I've noticed my RAM is feeling a bit tight lately, and I'm pondering the best upgrade route. Currently, I'm using an X570 Aorus Elite motherboard with a Ryzen 5600X CPU and Corsair's 3200MHz 16GB DDR4 RAM (2x8GB). With the current issues surrounding RAM availability, should I continue with DDR4 and keep my existing motherboard and CPU, or should I go all-in and upgrade to DDR5? I've read that the 5600X is still a solid CPU and that DDR4 is adequate for my needs since I don't play very demanding games. Also, should I just add two more sticks of the same RAM for a total of 32GB, or would it be better to replace my current sticks with a new set of 2x16GB? I've heard varying opinions on stability with 4 sticks versus 2, especially concerning Corsair RAM.
5 Answers
The 5600X should do just fine unless you're diving into ultra-high refresh rate or highly CPU-intensive games. I’d recommend bumping up to a 32GB kit. But we really need to know what GPU you're using and what resolutions you're targeting to give the best advice. In my experience, I used to run a 5600X with a 3060 Ti and had no issues even at 1440p with modern games when I adjusted settings properly. The issue you’re facing might actually stem from high RAM usage, especially since you mentioned freezing during updates while multitasking.
Sounds like your usage is definitely pushing your RAM limits! Multitasking with many tabs can eat up a lot of memory, especially if it's been running for a while. Maybe a quick restart might help, but you might need that RAM upgrade for smoother performance.
Still on AM4 myself with a 5700X and 32GB DDR4 at 3600MHz. I’ve got it running well on a 3440x1440p setup, and I haven’t noticed any bottlenecks. Just get RAM sticks that were made together to avoid issues later on. Might be wise to compare costs and see if an upgrade is worth it for you because prices don't seem to be going down any time soon.
Upgrading from 16GB to 32GB DDR4 was a game changer for me! Running a 9060 XT, and if you make the jump to 32GB, I think you’d really feel the difference, especially since you mentioned freezing during updates and other tasks.
What makes you think you need more RAM? Have you checked ways to free up memory? It sounds like your PC might just be overloaded with tasks if it’s freezing during updates.
I noticed my PC seriously slowed down during game updates and browser use. Since both CPU and GPU were underutilized, it seems like a RAM issue. I usually keep many tabs open, which probably doesn’t help. Not sure how to clear up RAM without cutting down redundant tasks.
I've actually got 4 sticks on my 5700X3D and haven’t run into problems. The stability concerns are mostly with earlier AM4 CPUs. If your current setup is working fine with 4 sticks then I wouldn’t worry too much about switching to 2 unless you’re upgrading to DDR5.
I'm using an RTX 3060 Ti too on a 3840x2160 HDR monitor, but I'm not pushing beyond 60Hz. Mostly 4X strategy games and not many AAA titles, which is why my GPU's not an urgent upgrade. Additionally, my PC has been freezing while doing simple tasks like updating games, so it seems like a RAM issue since both RAM and drive were maxed out during those times.