2133Mhz or 3000Mhz RAM, does it really matter?

[ILKA]

Hello folks, after looking at some motherboards, it is clear to me that for some bizzare reason, 2133mhz RAM is far more expensive than 3000Mhz RAM, which is supposed to be better?

What do you think?

[BoNfiRe]

Not really, no. Get what's cheaper :P

[ILKA]

Originally posted by DaddyBeee:

Not really, no. Get what's cheaper :P

the thing is, the MB I want to use, the Z170 A PRO, is a fairly cheap ATX, e.g. have no intentions for overclocking, will it hinder it though if I get more demanding RAM? It says it supports it, but I dont want to go too harsh on a £90 motherboard

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Go with whatever cheaper, if you need to squeeze tiny bit of performance, go for 3000mhz, but only if the motherboard can supports that speed, if not then just get whatever.

Watch this video as this will explain about speeds, and timing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-TWQ0rS-SI

[Hatman]

There can be a notable performance difference in certain configurations. Like when using an i3 and the game is RAM intensive. But i'm guessing you're aiming at i5 or i7 anyway. So get what's cheaper. Just take note of CL latency values. Try to get modules with 15 or lower. I'm guessing the reason for weird prices is just supply & demand. People like to buy things with higher numbers, so they get produced more and suddenly they're cheaper than the "worse" product. Same thing is happening with monitors where 24'' screens are more affordable then 20''-23'' simply because of demand.

[SundownKid]

If you are using a Z170 or Z270 then definitely get DDR4-3000.

If you are using an H110 or B150 etc. get whatever is cheaper.

[Fluffy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er_Fuz54U0Y

it makes a difference in i5 or i3 systems, i7 or i5 k overclocked not so much basically helps when cpu cant keep up

[Arya]

Makes a little difference. If you've got a Scrooge McDuck budget and want maximum performance, go ahead and get a 3600 MHz kit with the lowest CL available. For a normal build? Just get whatever you can find for cheap.

[cronic0_0]

in some games that is CPU intensive fast ram can make a big difference
but in most cases the difference is so small, its not worth talking about.

fallout 4 is one of them
https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/483824-fallout-4-fps-might-depend-on-your-ram-speed/

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/pc-mac-linux-society-1000004/fallout-4-ridiculusly-high-performance-gained-by-f-32754964/

http://wccftech.com/fallout-4-performance-heavily-influenced-by-ram-speed-according-to-report/

even GTA 5 up to 10 fps faster with fast ram
http://gtaforums.com/topic/790077-ram-speed-affect-fps/

fast ram only shines when you start having CPU bottlenecks other wise difference is so small, its not worth talking about.


i went with DDR4 3200mhz cas14 32 gigs....it was cheep....and i like running 16gigs ramcache with my HDDs and ill know ram well never be a problem on my PC

see this video

https://youtu.be/Er_Fuz54U0Y

[Bad 💀 Motha]

What matters most is not using RAM that wants to run above 1.2V when on those cheaper boards that ask for 2133 RAM only. RAM like 3000/3200 for example need to run at 1.35V, which is too high for B150 and the other chipsets other than Z170/Z270. But yes you can use other RAM, such as 2666 for example, then in BIOS enabled SPD for your RAM or look and see its XMP Profiles and see if it has a profile specifically for 2133 speed. This will ensure that kinda of RAM runs at the correct settings on a board that can only use 2133. Might as well, as better RAM doesn't really cost much more than 2133, then it will also be good if you ever switch to Z170/Z270 motherboard, then you will already have decent RAM for that.

What I've been doing for customers is recommending the 2400 RAM for those using cheaper boards; since 2133 is somewhat scarce already, and I have a hard time getting a better price on 2133 vs 2400. Then run this ram at 2133, which works just fine. For those doing a build around a Z170/Z270 board, then I would just grab 3200 RAM

[Arya]

Originally posted by Bad-Motha:

What matters most is not using RAM that wants to run above 1.2V when on those cheaper boards that ask for 2133 RAM only. RAM like 3000/3200 for example need to run at 1.35V, which is too high for B150 and the other chipsets other than Z170/Z270. But yes you can use other RAM, such as 2666 for example, then in BIOS enabled SPD for your RAM or look and see its XMP Profiles and see if it has a profile specifically for 2133 speed. This will ensure that kinda of RAM runs at the correct settings on a board that can only use 2133. Might as well, as better RAM doesn't really cost much more than 2133, then it will also be good if you ever switch to Z170/Z270 motherboard, then you will already have decent RAM for that.

What I've been doing for customers is recommending the 2400 RAM for those using cheaper boards; since 2133 is somewhat scarce already, and I have a hard time getting a better price on 2133 vs 2400. Then run this ram at 2133, which works just fine. For those doing a build around a Z170/Z270 board, then I would just grab 3200 RAM

Slightly off-topic, but I have a Z170 and I'm looking to upgrade my RAM. With 3200 does CL make much of a difference to anything? Other than price?

[cronic0_0]

Originally posted by 狼 Wolfey 🔰:

Originally posted by Bad-Motha:

What matters most is not using RAM that wants to run above 1.2V when on those cheaper boards that ask for 2133 RAM only. RAM like 3000/3200 for example need to run at 1.35V, which is too high for B150 and the other chipsets other than Z170/Z270. But yes you can use other RAM, such as 2666 for example, then in BIOS enabled SPD for your RAM or look and see its XMP Profiles and see if it has a profile specifically for 2133 speed. This will ensure that kinda of RAM runs at the correct settings on a board that can only use 2133. Might as well, as better RAM doesn't really cost much more than 2133, then it will also be good if you ever switch to Z170/Z270 motherboard, then you will already have decent RAM for that.

What I've been doing for customers is recommending the 2400 RAM for those using cheaper boards; since 2133 is somewhat scarce already, and I have a hard time getting a better price on 2133 vs 2400. Then run this ram at 2133, which works just fine. For those doing a build around a Z170/Z270 board, then I would just grab 3200 RAM

Slightly off-topic, but I have a Z170 and I'm looking to upgrade my RAM. With 3200 does CL make much of a difference to anything? Other than price?

this well teal you every thing to know about CL
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAS_latency

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WsfeuWI7mU

[Bad 💀 Motha]

With RAM is would be best if you buy them around the lowest CL timings you can find.
Overall its not a huge difference, but it does impact speeds a bit.

So for example, this is how RAM speed typically stacks up (the last #, higher is better, this is achieved with a lower CAS Timing)

2133 @ CAS 14 = 152
2133 @ CAS 15 = 142

2400 @ CAS 14 = 171

3000 @ CAS 15 = 200
3200 @ CAS 16 = 200

The last # there is a representation of speed (in theory)
So as you can see, there is very little difference if at all, between 3000 vs 3200 Mhz when comparing ones with that Mhz and CAS Timing.

Going by pricing however, the better bang for buck at the moment is:
G.Skill Ripjaws V Series (2x 8GB) DDR4, 3000/CL15
at right around 90-95 $USD

[Arya]

Originally posted by Bad-Motha:

Going by pricing however, the better bang for buck at the moment is:
G.Skill Ripjaws V Series (2x 8GB) 3000/CL15
at right around 90-95 $USD

Thanks for the information. That's actually the kit I was most closely looking at.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

It will of course vary depending on your Country/Region as far as best-bang-for-buck in pricing goes.

Others to look closely at are Kingston FuryX and Corsair Vengeance LPX or LED

If you need quality, but cheap RAM for say a B150 Chipset, Kingston FuryX 2400 is pretty much your best bet. But yes, for Z170/Z270 Chipset, it's well worth it to get RAM around the 3000/3200 range, as the increase in price is very little actually when you compare all DDR4 that is available.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Originally posted by 狼 Wolfey 🔰:

Originally posted by Bad-Motha:

Going by pricing however, the better bang for buck at the moment is:
G.Skill Ripjaws V Series (2x 8GB) 3000/CL15
at right around 90-95 $USD

Thanks for the information. That's actually the kit I was most closely looking at.

RAM becomes faster as speed increases, but as speed increases, it's expected for the latency to increase as well. That's the rule of the thumb.