Does Cpu Matter For 4k Gaming

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Don't waste money chasing RAM speed for gaming on AMD or Intel

(Image credit: Teamgroup)

The relevance of RAM speed to PC gaming is i of the most enduring of component discussions. If you're putting together a gaming PC build (opens in new tab) how much attention and money should y'all pay towards dropping a chunk of high speed RAM into your rig?

We're taking a wait at a mix of games, some make new, and 1 oldies only goodies, to see just how RAM speed affects both Intel and AMD systems in 2020. On paper, faster memory is desirable, only is it really necessary and worth the expense? We all know that a faster GPU will lead to a higher frame rate, and a faster CPU will lessen a potential clogging, but RAM speed seems to be one of those things that doesn't take as clear an answer.

Let's brainstorm with a await at the system architectures.

AMD and Intel architectures and topology are fundamentally different. The topology in item has a measurable impact on RAM operation and the resulting bandwidth and latency. Equally it stands now, Intel CPUs are widely regarded as having an advantage when it comes to gaming functioning, peculiarly at the high terminate with several models benefiting from 5 GHz+ clock speeds, but that'south not the merely reason for Intel'south advantage.

A large role of Intel's gaming advantage comes from its monolithic die architecture. Having all the cores, cache, I/O, and retention controller on the same dice is inherently advantageous for latency, which is usually something that games benefit from.

On the other paw, AMD's chiplet topology, and accompanying Infinity Fabric interconnect, cannot lucifer the latency that would be achieved on a single dice. AMD includes a very large L3 enshroud to help minimize this deficit (32MB for the 3700X vs 12MB for the i5-10600K). It keeps more data 'close to the metal' so to speak.

Some game engines are not sensitive to a few nanoseconds of latency here and there, while others derive benefit from AMD's very large cache. Others hardly see any benefit at different RAM speeds.

Here's a look at the latency of both Intel and AMD systems tested across various speeds, where the lower the latency the amend the event.

(Prototype credit: Future)

Intel clearly has the advantage here. We also become our commencement indicator of the 'wall' on AMD systems above DDR4-3600. We'll come back to that. (Spoiler: DDR4-3600 is the sweet spot for AMD Ryzen 3000 systems)

We've tested four games. Admittedly information technology's not a massive sample size, but they have been selected because they are very different from one some other. We've got F1 2020, Horizon Aught Dawn, Metro Exodus and finally Civilization Half-dozen. They represent a driving game, a third person shooter, a first person shooter and a strategy game.

RAM speed test systems

	Intel exam system	AMD exam system
CPU	Core i5 10600K	Ryzen seven 3700X
Motherboard	Asus Maximus XII Apex	MSI X570 Godlike
Graphics card	Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Founders Edition	Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Founders Edition
Ability Supply	Antec HCP-1200	Antec HCP-1200
Storage	Samsung 860 Pro 1TB (Os) & Western Digital Black SN750 1TB (Games)	Samsung 860 Pro 1TB (Bone) & Western Digital Blackness SN750 1TB (Games)
Cooling	NZXT X73 360mm AIO	NZXT X73 360mm AIO
Operating System	Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit 2004	Windows 10 Pro 64 Chip 2004

We've tested at three dissimilar settings: 1080p at low settings, 1080p at maximum settings and 4K at maximum settings. This covers a skillful chunk of utilize cases.

1080p results at low settings give good information for gamers using high refresh rate monitors. If y'all're gaming at 120 fps and college, you need more than a powerful GPU. A fast CPU—and as we'll run into—quality memory are likewise necessary.

If you shift to 1080p at maximum settings, you lot are presented with more than of a graphics clogging, and at 4K at maximum settings, even an RTX 2080 Ti tin can and does struggle to put out playable frame rates in some titles.

(Epitome credit: Time to come)

Intel RAM speed functioning

At 4K the system is conspicuously bottle necked by the GPU. Faster RAM does show some some pocket-size minimum FPS gains, but a couple of per centum here and there isn't meaning.

At 1080p we start to get a clearer picture. F1 2020 shows that faster RAM has a large impact on performance. Metro Exodus is a very graphically demanding game but even here nosotros see benefits at lower settings. It's a similar pattern with Horizon Nothing Dawn. Culture VI sees gains too, though very high FPS isn't as important a strategy game compared to a first person shooter.

The overall story is clear. For the sake of a few extra dollars or a handful of quid, go with a set of DDR4-3200 and y'all'll be all set. It won't cost much more than than 2,400MHz or 2,666MHz RAM. iii,600MHz is nigh where you offset to striking a limit for proficient value. Kits faster than this tend to actually spring up in price. The only reason to go with 4,000 MHz+ RAM is if you're looking to maximize FPS on a loftier refresh rate monitor with a similarly loftier spec system, or you're chasing points at HWbot.

(Image credit: Future)

AMD RAM speed functioning

Let's move onto the AMD system. We run into the same general pattern we saw with the Intel system where 4K is highly GPU limited. At 1080p though the results with the slowest RAM are interesting. 1080p gaming with a memory speed of DDR4-2400 appears to show a significant clogging. If you've got a 120Hz+ monitor, definitely spend a bit extra on some faster RAM.

Very fast memory doesn't make much sense on a Ryzen 3000 CPU

As we mentioned above when looking at the latency results, nosotros see one of the quirks of AMD Matisse CPUs reveal itself above DDR4-3600. The memory clock and Infinity Fabric clock are tied to each other in a 1:one ratio up to a speed of 3,600MHz. Well, actually it'south three,733MHz if yous really want to push it equally far as you can get.

If you move beyond this, the motherboard will automatically set the Infinity Fabric clock to 1:two, or one-half the retention speed. This incurs a latency penalty that we see in the information, with DDR4-3600 more often than not being slightly faster than DDR4-4000. The difference isn't huge, but then why would you buy 4,000MHz RAM over 3,600MHz RAM if it'due south slower at all? Y'all wouldn't, and you lot'll salvage a few dollars too. The Infinity Cloth can be set higher than ane,800MHz. Some CPUs can hitting up to effectually 1,900MHz with the IF clock, just that'due south even so 'simply' DDR4-3800.

Very fast memory doesn't brand much sense on a Ryzen 3000 CPU.

If you're a gamer with an AMD Ryzen 3000 system, grab yourself a ready of DDR4-3600. Faster RAM is more expensive, information technology tin nowadays some compatibility bug on some boards and at all-time you'll run into gains that fall into margin of fault type of differences. If you lot're not interested in overclocking, a 3,200MHz will exist fine. 4400MHz+ kits tend to really spring up in price. For a similar toll, yous can probably become a 32 GB iii,600MHz kit. It'due south a no brainer.

(Image credit: Teamgroup)

To exist fair, the aforementioned generally applies for Intel systems: most gamers volition be fine with a set of DDR4-3200 memory, particularly if you're running a mid-range GPU. Don't waste money on very fast RAM if that's the case. Instead divert it towards a better GPU. DDR4 retentiveness pricing is very mature, so there'due south petty money to be saved by buying a two,400 or ii,666MHz kit. For usa iii,200MHz memory with the mutual timings of 16-xviii-18 should exist considered the baseline for all simply budget systems.

The only reason a gamer should go with very fast four,000MHz+ RAM is if you're running a loftier spec Intel system and you're into competitive first person shooter games on a loftier refresh monitor. The real sweet spot is a kit effectually DDR4-3600 MHz kit with Samsung B-Die IC's. Something like this Team Xtreem ARGB DDR4 (opens in new tab) kit we reviewed, with timings of fourteen-xv-15, will fit the beak nicely.

We hope that at present yous have a better idea of what's hot and what's not when it comes to RAM  speed. A decent DDR4-3600 kit will adapt both Intel and AMD gamers. At that speed you're getting a expert blend of price/operation.

Such RAM volition also be widely compatible and like shooting fish in a barrel to gear up and forget. Will things change with new Ryzen 4000 CPUs or Intel 11th Generation desktop CPUs? Perhaps, but don't forget that those platforms are likely to be the last DDR4 platforms before we shift to DDR5. Then nosotros'll all have to beginning from scratch again!

Chris' gaming experiences go back to the mid-nineties when he conned his parents into buying an 'educational PC' that was conveniently overpowered to play Doom and Tie Fighter. He developed a love of extreme overclocking that destroyed his savings despite the cheaper hardware on offer via his chore at a PC store. To afford more LN2 he began moonlighting as a reviewer for VR-Zone before jumping the fence to work for MSI Australia. Since and so, he's gone back to journalism, enthusiastically reviewing the latest and greatest components for PC & Tech Dominance, PC Powerplay and currently Australian Personal Computer mag and PC Gamer. Chris withal puts far too many hours into Borderlands 3, always striving to get a more efficient killer.

Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/does-ram-speed-matter-gaming-amd-intel/

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