Upcoming Ryzen System: Do I really need 3000MHz for better performance?

ddebroux93

Commendable
Mar 9, 2016
16
0
1,510
I am currently scouring throughout Newegg to make my next build, however word has it that anything at or higher than 2800MHz for RAM is better on Ryzen systems, though I am inclined to have 2400MHz despite the fact that there is a significant performance boost, but my real issue is the motherboard of choice I have moreso than the budget.

The current list of parts that have a significant impact on my decisions are as follows:

MOBO: GIGABYTE GA-AB350-GAMING 3 (rev. 1.0) - $109.99
RAM: 2x8GB CORSAIR Vengeance LPX @2400MHz (CMK16GX4M2A2400C16) - $139.99
CPU: Ryzen 5 1600 - $214.99

The motherboard states the following on the product page:

"DDR4 3200(O.C.)/ 2933(O.C.)/ 2667*/ 2400/ 2133
* Support for higher than DDR4 2667 MHz may vary by CPU."

And these are rather very specific numbers, I tell you.

However, these are the current prices I have found since Aug 16, 2017. I am just going to upgrade my computer by reusing some hardware I have in my current rig, so my budget will be at least $700 or under due to the choices of the parts I am going to get, which may change as time goes on. (I am planning on waiting until November where a lot of stuff goes on sale.) Also, I game at 1080p@60Hz since that is the only monitor setup I actually have.

So I ask: do I really need 2800MHz, especially for 1080p@60Hz gaming, and will it be worth paying the extra money to spend for an additional 400 - 600MHz boost? Also, will the Ryzen 5 1600 support anything higher than the alleged 2667MHz?
 
Solution
1. Most of the games are not affected or barely affected by RAM speed. Some games e.g. GTA V gain advantage over having faster RAM but also not that much better.
2. RAM speed does not only determined by frequency alone, the latencies also play a role.

In general, if you have to increase the budget too far just because of the RAM, I would not do it. If the increase is only about max 20 bucks to increase RAM speed, yes, I would do it.
If I can use my older RAM sticks from previous build, I will never buy a new one.
Yes, I always put low priority on RAM speed.

Find the fastest RAM (highest frequency, smallest latency, brand does not matter) you can get as cheap as possible. If you use that USD139.99 as reference, go only up to 20 bucks...
1. Most of the games are not affected or barely affected by RAM speed. Some games e.g. GTA V gain advantage over having faster RAM but also not that much better.
2. RAM speed does not only determined by frequency alone, the latencies also play a role.

In general, if you have to increase the budget too far just because of the RAM, I would not do it. If the increase is only about max 20 bucks to increase RAM speed, yes, I would do it.
If I can use my older RAM sticks from previous build, I will never buy a new one.
Yes, I always put low priority on RAM speed.

Find the fastest RAM (highest frequency, smallest latency, brand does not matter) you can get as cheap as possible. If you use that USD139.99 as reference, go only up to 20 bucks higher. ---> try to find a sweet spot
 
Solution
you don't really need higher clocked ram, although it does make the infinitay fabric interconnect faster, and it has proven increase in performance. With that said, 2400mhz ram will work just fine.

The Ryzen will support speeds up to 3200, but really its the mobo's capability that allows those OC'ed dimms work. If you want a 5-10% increase in speed from higher rated ram, then go for it. You will get an increase in performance.

I game at the same res, have a 1600x and 2400mhz ram. I'm happy out with 100+FPS at 1080p @60hz in all games I play. The difference between higher rated ram and 2400 will translate to maybe a few FPS in games you play, depending on what speed dimms you get.
 
The difference for games, if you use faster RAM, is only a few fps.
It is not something like 10-20 fps or so...even if you see perhaps 5 extra fps...but mostly almost nothing.

For RAM, the most important thing is capacity. Just make sure you have enough RAM for the games you play.
16GB is the sweet spot for today.
 

ddebroux93

Commendable
Mar 9, 2016
16
0
1,510
Apologies for the late reply, I've been caught up with life.

As I have made a few changes to make my life easier with Ryzen, I have chosen a B350 ASRock motherboard that seemed to have better reviews than the Gigabyte motherboard I was looking at, initially, and for much cheaper. As for RAM: DDR4 RAM prices, at this point, are obnoxiously high, and I doubt I'll find a good deal for anything faster than that. If Black Friday month or Cyber Monday are able to do better deals on hardware such as RAM, especially for 2666MHz (maximum supported frequency for that motherboard I switched to), then I'd opt for that in a heartbeat. Right now, the RAM I am comparing is between $167 for 2400MHz and $172 for 2666MHz (literally five dollars difference). If the latter goes down at or below at least $160, that would be awesome, otherwise, I'd stick with the 2400MHz RAM. I'd be shocked if they hit down at $140 on either frequency.

At the moment, I am still browsing around for RAM, however I do appreciate your feedback, despite my tardy reply.