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What is the point of getting 3600MHz DDR4 ram if the best Intel 2011-3 processor (6950X) has a memory spec of 2400/2133MHz and some of the best mobo's for that processor only support up to 3000MHz? Assuming you are overclocking, then speeds of 3600 still don't make sense, or do they?
Alex
Posted 2016-07-22T00:19:07.650
Reputation: 133
3
You are correct, for DDR4, any speed faster than 2400 MT/s (1200MHz per channel) requires overclocking.
This is because the JEDEC standard for DDR4 only goes up to PC4-2400, so in order to run the ram at that speed, an overclocked SPD profile like Intel's XMP is required to operate the RAM at its full potential speed. It is important to note however that a CPU and Motherboard capable of running at that speed is required.
Also, Its important to understand that RAM is all about standards, and as such, the specification must exist BEFORE the hardware that implements it, and the hardware will enter the market at the manufacturer's discretion. Since standards and certification processes must exist before consumer tech can be produced, there will always be RAM that seems to fast for any modern system to run.
Finally, it is important to note that Overclockers exist on a spectrum. I don't consider myself an overclocker, even though I'm running DDR3 at 1866 using an XMP profile. Manual hard-core overclockers can set specs outside any SPD profile, and customize the properties of the CPU. For the rest of us however, we wait until Intel has put a simple option in the firmware to set XMP or whatever. So, there is hardware out there for the hard-core, and as it ages, it becomes more mainstream.
I only overclocked my RAM for Dwarf Fortress, one of the very few programs I've ever used that can bring the strongest workhorse to its knees, and utilizes ram such that frequency is a critical factor in the games performance. Other than that, I've never noticed any value to the OC.
Frank Thomas
Posted 2016-07-22T00:19:07.650
Reputation: 29 039
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Cause its faster, and people are willing to pay more. While the article was written about DDR3 - puget systems found little difference and in some cases worse performance with overclocked ram except say in an AMD APU.
IMO, quantity and matched ram over quality. Basically make sure you have identical sticks of ram to take advantage of it. Go for the cheapest no frills ram you can get and lots of it and you'd be better off than if you spent the money on fancy ram with 'high clockspeeds'.
I'd go for the 2400/2133 ram simply cause its good enough, probably cheaper, and presumably have tighter CL timings (which matter more when overclocking it seems). Pricy ram... well you're paying for the pretty heatsinks I guess.
Journeyman Geek
Posted 2016-07-22T00:19:07.650
Reputation: 119 122
1If your hardware can support the faster memory, and you are willing to pay the difference for that faster memory, you should use the faster memory. This is the type of question that we really can't answer. – Ramhound – 2016-07-22T00:21:15.133
1Did you even read the question or am I missing something? If your processor and mobo are below the 3600mhz spec (and I can't find any modern processor/mobo that meets that spec) then it would always be underclocked. Hence my question, what is the point? – Alex – 2016-07-22T00:44:16.307
I did indeed read your question. Any answer I could provide, would be my person opinion, which is how I know this question isn't on topic. I don't waste money on 300 MHz speed different on memory for a reason. – Ramhound – 2016-07-22T00:50:32.383
1I disagree, because there might be a technical reason e.g. increasing cpu cache rather than a purely cost reason. But I dont know enough about OC'ing to justify something such as that. – Alex – 2016-07-22T00:57:45.197
What does the CPU cache have to do with the frequency your DDR 4 memory runs at? I spend the extra money on the CPU, I just don't spend it on the faster DDR3/DDR4 memory, because of reasons. – Ramhound – 2016-07-22T01:08:47.747
http://www.legitreviews.com/intel-core-i7-6700k-cache-overclocking-with-ddr4-3600-mhz-memory_170577 – Alex – 2016-07-22T01:17:43.713
1I don't understand the correlation. Your asking, if faster DDR4 memory then your motherboard supports, provides you a performance boost. Changing the frequency CPU cache is a correlated action in what way? That seems like an independent action or something you would do in addition to or by itself. Seems like you provided an answer yourself, a a near linear line, means there is virtually no difference. – Ramhound – 2016-07-22T01:23:09.433
1Any event. My PC supports 3000 MHz memory, I use 1333 MHz memory, because 32 GB 1333 MHz cost the same as 8 GB of 3000 MHz when I built my computer. – Ramhound – 2016-07-22T01:36:24.430