I'm putting together my first desktop and need advice on memory and storage. My current parts are a Ryzen 7 7800X3D, MSI B650M Gaming Plus WiFi DDR5 motherboard, DeepCool AK400 Pro Digital cooler, Corsair RM750e 750W Gold power supply, and a Lian Li Lancool 205M Mesh RGB case. I also bought a Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT OC 16GB. The parts so far have cost about €1,259, and I have roughly €1,600 available, although I can wait or spend a little more if necessary. RAM and an SSD are still missing, but prices seem unusually high in Europe, so I'm unsure whether to buy now or wait for prices to change. This is a major upgrade from a laptop with an RTX 3050 4GB that regularly shut down, and I'd appreciate recommendations that are compatible and sensible for gaming.
2 Answers
For this platform, I’d get a 32GB kit made of two 16GB sticks: DDR5-6000 with CL30 timings and AMD EXPO support. Check the motherboard’s memory QVL if you want the safest choice, and avoid buying one 32GB stick because two sticks give you dual-channel performance. A 2x16GB kit also leaves the system in a better position than mixing separate modules later.
The AK400 may work, but I’d consider a stronger dual-tower air cooler for the 7800X3D, especially if the price difference is small. Also make sure the motherboard BIOS is current and enable EXPO after installing the RAM. Memory prices are difficult to predict, so I wouldn’t delay the whole build waiting for a possible drop—buy when you find a fair price from a reliable seller.
Thanks for the advice. I’ll look for a matched 2x16GB EXPO kit instead of buying a single stick.