isn’t my go-to, but Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR3-1333 is the top pick from there. It’s pricey, but it’s the best option for speed right now.
For budget, you’re looking at a lot of money for what you get: around $22 for 4GB, $88 for 16GB, $123 for an 8GB bundle (or $61 each), and $98 for 8GB. The 1333MHz limit is a real constraint. Upgrading to a B550 board would be better, possibly with a CPU upgrade too. DDR4-3200 RAM is more efficient and worth the investment if you want future-proofing.
Cheaper boards exist, but they might not handle heat or speed as well. The B550 offers better performance and extra M.2 slots for faster SSDs. If you switch to a faster board now, it could be more trouble than it’s worth, but it’ll pay off in the long run.
Some recommendations point toward kits with Samsung B-die chips for better value, though they’re pricier. For now, sticking with a solid B550 and decent RAM seems like the smartest move.
A link to a selection of my choices is available if you want more details.
Just want to point out that I'm pretty sure you mean DOCP Anyway, OP, with 1st gen Ryzen, for compatibility sake you really want a kit that's guaranteed to have the same memory chips (just because two memory sticks have the same model number does not mean they're the same). It's probably for the best that you flip your current stick and get another 16GB/32GB kit. That said, this is a 1st gen Ryzen rig, so it doesn't really make that much sense to be spending a ton of a memory kit because you want to upgrade to super fast RAM. There's two options as I see it: Get the absolute cheapest kit of 3200MHz CL16 you can find for the capacity you want (either 2x16GB or 2x8GB, you want to avoid 4x8GB since that would be dual rank and that puts unneeded strain on an already strained memory controller), then just hope that they work at 3200MHz CL16 by enabling XMP/DOCP, if not dropping the frequency down to 2933 and leaving the stock timings in place Get a cheap kit of OEM/Corsair sticks off Craigslist/eBay that you know are decent at overclocking (most OEM sticks list the actual memory chips on board, and Corsair has a version number on board that can be used to tell what memory chips the stick has on it). The general principles for what memory chips are good and what to look for are: Make sure that whatever sticks you buy aref labeled as 1Rx8 or has 8 memory chips on it. 1Rx16 sticks (only 4 memory chips) have terrible performance, 1Rx4 or 2Rx4 sticks are really expensive and put a lot of strain on the memory controller (plus I'm pretty sure they're reserved for buffered ECC DIMMs, but don't quote me on that), and 2Rx8 sticks do perform better than 1Rx8, but they're also a lot harder for the memory controller to run, and with 1st gen Ryzen you need all the help you can get with that memory controller. You can find more or less the same information on Corsair sticks by taking the 2nd digit in the version number (I.E. the 3 in 4.31) and raising 2 to that power (2^3 in v4.31). If that number ends up being the capacity of the memory stick, it's 1Rx8, and if it's double the capacity, it's 2Rx8 (you won't find 1Rx4 or 2Rx4 Corsair memory) Samsung B die is the best, though it's hard on the memory controller and while it can do the best timings per frequency, you might have a hard time clocking it well. Plus the OEM sticks suck, only get it if you find it for dirt cheap on a name brand (G.Skill, Corsair, TeamGroup, etc.) kit with an actual heat spreader, not just some green PCB OEM thing. Samsung D die can be cheap and does overclock pretty well. Micron Rev E 8Gb is very solid and does play fairly nice with Ryzen Micron Rev B 16Gb is also pretty good (though this is fairly new and I'm not aware of many people trying to run it with 1st gen Ryzen CPUs, so don't know how well they work together) All that said, finding OEM sticks on eBay can be a bit of a chore, so it might not be worth the time or effort to go through with it and you just do option 1.
It's frustrating dealing with autism... I managed to locate a decent board and RAM setup for less than $300 that works with the current CPU and GPU. This seems like the most value OP can get right now, especially since it sets up the path for a Zen3 later if desired. AMD has confirmed AM4 won't disappear anytime soon. Edited May 31, 2022 by An0maly_76 Updated, more info
the only good 4gbit ips I’ve found is the samsung 4gbit rev e from the x99 lineup. it’s reasonably affordable if you opt for an oem module with a 2rx4 chip, though the first-gen imc is still in use. it handles higher voltages like the b die, so degradation from overvoltage is unlikely—your main concern will be the imc. unlike the b die, the e die supports 2v+ without needing to halve RAM capacity, which means you can push further before issues arise. usually, this model is a solid pick if you’re not exceeding 4000mhz because it has tighter timings than d die ballistix. ballistix won’t work here since first-gen chips can’t reach the necessary speeds to benefit from faster RAM. if you manage to get past 4500mhz, it becomes worthwhile.
first-gen ryzens with poor imc won’t clock much, so it’s best to aim for 8gb rev sticks (dual-sided and dual rank). run c12 or lower (around 2933-3200). you might be able to accept higher clock speeds and timings if a fan isn’t an issue.
1.5v without a fan is fine, ideally 1.6v–2v. don’t go above 2.05v unless you’re extremely cautious—imc may fail quickly. dual rank offers better performance than single rank mainly due to more ICs (16 vs 8), giving about a 20% boost compared to single rank. this improvement is usually only noticeable in games that are sensitive to RAM bandwidth, otherwise it’s just another standard upgrade unless you’re pushing the limits.
It seems the upgrade might still offer good value if the budget allows—though RAM probably won’t make a big difference in this case. Edited May 31, 2022 by An0maly_76 Updated with additional details
Upgrading the CPU to something around 3600 would definitely boost Ballistix performance, actually enhancing all RAM modules too. A lower-end motherboard such as the B450 (Pro4, DS3H, Pro VDH) is also recommended for better value. Used models are usually affordable, and the ops board should be easy to trade or sell.
1Rx4 refers to a 4-bit memory interface, also known as 16 memory chips per rank. A 2Rx4 stick could use 16Gb ICs, resulting in a 64GB DDR4 drive. It's worth noting that such sticks are typically found in ECC memory, which is why I cautioned against them. Similarly, 1Rx16 indicates half the memory chips, reducing performance despite the same organization.
Im not very good at PC's and this in general soo can you guys summarize it abit more , possibly with links too? As I started getting confused as I scrolled further down. [NOT NEEDED ANYMORE]