DDR4 Speeds and paired with Z170A (Gaming performance)

[DrewTaylor]

So, in my mission to construct a somewhat modestly priced gaming rig, I have been taken through a gambit of mobo options paired with various CPUs for optimal processing speeds. I have pretty much decided on the MSI KRAIT Gaming 3X LGA1151 Z170A paired with an i5 6500. I know I can't OC on this CPU, but I will most likely upgrade to a K type CPU somewhere down the line when I get a tad more savvy with tweaking. Right now I want to focus on the basics. I.E.: Raw (out of the box) processing speeds and how to get the most out of pairing a basic quad-core CPU with certain speeds of DDR4 memory.

 

From what I have read, it seems like the Z170A chipsets offer some decent options if I elect to overclock eventually with an upgraded GPU. I am aware that there are ways to overclock a locked GPU on the Z170A, but I don't want to sacrifice temp monitoring since I am nowhere near advanced enough to gamble with higher heat output without a way to track it. 

 

So my question is: How much does DDR4 speed really matter when running more CPU-bound games such as GTAV or Skyrim SE?

 

Right now I am looking at 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 2400. Should I go for a faster speed? I really like the aesthetic appeal of the Avixir Core series with the red LEDs. I know, cosmetic details shouldn't really matter when evaluating performance, but they're just so damn pretty. I'm sure some of you might understand.

 

Sorry for the long post, but there is a lot of info I wanted to get out there at once just to give anyone some background to work with.

 

If you want to take a closer look at my part list, you can find it here: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cJwyQV

[Himommies]

Just get the cheapes Ram that looks relatively ok

[toasty6776]

DRAM speeds really don't really affect your performance at all (unless you're only running your iGPU since that does benefit from higher DRAM speeds) so you're definitely alright with your 2400MHz which is already more than the standard 2133MHz every DDR4 module runs at without XMP enabled. Also, I can tell you from personal experience (I personally only use 2133MHz modules) that even lower speeds work brilliantly  

And btw I can definitely understand that you want some pretty RAM. PCs aren't only meant to work properly but (at least in my opinion) should also look good.

[DrewTaylor]

21 hours ago, toasty6776 said:

DRAM speeds really don't really affect your performance at all (unless you're only running your iGPU since that does benefit from higher DRAM speeds) so you're definitely alright with your 2400MHz which is already more than the standard 2133MHz every DDR4 module runs at without XMP enabled. Also, I can tell you from personal experience (I personally only use 2133MHz modules) that even lower speeds work brilliantly  

And btw I can definitely understand that you want some pretty RAM. PCs aren't only meant to work properly but (at least in my opinion) should also look good.

Thank you! Yeah definitely not going to be running IGPU lol

[toasty6776]

3 hours ago, DrewTaylor said:

Yeah definitely not going to be running IGPU lol

I would've been a bit shocked if you did

[typographie]

On 1/26/2017 at 7:31 AM, DrewTaylor said:

So my question is: How much does DDR4 speed really matter when running more CPU-bound games such as GTAV or Skyrim SE?

It can matter some, but it seems to be highly dependent on the game. At least when using certain hardware configurations. Having a lower-end CPU may make RAM matter a bit more due to the CPU being a limiting factor more often.

 

There's some performance data for several games here comparing DDR4-2133 to DDR4-2666, albeit using an i3:

I certainly wouldn't recommend spending a lot more money for really high-end DDR4-4000 or something, but its sometimes possible to find midrange kits for only slightly more than 2400. If you can find a good deal, I think it's worthwhile to go up to the 2666–3200 range.

[DrewTaylor]

3 hours ago, typographie said:

It can matter some, but it seems to be highly dependent on the game. At least when using certain hardware configurations. Having a lower-end CPU may make RAM matter a bit more due to the CPU being a limiting factor more often.

 

There's some performance data for several games here comparing DDR4-2133 to DDR4-2666, albeit using an i3:

I certainly wouldn't recommend spending a lot more money for really high-end DDR4-4000 or something, but its sometimes possible to find midrange kits for only slightly more than 2400. If you can find a good deal, I think it's worthwhile to go up to the 2666–3200 range.

This was extremely helpful! Just the kind of spreadsheet I was looking for!

 

I will be using a quad-core CPU when I build, so the numbers for the i3 6100 give me some promising outlook. I know this CPU is hyperthreaded, and mine will not be, but I keep hearing that hyperthreading really doesn't boost performance as much as having more physical cores to draw on.

 

An i5 6500 with a base clock of 3.2GHz and a turbo of 3.6GHz paired with the DDR4 2400 I want to get should do me pretty well for a while, especially since the aftermarket cooler I want to get will keep thermals down and reduce wear on CPU. At least, that's what I'm taking away from this.

 

Thanks!