Would it be stupid to purchase RAM before knowing what CPU it will be paired with?

[SnakeEater]

So I'm working on a new PC build that I'm going to slowly build over the next 4/5ish months or so. I've already purchased my case, and Newegg is currently having a sale on memory so figured it might be a good time to pick that up too. The issue is I'm not sure what CPU I'll end up going with since AMD Ryzen 4000 Desktop isn't out yet and it'll be probably a few more months before I pick up the CPU. Am I fine to purchase memory that works well with the current series of Ryzen 9 CPUs or would it be smarter to wait to see what the new CPUs are? This might be a really stupid question, but I'm not nearly as smart as most of the users on here and could use some guidance regarding this. Planning on making a pretty powerful rig to handle my gaming and professional design/photography/video editing work and I see lots of comments on memory on pcpartpicker about how specific RAM works well with X series of CPUs. 

 

I was eyeing this ram since it's fast, and has good timing. I know it's not B-die, but the extra price of B-die just doesn't feel worth it to me:

 

https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820232907?Item=N82E16820232907

[minibois]

Just now, SnakeEater said:

So I'm working on a new PC build that I'm going to slowly build over the next 4/5ish months or so. [...] Am I fine to purchase memory that works well with the current series of Ryzen 9 CPUs or would it be smarter to wait to see what the new CPUs are? [...] I see lots of comments on memory on pcpartpicker about how specific RAM works well with X series of CPUs. 

In my opinion, it wouldn't be a bad idea because "What if X CPU works better with something else", but rather because you will be purchasing memory you can't use for the next couple months (thus you don't know if you got a DOA and can't use the store return policy).

[SnakeEater]

2 minutes ago, minibois said:

In my opinion, it wouldn't be a bad idea because "What if X CPU works better with something else", but rather because you will be purchasing memory you can't use for the next couple months (thus you don't know if you got a DOA and can't use the store return policy).

Ahh that's a good point. Never even considered that angle. I could test it in a good friend's system though 

[minibois]

1 minute ago, SnakeEater said:

Ahh that's a good point. Never even considered that angle. I could test it in a good friend's system though 

If that can be done, I don't see much reason to not go for the memory if it's an exceptionally good deal.

I don't expect Zen 3/Ryzen 4000 to be too different in terms of RAM requirements as compared to Zen 1/+/2, so 3600Mhz CL16 memory should still do great.

The whole "X memory with Y CPU" thing is more of a compatibility with motherboards, but memory compatibility on Ryzen has improved a lot since the earlier days. Especially G.Skill has always worked rather well with systems, so I don't foresee issues there.

 

But of course, I (sadly) do not have a time machine or crystal ball, so it's still hard to give a definitive answer. I can only give my perspective, based on experiences in the past.

[boggy77]

i would generally not advise buying components one at a time, as it's difficult to test them.

but if, as you said, yo can test them in a friends pc, go ahead. that ram kit is pretty good and I don't see why it's wouldn't work well with the 4000 series cpus

[Guest]

Can definitely shop for memory first. Just gotta know what to look for.

A good B-die kit would be most flexible on either AMD or Intel.

If your looking for 3600mhz, find the G.Skill memory that has timings of 16-16-16. 

Good to see some one research first and buy later. You get + point for that.

[SnakeEater]

1 minute ago, ShrimpBrime said:

Can definitely shop for memory first. Just gotta know what to look for.

A good B-die kit would be most flexible on either AMD or Intel.

If your looking for 3600mhz, find the G.Skill memory that has timings of 16-16-16. 

Good to see some one research first and buy later. You get + point for that.

Why those timings in particular? Does it perform that much better?

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, SnakeEater said:

Why those timings in particular? Does it perform that much better?

Actually, that's just a tall tail sign the kit is B-Die. And yes, that timing set performs very well. 

If a higher frequency, 4000mhz CL16 and 4267mhz (which I have) are 19-19-19.

Standard kits. No bling, no glitter, no flashy lights. You'll hopefully spend more time looking at the monitor..... lol.

[SnakeEater]

16 minutes ago, minibois said:

If that can be done, I don't see much reason to not go for the memory if it's an exceptionally good deal.

I don't expect Zen 3/Ryzen 4000 to be too different in terms of RAM requirements as compared to Zen 1/+/2, so 3600Mhz CL16 memory should still do great.

The whole "X memory with Y CPU" thing is more of a compatibility with motherboards, but memory compatibility on Ryzen has improved a lot since the earlier days. Especially G.Skill has always worked rather well with systems, so I don't foresee issues there.

 

But of course, I (sadly) do not have a time machine or crystal ball, so it's still hard to give a definitive answer. I can only give my perspective, based on experiences in the past.

 

15 minutes ago, boggy77 said:

i would generally not advise buying components one at a time, as it's difficult to test them.

but if, as you said, yo can test them in a friends pc, go ahead. that ram kit is pretty good and I don't see why it's wouldn't work well with the 4000 series cpus

Thanks guys! I'll research the options out there and probably end up pulling the trigger! I can definitely test it in my friend's system using Memtest86 to make sure it's good before letting it sit there for a bit. 

[Helpful Tech Witch]

38 minutes ago, SnakeEater said:

So I'm working on a new PC build that I'm going to slowly build over the next 4/5ish months or so. I've already purchased my case, and Newegg is currently having a sale on memory so figured it might be a good time to pick that up too. The issue is I'm not sure what CPU I'll end up going with since AMD Ryzen 4000 Desktop isn't out yet and it'll be probably a few more months before I pick up the CPU. Am I fine to purchase memory that works well with the current series of Ryzen 9 CPUs or would it be smarter to wait to see what the new CPUs are? This might be a really stupid question, but I'm not nearly as smart as most of the users on here and could use some guidance regarding this. Planning on making a pretty powerful rig to handle my gaming and professional design/photography/video editing work and I see lots of comments on memory on pcpartpicker about how specific RAM works well with X series of CPUs. 

 

I was eyeing this ram since it's fast, and has good timing. I know it's not B-die, but the extra price of B-die just doesn't feel worth it to me:

 

https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820232907?Item=N82E16820232907

Probably, but with ryzen it dhould be 3600 mhz, and cl16.

[Nathanpete]

I don't see why not, if you know what form factor and chipset of a motherboard you are buying (2 vs 4 RAM slots and chipset compatibility) and have already contacted a friend to try and test the memory (like he better have a b450, x470, b550, or x570 as an example) then you shouldn't wait to buy it on sale. (blank) memory works better with (blank) CPU doesn't usually have to do anything with the CPU but instead of the motherboard you are working on. (Except for the fact that getting a Ryzen CPU to work with 3866 MHz RAM is rare (you have to slow it down to 3800 MHz usually) and don't even try anything higher because your CPU will not support it at those speeds.)

B-die is good if you are specifically looking for a broader compatibility with an Intel system, memory overclocking or extensive timing tuning. (I personally can't verify the timing tuning part, if someone more knowledgeable wants to correct me just @ me this one time). But they don't make B-die anymore and prices will continue to go up until either the remaining supply of new B-die runs out or DDR5 or a better die comes out. 

 

As for why you can't really go over 3866 MHz on Ryzen, it is the silicon lottery. You should always have your MCLK equal your FCLK (1:1) in your BIOS for best performance. MCLK is equal to half of the advertised frequency (So a 3600 MHz kit of RAM will have a MCLK of 1800 MHz). However, most Ryzen 3000 CPUs will not be stable above a FCLK of 1900, and maybe if you are lucky with the silicon lottery you can get a stable FCLK of 1933, or 3866 MHz. have never heard of a report of someone obtaining a stable FCLK above 1967 MHz, so don't go pushing your luck. Ryzen 3000 CPUs should prob be returned if the memory controller (really the infinity fabric (FCLK means fabric clock) as it is called) is not stable at 1800 MHz. 

 

So anyway, go buy that RAM if you know your friend will be willing and available to test your RAM upon delivery. Buy 3600 MHz RAM, and use the DRAM Calculator for Ryzen to tighten your timings. Lower timings will usually make your RAM act as if it is working at a higher frequency than it really is (It isn't, but in performance benchmarks where RAM speed makes a difference, it could seem like you bought something faster than you really did), without messing with the recommended clock speeds. How tight you can make your timings depends on the die it came from, the timings advertised on Newegg/Amazon/other, and how much risk you want to put into having a potential crash. 

The DRAM Calculator for Ryzen will take care of most of these tho. 

[Kilrah]

It's a gamble on the price side too. Maybe in 4 months today's good deal is still a good deal, but maybe prices drop and you end up having paid more than what's available then.

 

Also you lose 4 months of warranty.

[SnakeEater]

Just now, Kilrah said:

It's a gamble on the price side too. Maybe in 4 months today's good deal is still a good deal, but maybe prices drop and you end up having paid more than what's available then.

 

Also you lose 4 months of warranty.

Very valid points. I'm more concerned with spreading the cost out over time then getting the best possible deal ever so I'm not too worried about getting the best deal. Price could go up as well you never know