what is the best beside cl 16 or cl18 ?
what is the best beside cl 16 or cl18 ?
I'm setting up my PC and haven't decided on the RAM yet. I was thinking about a 16GB TRIDENT Z RGB stick, but I'm not sure if it's better than a 18GB one. Since my CPU is an R7 3700X and the RAM speed is 3600MHz, I'm leaning toward the 16GB option. However, the 18GB model is more affordable, so I'm still unsure. What should I choose?
Generally, lower latency is preferable when the frequency remains constant. With varying RAM speeds, things become more nuanced. Latency is expressed in clock cycles. A faster RAM means each cycle takes less time, so even fewer cycles at a higher speed can be quicker than many cycles at a slower speed. A common guideline is to divide the speed (such as 3200 MHz) by the latency (like CL16). The larger the quotient, the better performance. For instance: 3200 ÷ 16 equals 200, 3600 ÷ 18 equals 200, 3600 ÷ 16 equals 225. This suggests a higher value indicates better performance. If you translate it, 3200 with 16 cycles matches the latency of 3600 with 18 cycles in terms of absolute time—both around 10 nanoseconds. Meanwhile, 3600 MHz with CL16 offers an absolute latency of about 8.8 ns.