power filter Power "Purification" Memory (PCIe Power Filtering bongaloo)

[Woreec]

Hello this is my first post here and im already not sure where i should put this, i found it in the an audio e-store so thats my reasoning putting it here

Going through one of the more local audio elecronic stores i came across these:
(https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/pc-htpc-modules/elfidelity-axf-75-power-purification-pc-hifi-memory-ddr4-p-11163.html)



It claims to help providing cleaner power to memory modules
you seem to just install them in free ram slots

Sounds like snake oil juding searching the internet noone seems to talk about these at all.
Especially i cant see them inprove audio? maybe affect the stability of the ram modules installed along side if even.

Might be an interesting LMG video as like a part 2 of the PCIe Filter one?


Description from the site and some more images:
 

This advanced memory filter based on 2 high-speed NEC / TOKIN 0D108 decouplers (noise and EMI absorption) provides cleaner power to your DDR4 memory modules, which are crucial elements of any computer system. significantly increase their performance and longevity).

This model AXF-75 is the version dedicated to the DDR4, while the Filter EMI AXF-74 is it for DDR3 slots.

Features:

• For DDR4-DIMM slot
• EMI Filtering
• Reduction of high frequency harmonics
• Proadlizer NEC / TOKIN 0D108 x 2
• Simply installs on a free slot without any necessary configuration

 

 

Edited March 29, 2021 by Woreec
typo

[AbydosOne]

29 minutes ago, Woreec said:

It claims to help providing cleaner power to memory modules
you seem to just install them in free ram slots

My EE nerd side really wants to try these, but I a) don't have the equipment to test them and b) am not sure they're worth the $96 to get a pair of them in the US...

[NattyKathy]

Definitely snake oil, like most high-end audiophile accessories. Looks like a lot of RC filtering to me, with some real beffy capacitance. Maybe LRC? Can't tell what the double rows of 3 black components toward the middle are. But DRAMs being digital, ECC/Reg. memory is a better solution to avoiding bit flips.

 

I'm curious how these would affect memory overclocking though

[mariushm]

Absolutely snake oil .... you're cleaning the output of the dc-dc converter which converts 3.3v or 5v to 1.2v..1.35v.... which is already filtered quite well.

All it does it adds capacitance forcing the dc-dc converter to work overtime when you turn on the pc to fill up those capacitors on the ram sticks.

Reducing EMI ... no, the sticks you have installed still produce EMI ... not that you would care anyway.

 

[NattyKathy]

8 minutes ago, mariushm said:

Absolutely snake oil .... you're cleaning the output of the dc-dc converter which converts 3.3v or 5v to 1.2v..1.35v.... which is already filtered quite well.

All it does it adds capacitance forcing the dc-dc converter to work overtime when you turn on the pc to fill up those capacitors on the ram sticks.

Reducing EMI ... no, the sticks you have installed still produce EMI ... not that you would care anyway.

 

yeah I had that thought too... unlike the mains -> 12V converters in the PSU, the low voltage VRMs on the board aren't intended to have a huge amount of capacitance on them, they're really specifically tuned.

[Spotty]

That's a waste of a DIMM slot, at least the dummy RAM sticks have RGB.

 

2 hours ago, Woreec said:

Might be an interesting LMG video as like a part 2 of the PCIe Filter one?

If you want to suggest it for LTT make sure to post in the suggestions thread as well.

 

 

They did a video on a similar card of capacitors that plugged in to the PCIe slot a few months ago.

 

[H713]

As long as the DC-DC converters on the motherboard meet the specifications they're supposed to, and as long as the RAM manufacturer designed their modules to work in a standard system, it's a load of BS. It shouldn't affect memory performance, and it really won't affect audio performance. Could certainly affect the stability of the DC-DC converters on the motherboard, however.

 

For sound cards, this kind of filtering needs to happen on the card for it to be useful. Any sane designer is going to assume that the PCIe power is insanely noisy and put the necessary filtering and decoupling on the card. Same goes for EMI. The engineers who design PCIe sound cards know that it's going inside a PC, and they all know that PCs are ridiculously noisy. If you've got a card that was designed by an idiot, then put your money towards something that is well-designed rather than wank solutions that won't make a difference.

 

It's best to just ignore this crap. Every industry has snakeoil products. I'd argue that audio is no worse in this regard than performance mods for cars, and only marginally worse than the "extreme weight saving" that goes on at the front of the fleet in competitive sailboat racing. Missing a wind shift will hurt you a lot more than any sort of ultra-light carbon fiber beer cooler will help you, but people still buy this crap.

[kasugatei]

I am finding audiophiles as interesting bunch. Muddy bass? 10k USD power cable should solve it. Sharp highs? for sure audiophile grade SATA cable for 500 USD will solve it.

 

Acoustic treatment? What is that? That is unnecessary. 

 

It is usually always like that.

[H713]

8 hours ago, Niksa said:

I am finding audiophiles as interesting bunch. Muddy bass? 10k USD power cable should solve it. Sharp highs? for sure audiophile grade SATA cable for 500 USD will solve it.

 

Acoustic treatment? What is that? That is unnecessary. 

 

It is usually always like that.

Some audiophiles are like that, and they're the ones who get the attention. There are plenty of sensible people who aren't complete nutjobs and will make some reasonable effort at acoustic treatment. I've also never actually met someone who bought a $10,000 power cable, and I've really never met someone who would even consider buying a $500 power cable. They are out there, but that does not mean that they are the majority. Products like this get a lot of attention because they're outrageous. Don't confuse marketing with the majority.

 

FWIW, for every snake-oil-buying audiophile comment I see, there is at least one (probably more) people ranting about "audiophiles being insane snobs".

[Derkoli]

13 hours ago, H713 said:

Every industry has snakeoil products.

God, try getting into any high-end cycling. We're talking 100's for bearings to save 2 watts ontop of 300 watt rider power outputs.

[kasugatei]

18 hours ago, H713 said:

Products like this get a lot of attention because they're outrageous. Don't confuse marketing with the majority.

First, I never mentioned that majority are like that. 

Second, let's be honest, audiophile market has way too many snake oil products. Why it has that much snake oil products? Because people are buying them. It is simple principle of cause-effect. Just because you never met someone that bought 10k USD power cable is not relevant statistic. I've also never met such person and that is also not relevant statistic. But the fact is that 10k USD power cables exist and they are not being made by a single company. They exist because someone is willing to pay that price.

As it is mentioned before, lots of industries have snake oil products, but I still have to find one which has that much snake oil products as audiophile one.

 

Just as an conclusion, human psyche is interesting thing. If famous chef would take a shit into pie and person would willingly pay 10k USD for it, that person would probably convince himself that it was the best pie he has ever tasted.