I'm new to building PCs and I found a deal for 96GB of RAM at 6800MHz for about $600, which seems incredible. The catch is that the RAM has a CAS Latency (CL) of 36. I've heard that CL should ideally be 34 or lower, but I'm unclear on why this matters. Is it worth purchasing this RAM given the high speed and my needs?
4 Answers
If you can snag that RAM and you're set on 96GB, go for it! The difference in gaming performance between CL36 and something like CL30 is minimal—maybe just a frame or two in certain situations. If you mainly need it for peace of mind and longevity, you'll be covered. Just make sure it's 2x48GB sticks; using more than two can be tricky on AMD systems.
First word latency is what you should really focus on. For your RAM setup, it's about 10.6 nanoseconds, which is pretty decent. While lower latency is preferred, your choice won’t hinder performance for most tasks. Just keep in mind that if you choose to manually adjust settings, running it at 6000MHz would be better for stability without any risk of damage.
Honestly, unless you're doing some intensive tasks, 96GB might be overkill for gaming unless you have a heavy multitasking setup. 32GB is generally seen as plenty for most gamers. If long-term savings and future-proofing are on your mind, though, then this deal might be the way to go!
When it comes to gaming, CL36 won't hold you back much, if at all. The speed at 6800MHz is great, but for AMD CPUs, it might be beneficial to downclock to 6000MHz for better stability. Benchmarking shows small differences, but in real-life usage, you likely won't notice unless you're looking at detailed stats.
Right? I don’t really need 96GB now but the thought of avoiding future upgrades is tempting!