I'm currently playing competitive shooters like Overwatch on the lowest settings at 1080p to maximize my framerates. My setup includes an i5 12600KF, an RTX 2070 SUPER, and 16GB of RAM running at 2666MHz. I usually hit around 250FPS, though the frame rate dips occasionally during fights. I know my CPU could push even higher framerates, so I'm curious about how much of a difference switching to faster RAM (like 3200MHz) would make for improving my performance, especially since my motherboard is limited to that speed. It would cost me about 160 euros for the upgrade, while a new graphics card would be pricier. What do you think?
3 Answers
I think it’s better to hold off and save for DDR5 memory. The difference moving from 2666MHz to 3200MHz won’t be huge—maybe around 5% if that. Since you have an LGA1700 board, waiting for a DDR5 upgrade might be the best move in the long run.
You could also try overclocking your existing RAM from 2666 to 3200MHz. There are some decent guides on YouTube, like by Buildzoid. Just keep in mind that your RAM may not have the best capabilities for gaming since it's from a prebuilt system, but it's worth a shot!
When it comes to gaming, your CPU generally has a bigger impact on performance than RAM speed. Sure, faster RAM can help a bit, but a CPU upgrade typically gives you a more significant performance boost. If you're looking for more frames, you might want to consider saving for a new CPU instead of just upgrading RAM.
I hear you! I've got some generic RAM too, so I understand the hesitation about overclocking. It just might not handle it well, but you'll never know unless you try!