ram Best RAM For Ryzen 9 3950X + Aorus Xtreme (Total Newbie)

[Ashbee]

Hey all! So I had a gaming computer built for me years back, and it's in desperate need of an upgrade. Unfortunately I don't know all that much when it comes to the technical side of computers, and despite doing my research I would love some feedback and advice from those who truly know what they're talking about. Took ages to save up so I don't want to make any beginner mistakes. I decided on these upgrades;

 

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3950x 
• Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS XTREME (I also considered the "MSI MEG X570 GodLike", performance wise would it make much of a difference?)
• RAM: ???

What would you recommend RAM wise? I use my computer for recording/streaming, rendering, and gaming pretty performance heavy games which I tend to mod the hell out of. My current setup can't handle recording on top of running a game, and rendering times are ridiculous. I'm happy to shell out a good amount of money, I've been saving for awhile to make this possible. 

 

Other Spec's;

• CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken Liquid CPU Cooler
• Main Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500 GB SSD
• Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 TI
• Power Supply: Corsair RM 650 W (Will this need an upgrade too?)

 

Thanks in advance, I appreciate any help 

[kb5zue]

The first thing to do to ensure you get ram that will work with that board is to check the board manufacturers QVL, or the Qualified Vendors List.

 

https://www.gigabyte.com/us/Motherboard/X570-AORUS-XTREME-rev-1x/support#support-doc

 

[8lec]

Hi Ashbee. 

Concerning the RAM, you might wanna have a look the the QVL of your motherboard to find which sticks will work the best on your motherboard. My advice is go with a 3600mhz kit.

 

Your PSU should be a-ok

 

Also, just curious, why are you buying such an expensive mobo, do you intend on serious overclocking?

[scottyseng]

I would recommend 3600MHz, or 3733MHz if you can afford it. If you're more on budget, at least 3200MHz.

 

I usually get Gskill RAM myself since I find they are pretty awesome performance per dollar.

[GoldenLag]

13 minutes ago, Ashbee said:

I'm happy to shell out a good amount of money, I've been saving for awhile to make this possible. 

with some manual tuning or just settings XMP?

[glenalz81]

I think you should be looking at the latest models of G.Skill Trident Z Neo. 4000MHz if you intend to overclock, if not then 3600 or 3733 will be fine.

[Jurrunio]

Another gaming rig? then you're overspending by a million mile

[Ashbee]

1 hour ago, kb5zue said:

The first thing to do to ensure you get ram that will work with that board is to check the board manufacturers QVL, or the Qualified Vendors List.

 

https://www.gigabyte.com/us/Motherboard/X570-AORUS-XTREME-rev-1x/support#support-doc

 

Sweet thanks! Checking it out now

[Ashbee]

1 hour ago, Jurrunio said:

Another gaming rig? then you're overspending by a million mile

Not just for gaming, that's my hobby side of things. I freelance as a 3D and VFX artist, and do a LOT of rendering. Can't really take things to the next level career wise without upgrading my build beyond just gaming. Wouldn't spend so much otherwise 

[Ashbee]

1 hour ago, 8lec said:

Hi Ashbee. 

Concerning the RAM, you might wanna have a look the the QVL of your motherboard to find which sticks will work the best on your motherboard. My advice is go with a 3600mhz kit.

 

Your PSU should be a-ok

 

Also, just curious, why are you buying such an expensive mobo, do you intend on serious overclocking?

Okay great, I confess I didn't know QVL was a thing so thank you for educating me haha. A 3600mhz kit it is. 

 

Big relief to know I don't have to update the power supply any time soon, my savings will be pretty wiped after this. 

 

Getting an expensive motherboard because I freelance in 3D art/VFX and do a lot of rendering, current build can't handle a lot of what I want to do. Sick of stuttering and long render times! 

[Ashbee]

1 hour ago, glenalz81 said:

I think you should be looking at the latest models of G.Skill Trident Z Neo. 4000MHz if you intend to overclock, if not then 3600 or 3733 will be fine.

That name came up a lot when I was looking online earlier, great to know the models would be a good choice. Thanks for the advice 

[8lec]

49 minutes ago, Ashbee said:

Okay great, I confess I didn't know QVL was a thing so thank you for educating me haha. A 3600mhz kit it is. 

 

Big relief to know I don't have to update the power supply any time soon, my savings will be pretty wiped after this. 

 

Getting an expensive motherboard because I freelance in 3D art/VFX and do a lot of rendering, current build can't handle a lot of what I want to do. Sick of stuttering and long render times! 

That's pretty great, your job I mean.

 

Ok so about the motherboard. It's a really expensive one and unless you really need something that's on the motherboard such as some weird port or headers that you don't have on other mobos, you should not really be getting that one. Unless, you intend on serious serious overclocking, which I would not recommend on a work PC cuz, you will be trading performance with stability.  A more expensive mobo does not give you more performance, in general (you really should not be pairing a 3950x with a 70 dollar mobo, but even some decent mobos like the b450 tomahawk will do the trick, not that I'm recommending buying that motherboard)

Have a look at this thread, it's a tierlist for mobos. I would say get any mobo from tier a or s- that fits your needs (port, headers, features etc). Try and save as much as you can cuz with this covid 19 thingy, freelance work is gonna be spotty. I wish you best of luck.

 

 

Also once you are done with the build, check your temps, gpu, cpu, drives and stuff. Sometimes your case is choking airflow to components and may lead to higher temps which will lead to premature death of CPUs and GPUs. If this is the case, you might wanna look into a case that prioritizes airflow.

Good luck with the build. Have a nice day / night

[Triboal]

Even for work as a freelance in VFX/3D art and rendering a ton - this motherboard is still overkill because you simply don't need that much power. An Aorus Master, Crosshair VIII Hero and MEG Unify or Creator are already more than you probably need and you're already going almost half the price. I would seriously recommend rethinking your motherboard and there are plenty of people here who can help you make the right choice. 

 

With regards to memory, 3200MHz CL14 or 3600MHz CL16 are both very similar performance and have the best performance:price ratio. Ryzen CPUs work on infinity fabric and to optimise and get the most out of your set-up you should keep infinity fabric:memory clock 1:1. Infinity fabric clock tops around ~1800MHz which means 3600-3733MHz max memory clock. Anything higher than that and you're losing performance already, let alone overspending. 

 

With regards to PSU: depends how old it is. It also should not be an overlooked part considering that it powers your entire system and if it goes then likelihood is it'll take other (expensive) parts with it. 

[Ashbee]

20 minutes ago, Triboal said:

Even for work as a freelance in VFX/3D art and rendering a ton - this motherboard is still overkill because you simply don't need that much power. An Aorus Master, Crosshair VIII Hero and MEG Unify or Creator are already more than you probably need and you're already going almost half the price. I would seriously recommend rethinking your motherboard and there are plenty of people here who can help you make the right choice. 

 

With regards to memory, 3200MHz CL14 or 3600MHz CL16 are both very similar performance and have the best performance:price ratio. Ryzen CPUs work on infinity fabric and to optimise and get the most out of your set-up you should keep infinity fabric:memory clock 1:1. Infinity fabric clock tops around ~1800MHz which means 3600-3733MHz max memory clock. Anything higher than that and you're losing performance already, let alone overspending. 

 

With regards to PSU: depends how old it is. It also should not be an overlooked part considering that it powers your entire system and if it goes then likelihood is it'll take other (expensive) parts with it. 

This is exactly why I knew posting on here was a good idea, lot's of people saying my motherboard choice is overkill and I'm more than happy to choose a more affordable option. Interestingly, the Crosshair VIII Hero was something I considered earlier on. I'll look into the options you suggested! At least now my savings won't be completely wiped ahaha

 

Okay did a little digging with the RAM specs you suggested, do you think the "G.Skill Trident Z Neo RGB 32GB (2x 16GB) DDR4 3600MHz Memory - 16-19-19-39" would be a good choice? 

 

I might actually use the money I'll save on the motherboard for a new power supply, my current one is pretty old. At least 3 years +. It'd be disastrous if I lost all my parts, definitely not worth the risk.

 

Thank you so much for all this advice, I feel a little less like a fish out of water now.

[Ashbee]

3 hours ago, 8lec said:

That's pretty great, your job I mean.

 

Ok so about the motherboard. It's a really expensive one and unless you really need something that's on the motherboard such as some weird port or headers that you don't have on other mobos, you should not really be getting that one. Unless, you intend on serious serious overclocking, which I would not recommend on a work PC cuz, you will be trading performance with stability.  A more expensive mobo does not give you more performance, in general (you really should not be pairing a 3950x with a 70 dollar mobo, but even some decent mobos like the b450 tomahawk will do the trick, not that I'm recommending buying that motherboard)

Have a look at this thread, it's a tierlist for mobos. I would say get any mobo from tier a or s- that fits your needs (port, headers, features etc). Try and save as much as you can cuz with this covid 19 thingy, freelance work is gonna be spotty. I wish you best of luck.

 

 

Also once you are done with the build, check your temps, gpu, cpu, drives and stuff. Sometimes your case is choking airflow to components and may lead to higher temps which will lead to premature death of CPUs and GPUs. If this is the case, you might wanna look into a case that prioritizes airflow.

Good luck with the build. Have a nice day / night

Yeah it's good fun, finally found something that I really enjoy

Alright, definately getting a cheaper option then. Overclocking isn't something I'm experienced in and stability is as you said important in a work PC. That list is wonderful! Bless the soul who created it. I'm thinking either the "Crosshair VIII Hero" or "Aorus Master" might be a better fit. They're much cheaper than the Xtreme, and in stock at the place I usually order from. Any thoughts on those two?

Yeah the virus is pretty terrifying, I'm self quarantining due to an immune compromised family member. Part prices have been shooting up in Aus, so I'm pretty keen to order everything before they go even higher. Fingers crossed work doesn't slow down too much, but if it does at least I've got my family. Plus the money left over from getting a cheaper motherboard will be a huge bonus.

Thanks for much for you help, it's really appreciated. I hope things are well on your end.

 

[Triboal]

15 minutes ago, Ashbee said:

This is exactly why I knew posting on here was a good idea, lot's of people saying my motherboard choice is overkill and I'm more than happy to choose a more affordable option. Interestingly, the Crosshair VIII Hero was something I considered earlier on. I'll look into the options you suggested! At least now my savings won't be completely wiped ahaha

 

Okay did a little digging with the RAM specs you suggested, do you think the "G.Skill Trident Z Neo RGB 32GB (2x 16GB) DDR4 3600MHz Memory - 16-19-19-39" would be a good choice? 

 

I might actually use the money I'll save on the motherboard for a new power supply, my current one is pretty old. At least 3 years +. It'd be disastrous if I lost all my parts, definitely not worth the risk.

 

Thank you so much for all this advice, I feel a little less like a fish out of water now.

I'm glad that you find us helpful, that's the whole point of this community!  Crosshair VIII Hero is good, Aorus Master has an extra M.2 slot but 2 less SATA ports and the Crosshair board has superior USB connectivity compared to the Aorus Master. Depends which of these things you care/is most useful for you. You can still go cheaper if you want but I think those boards are solid. The MSI Creator is also suppose to be quite good for content creators and such, but there are other boards which I'm sure other people are more familiar with and can comment on.

 

That RAM seems very good for what you are looking for - I think I'm debating getting those myself haha. But yes, they should do!

 

3 years doesn't seem too bad but if it's the Corsair RM part (non x, so not the RMx range) then yeah there are better systems you can get. Thankfully, there is also a tier list for PSUs:

No problem! Hope this helps!

[8lec]

2 hours ago, Triboal said:

I'm glad that you find us helpful, that's the whole point of this community!  Crosshair VIII Hero is good, Aorus Master has an extra M.2 slot but 2 less SATA ports and the Crosshair board has superior USB connectivity compared to the Aorus Master. Depends which of these things you care/is most useful for you. You can still go cheaper if you want but I think those boards are solid. The MSI Creator is also suppose to be quite good for content creators and such, but there are other boards which I'm sure other people are more familiar with and can comment on.

 

That RAM seems very good for what you are looking for - I think I'm debating getting those myself haha. But yes, they should do!

 

3 years doesn't seem too bad but if it's the Corsair RM part (non x, so not the RMx range) then yeah there are better systems you can get. Thankfully, there is also a tier list for PSUs:

No problem! Hope this helps!

I honestly don't know much about higher end mobos. I'll just go with whatever he's saying.

Also, yes the ram is good. Get it before the prices shoot up.

 

[Jurrunio]

9 hours ago, Ashbee said:

Not just for gaming, that's my hobby side of things. I freelance as a 3D and VFX artist, and do a LOT of rendering. Can't really take things to the next level career wise without upgrading my build beyond just gaming. Wouldn't spend so much otherwise 

In that case, I'd recommend 64GB memory even if that means getting a cheaper board.

 

5 hours ago, Ashbee said:

Alright, definately getting a cheaper option then. Overclocking isn't something I'm experienced in and stability is as you said important in a work PC. That list is wonderful! Bless the soul who created it. I'm thinking either the "Crosshair VIII Hero" or "Aorus Master" might be a better fit. They're much cheaper than the Xtreme, and in stock at the place I usually order from. Any thoughts on those two?

They are good, though I prefer Gigabyte since Asus is too cheap to even offer WiFi as standard (though you may not even need it) on a flagship board, Asrock can be finicky at times (as in the BIOS doesnt do what you expect), MSI's money pinching on SATA ports.