AMD recently raised the bar for memory support with the latest Ryzen 3000-series processors, and we know how past Ryzen processors just love speedy memory. ASRock has listed the optimum memory speeds and memory configurations for AMD's Ryzen 3000-series Matisee processors and X570-based motherboards.
The third-generation Ryzen chips arrive with native support for the DDR4-3200 standard out of the box. You can still run faster memory if your processor's Integrated Memory Controller (IMC) and motherboard are up to the task. Take ASRock's flagship X570 Taichi motherboard, which supports memory speeds up to DDR4-4666 and faster with overclocking.
AMD has previously shared other recommendations for the brave that want to pursue higher performance. For the best price-to-performance ratio, AMD recommends consumers to roll with DDR4-3600 CL16 memory modules. If money is no object, AMD's data show that DDR4-3733 is the performance sweet spot for Matisse processors. But there are certain considerations if you're looking for the best plug and play experience with DDR4-3200 memory modules.
Memory Speed | Memory Slots | |||
A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | |
DDR4-3200 | - | SR | - | - |
DDR4-3200 | - | DR | - | - |
DDR4-3200 | - | SR | - | SR |
DDR4-3200 | - | DR | - | DR |
DDR4-2933 | SR | SR | SR | SR |
DDR4-2667 | SR/DR | DR | SR/DR | DR |
DDR4-2667 | SR/DR | SR/DR | SR/DR | SR/DR |
ASRock recommends you only populate up to two memory slots if you aim for DDR4-3200. It doesn't matter if you use single-rank or dual-rank DDR4-3200 memory kits. However, things start to get complicated when you start filling all four memory slots. When all four memory slots are populated with single-rank memory modules, the official memory speed drops to DDR4-2933. And if you use a combination of single-rank and dual-rank memory modules, your best best is DDR4-2667 with a four-DIMM configuration.
Do you have to follow ASRock's recommendations to the letter? Enthusiasts have been defying hardware manufacturers' specifications for ages now. We ourselves have gotten DDR4-3466 memory to play nice with the Ryzen 7 2700X, which is only rated for DDR4-2933. But if you don't feel like playing the silicon lottery or spending time tweaking, then you should probably listen to ASRock's advice though.