Hey everyone! It's been a while since I last built a PC and I'm looking to get some advice on RAM for my new setup. I'm planning to use a 9950X3D processor with a GIGABYTE X870E AORUS PRO motherboard. My usage will include gaming, Lightroom, and occasional video encoding.
I'm seeing that I can use DDR5 RAM ranging from 6000 to 8000 MHz. Is the performance difference at the higher end really significant? Also, I'm concerned about potential stability issues with speeds over 6000 MHz since I keep reading about overclocking (OC) with those.
I'm thinking that 64GB of RAM should be good enough for my needs, and I've read it's generally better to use only 2 sticks instead of 4 on AMD/AM5 setups. I want to spend around $200-250, but I'm trying to get the best price-to-performance ratio. I'd rather not pay a premium for a minimal performance boost, you know? Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
Check the motherboard's QVL (Qualified Vendor List) for RAM compatibility. Look for kits sorted by speed, and aim for the ones with the lowest latency in your price range. Just FYI, you probably won't notice a huge difference based on RAM speed in most tasks. The only time you might is with specific software like Topaz Video Enhance AI.
With the 9950X3D, you definitely want either 32GB or 64GB of RAM, and DDR5-6000 with a CAS latency of 30 is ideal. That combination will give you a good mix of speed and stability for gaming and creative tasks.
Got it! CL30 is good to know. Thanks for the pointers!