About Motherboards and Faster RAM

[CorgiParade]

I'm going to be running a system with integrated graphics for a while. I'm also going to be using a locked CPU because I have no intention of overclocking. I've heard things about DDR4 with higher frequencies helping integrated graphics to perform significantly better. This gets me kind of interested, but I have a few questions about the whole thing.

 

The first question: Would I need a Z170 board to take advantage of the help the faster RAM gives my processor/iGPU, or am I fine with an H170/lesser board?

The second question: Do I need to overclock my CPU to get my RAM to run at it's advertised speed, or is there another way I can do that?

 

The third question: Can somebody help me find a motherboard to use? I don't need a ton of features... I just need a motherboard that works, is able to handle 16GB of RAM (all of the new ones), with decent audio and fast Ethernet.

 

EDIT: I'm trying to keep my budget below $600. I can go up to $650 if it's necessary in order to ensure the top quality of my computer's parts. I'm buying everything inside of the USA, preferably from Amazon (I have a Prime membership).

Intel Core i5-6600

WD Black, 1TB, WD1003FZEX

EVGA SuperNOVA 550 G2 80 Plus Gold, Fully Modular, 220-G2-0550-Y1

Fractal Design Define R5, Black, FDCADEFR5BK

 

I'm looking for a motherboard and a RAM kit (2x8GB).

 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2016 by CorgiParade

[comicsansms]

What is your budget for the computer?

What it your current parts list?

What country are you in?

[CorgiParade]

5 minutes ago, Comic_Sans_MS said:

What is your budget for the computer?

What it your current parts list?

What country are you in?

I edited my post to include those details.

[jpow007]

Look for a motherboard that supports xmp profile. its the quickest and easiest way to get higher ram speeds. Also look at the mobo capability list and see what the highest speed RAM you can install and run on that mobo. 

 

[CorgiParade]

Just now, jpow007 said:

Look for a motherboard that supports xmp profile. its the quickest and easiest way to get higher ram speeds. Also look at the mobo capability list and see what the highest speed RAM you can install and run on that mobo. 

 

Thanks, can you explain how the RAM can be run at higher speeds on a motherboard that supports it if the CPU doesn't?

[tomoki]

15 minutes ago, CorgiParade said:

I'm going to be running a system with integrated graphics for a while. I'm also going to be using a locked CPU because I have no intention of overclocking. I've heard things about DDR4 with higher frequencies helping integrated graphics to perform significantly better. This gets me kind of interested, but I have a few questions about the whole thing.

 

The first question: Would I need a Z170 board to take advantage of the help the faster RAM gives my processor/iGPU, or am I fine with an H170/lesser board?

The second question: Do I need to overclock my CPU to get my RAM to run at it's advertised speed, or is there another way I can do that?

 

The third question: Can somebody help me find a motherboard to use? I don't need a ton of features... I just need a motherboard that works, is able to handle 16GB of RAM (all of the new ones), with decent audio and fast Ethernet.

 

EDIT: I'm trying to keep my budget below $600. I can go up to $650 if it's necessary in order to ensure the top quality of my computer's parts. I'm buying everything inside of the USA, preferably from Amazon (I have a Prime membership).

Intel Core i5-6600

WD Black, 1TB, WD1003FZEX

EVGA SuperNOVA 550 G2 80 Plus Gold, Fully Modular, 220-G2-0550-Y1

Fractal Design Define R5, Black, FDCADEFR5BK

 

I'm looking for a motherboard and a RAM kit (2x8GB).

 

 

 

Q1. You will be fine with a lesser board. You just need an integrated graphics processor chip... and with DDR4, you can also be using X99. Don't go with the 5820k cause it doesn't have an integrated chip. That's from what I'm reading so far. You'd also need a mobo capable of XMP.. which I think most are? 

 

Q2. You can keep your cpu clock speeds at auto and overclock your RAM. With my system, my RAM was running by default at a lower speed than it stated so you'd have to go through that. 

 

Q3. Um... well if a mobo and ram kit is what you need...with integrated graphics + XMP profiling, I've read a while ago that the Intel 4000 performs "medium" for games. So anything newer than a 3rd generation processor I think you're well off. There's a huge variety of boards you could use + RAM kits. 

 

Yes, RAM speed and RAM capacity does help integrated graphics to a certain degree. As for how much I'm not sure but I have only felt it before. That's pretty subjective though. 

[jpow007]

if you're running a i5 6600 you should be good running two 8GB ram sticks. I wont say that a CPU wont bottleneck your RAM but its highly unlikely. More than likely as long as the motherboard supports the CPU and specified RAM you will be good at any of those speeds. If your mobo supports the RAM than your CPU should be good. if that makes sense. I dont know what exactly youre trying to accomplish but you dont need crazy fast RAM. It sort of the same argument as you wont need more than 16 GB of RAM even though a motherboard supports 32 or 64GB whatever 6th gen is now. 

 

For instance my board can support up to 3600 Mhz RAM but not just any 3600Mhz RAM stick will work only a certain RAM from Gskill and it only supports 2x4GB. However I have 2X8GB sticks that run at 3000Mhz. It just varies each motherboard. If I wanted to upgrade to 4x8GB of RAM I would have to buy a whole new set of RAM I couldn't just upgrade what I already have because the motherboard doesnt support that RAM at that speed.

 

[Conan1600]

23 minutes ago, CorgiParade said:

I'm going to be running a system with integrated graphics for a while. I'm also going to be using a locked CPU because I have no intention of overclocking. I've heard things about DDR4 with higher frequencies helping integrated graphics to perform significantly better. This gets me kind of interested, but I have a few questions about the whole thing.

 

The first question: Would I need a Z170 board to take advantage of the help the faster RAM gives my processor/iGPU, or am I fine with an H170/lesser board?

The second question: Do I need to overclock my CPU to get my RAM to run at it's advertised speed, or is there another way I can do that?

 

The third question: Can somebody help me find a motherboard to use? I don't need a ton of features... I just need a motherboard that works, is able to handle 16GB of RAM (all of the new ones), with decent audio and fast Ethernet.

 

EDIT: I'm trying to keep my budget below $600. I can go up to $650 if it's necessary in order to ensure the top quality of my computer's parts. I'm buying everything inside of the USA, preferably from Amazon (I have a Prime membership).

Intel Core i5-6600

WD Black, 1TB, WD1003FZEX

EVGA SuperNOVA 550 G2 80 Plus Gold, Fully Modular, 220-G2-0550-Y1

Fractal Design Define R5, Black, FDCADEFR5BK

 

I'm looking for a motherboard and a RAM kit (2x8GB).

 

 

 

The motherboards i recommend most is the MSI z170a sli plus or the gaming 5. but those are around 115.00 to 145.00 depending on how hard you search. YOU do not need a z line BUT you do need to find a MB that lists the ram speed you intend to buy to take advantage of its speed. it will be listed in the specs for that board. you do not need to OC your cpu for your ram. there are many budget boards, the ones i recommend are budget for high end, they have very good specs for audio, OCing, xmp, heat sinks, and reliability BUT they do not play well with windows 7 install, you must update bios before installing 7.

[tomoki]

Imho, if you're not thinking about upgrading this build, I would just buy whatever is cheapest. 

If you already have that i5-6600 you listed, you're much more limited to what your motherboard is going to be. 

[CorgiParade]

Just now, tomoki said:

Imho, if you're not thinking about upgrading this build, I would just buy whatever is cheapest. 

If you already have that i5-6600 you listed, you're much more limited to what your motherboard is going to be. 

I don't have any of the components. Those are just the ones I'm thinking about. Would it be nicer to go for a 2011-v3 socket or an LGA 1151 socket system??

[tomoki]

2 minutes ago, CorgiParade said:

I don't have any of the components. Those are just the ones I'm thinking about. Would it be nicer to go for a 2011-v3 socket or an LGA 1151 socket system??

You're talking about Haswell-E vs Skylake. 2011-v3 has been used for the 3rd time around. As for how many more times it will be used in the future, no one knows? For your purpose, since you will be running an integrated graphics build for a while, either get the better of the two integrated graphics solutions with either of the two chipsets or you get whichever is cheaper between the two....seeing that you will probably be upgrading after using the integrated graphics chip for a while. 

That's what I see after re-reading your first post. 

[CorgiParade]

Just now, tomoki said:

You're talking about Haswell-E vs Skylake. 2011-v3 has been used for the 3rd time around. As for how many more times it will be used in the future, no one knows? For your purpose, since you will be running an integrated graphics build for a while, either get the better of the two integrated graphics solutions with either of the two chipsets or you get whichever is cheaper between the two....seeing that you will probably be upgrading after using the integrated graphics chip for a while. 

That's what I see after re-reading your first post. 

Yeah, I think I'm going to go for LGA1151 anyways. I'm planning on purchasing everything other than a graphics card and waiting for Pascal to arrive. Then I'm going to check out graphics cards.