Which one memory kit should I buy for AMD 9950X? [G.Skill vs Kingston]

[SIGSEGV]

Finding the correct memory for the AMD system is a bit painful.
I will use this memory for AI/ML/DL modelling and slight gaming.

- Kingston FURY Beast DDR5-6000 - 64GB - CL30 - Dual Channel (2 pcs) - AMD EXPO & Intel XMP - Black
Memory (RAM), 64GB: 2 x 32GB (Dual Channel), DIMM 288-pin, DDR5, Speed: 6000 MHz (MT/s) / PC5-48000, CAS Latency: 30-36-36, Voltage: 1.4 Volt, Unbuffered, On-Die ECC, Supports AMD EXPO Profiles, Supports Intel XMP Profiles, With Heat Spreader, Color: Black [Price 219 EUR]
- G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 - 64GB - CL30 - Dual Channel (2 pcs) - AMD EXPO - Black with RGB
Memory (RAM), 64GB: 2 x 32GB (Dual Channel), DIMM 288-pin, DDR5, Speed: 6000 MHz (MT/s) / PC5-48000, CAS Latency: 30-40-40-96, Voltage: 1.4 Volt, Un-buffered, On-Die ECC, Supports AMD EXPO Profiles, With Heat Spreader, Color: Black with ARGB (Controllable by ASUS AURA, Gigabyte Fusion RGB 2.0, Asrock PolyChrome Sync & MSI Mystic Light) [Price 216 EUR]

or do you have any other better suggestions?

 

[ir_cow]

Question: Do you absolutely need 64GB?

 

[tabascosauz]

Finding the correct memory for the AMD system is a bit painful.
I will use this memory for AI/ML/DL modelling and slight gaming.

- Kingston FURY Beast DDR5-6000 - 64GB - CL30 - Dual Channel (2 pcs) - AMD EXPO & Intel XMP - Black
Memory (RAM), 64GB: 2 x 32GB (Dual Channel), DIMM 288-pin, DDR5, Speed: 6000 MHz (MT/s) / PC5-48000, CAS Latency: 30-36-36, Voltage: 1.4 Volt, Unbuffered, On-Die ECC, Supports AMD EXPO Profiles, Supports Intel XMP Profiles, With Heat Spreader, Color: Black [Price 219 EUR]
- G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 - 64GB - CL30 - Dual Channel (2 pcs) - AMD EXPO - Black with RGB
Memory (RAM), 64GB: 2 x 32GB (Dual Channel), DIMM 288-pin, DDR5, Speed: 6000 MHz (MT/s) / PC5-48000, CAS Latency: 30-40-40-96, Voltage: 1.4 Volt, Un-buffered, On-Die ECC, Supports AMD EXPO Profiles, With Heat Spreader, Color: Black with ARGB (Controllable by ASUS AURA, Gigabyte Fusion RGB 2.0, Asrock PolyChrome Sync & MSI Mystic Light) [Price 216 EUR]

or do you have any other better suggestions?

What really is painful is buying a G.skill kit and yet opting for an RGB one. Regular non-RGB Trident, Flare, Ripjaws............absolutely nobody likes G.skill's shitty non-permanent proprietary RGB

The Fury Beast comes with better secondaries so I'd take that. It's not set in stone and you can certainly tweak them after the fact, but iirc according to bz it's best to buy better tRCD/tRP off the bat for a decent Hynix bin

Otherwise I'm not sure what's painful. 2x32GB Hynix is easy to run. I have a 2x32GB kit of white Ripjaws that came as 32-39-39 at 6400. Easy to run.

Hardcore OCers don't like G.skill because they don't have the PMIC thermal pad. Doesn't really matter for most people. But it's a consideration. Not sure if Fury Beast has it either, never checked.

 

[Knight47]

Hardcore OCers don't like G.skill because they don't have the PMIC thermal pad. Doesn't really matter for most people. But it's a consideration. Not sure if Fury Beast has it either, never checked.

Kingston DDR5 kits have it, like the Fury Beast and Renegade. https://aphnetworks.com/reviews/kingston-fury-beast-ddr5-5200-2x16gb/2
Afaik G.Skill is the only one who likes to save pennies on the PMIC pad.

 

[JWNoctis]

If you are doing AI/ML/DL modeling in RAM, you'd probably need as much as you can get and do better with a 2x48GB kit. Corsair has a nice 6000C30 one.

Question: Do you absolutely need 64GB?

Those kinds of things can absolutely take all the memory you can throw at it and more. The most recent open-weight models, reasonably quantized and still useful & practical to run local, can take close to 100GB.

 

[ir_cow]

Those kinds of things can absolutely take all the memory you can throw at it and more. The most recent open-weight models, reasonably quantized and still useful & practical to run local, can take close to 100GB.

Might be a good idea to get 2x48 (96GB). Crucial Pro is the cheapest by far, but the timings make it worse than 4800 memory in latency. I guess if your a casual gamer or work is more important that is the best reason to go with Crucial on a budget. Otherwise it's $400 for 96GB.

 

[AusWolf]

Same speed, similar latencies. I don't think it matters which one you get, like not even at the 0.1% performance difference level.

(RAM tuning is overrated anyway)

 

[las]

Just buy the one you like the look of with 6000/CL30

 

[Chomiq]

Finding the correct memory for the AMD system is a bit painful.

When in doubt, use QVL for motherboard you selected.

 

[Sarajiel]

Finding the correct memory for the AMD system is a bit painful.

Not really
If you want memory modules with 16Gb ICs, you buy Hynix A-die. If you want 24Gb ICs, you buy Hynix M-die. If you don't want to manually tune your memory, you buy EXPO kits that come with a self-certification report, which should include the type of IC used in your memory module. Sadly, most manufacturer except Kingston or G.Skill don't put these reports up.

On a more practical note, go for the Kingston kit. It should generally be better, since Kingston kits usually come with a working XMP/EXPO profile for a given speed and include a down-bin in case your memory controller can't handle the primary speed. G.Skill typically only comes with one profile, and those don't always work from my experience. Although you should be fine at 6000MT/s.
As others mentioned, if you plan to manually tune or overclock your memory, avoid the G.Skill kit, since the missing thermal pad on the PMIC will become noticeable.
Generally speaking, avoid RGB on memory modules, because you risk the RGB software accidentally overwriting your SPD, the place where XMP/EXPO profiles are stored, if you go for more elaborate RGB patterns. It also adds a slight amount of heat to the module, but that isn't an issue unless you go for extreme overclocks without a fan.

When in doubt, use QVL for motherboard you selected.

No. Sadly, for DDR5, a lot of memory QVLs of motherboards are just extended marketing materials that don't always reflect the reality. The exception seems to be MSI, but so far their AM5 boards aren't that great overall.

You should rather do it the other way round, and check the module manufacturer's QVL to see if your motherboard is actually supported. Kingston is very conservative with their QVLs, and G.Skill usually does a good job as well in that regard.

 

[azrael]

Finding the correct memory for the AMD system is a bit painful.
I will use this memory for AI/ML/DL modelling and slight gaming.

- Kingston FURY Beast DDR5-6000 - 64GB - CL30 - Dual Channel (2 pcs) - AMD EXPO & Intel XMP - Black
Memory (RAM), 64GB: 2 x 32GB (Dual Channel), DIMM 288-pin, DDR5, Speed: 6000 MHz (MT/s) / PC5-48000, CAS Latency: 30-36-36, Voltage: 1.4 Volt, Unbuffered, On-Die ECC, Supports AMD EXPO Profiles, Supports Intel XMP Profiles, With Heat Spreader, Color: Black [Price 219 EUR]
- G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 - 64GB - CL30 - Dual Channel (2 pcs) - AMD EXPO - Black with RGB
Memory (RAM), 64GB: 2 x 32GB (Dual Channel), DIMM 288-pin, DDR5, Speed: 6000 MHz (MT/s) / PC5-48000, CAS Latency: 30-40-40-96, Voltage: 1.4 Volt, Un-buffered, On-Die ECC, Supports AMD EXPO Profiles, With Heat Spreader, Color: Black with ARGB (Controllable by ASUS AURA, Gigabyte Fusion RGB 2.0, Asrock PolyChrome Sync & MSI Mystic Light) [Price 216 EUR]

or do you have any other better suggestions?

Probably a dumb question, but if you plan to use the new system mainly for productivity why do you not go for ECC memory? I know there's no RGB, but is that necessary? Here's what Kingston has. You also need a motherboard which supports ECC. Most Ryzen boards from ASUS and ASRock do.

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

I have that Kingston kit in my current 7950X3D/X670E gaming pc. It works well on the EXPO profiles.
I found it was cheapest direct from Kingston.

 

[Arco]

Might be a good idea to get 2x48 (96GB). Crucial Pro is the cheapest by far, but the timings make it worse than 4800 memory in latency. I guess if your a casual gamer or work is more important that is the best reason to go with Crucial on a budget. Otherwise it's $400 for 96GB.

I second this. You want 1DPC and currently 48gb dimms are the max for the poor consumers.

I've done the same. Look through here for what you would like.

 

[kapone32]

Probably a dumb question, but if you plan to use the new system mainly for productivity why do you not go for ECC memory? I know there's no RGB, but is that necessary? Here's what Kingston has. You also need a motherboard which supports ECC. Most Ryzen boards from ASUS and ASRock do.

Does not DDR5 have ECC built into the module?

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

Does not DDR5 have ECC built into the module?

Both the kits listed by OP say "On-die ECC" in the description.

 

[ir_cow]

Does not DDR5 have ECC built into the module?

"Resting" ECC. Let's call it's wannabe ECC lol.

 

[SIGSEGV]

Both the kits listed by OP say "On-die ECC" in the description.

according to https://www.kingston.com/en/blog/pc-performance/ddr5-overview, it's different with ECC class memory. However, I don't know what chip they refer to (memory chip? cpu chip?)

On-die ECC (Error Correction Code) is a new feature designed to correct bit errors within the DRAM chip. As DRAM chips increase in density through shrinking wafer lithography, the potential for data leakage increases. On-die ECC mitigates this risk by correcting errors within the chip, increasing reliability and reducing defect rates. This technology cannot correct errors outside of the chip or those that occur on the bus between the module and memory controller housed within the CPU. ECC-enabled processors for servers and workstations feature the coding that can correct single or multi-bit errors on the fly. Extra DRAM bits must be available to allow this correction to occur, as featured on ECC-class module types such as ECC unbuffered, registered and load reduced.

What really is painful is buying a G.skill kit and yet opting for an RGB one. Regular non-RGB Trident, Flare, Ripjaws............absolutely nobody likes G.skill's shitty non-permanent proprietary RGB

The Fury Beast comes with better secondaries so I'd take that. It's not set in stone and you can certainly tweak them after the fact, but iirc according to bz it's best to buy better tRCD/tRP off the bat for a decent Hynix bin

Otherwise I'm not sure what's painful. 2x32GB Hynix is easy to run. I have a 2x32GB kit of white Ripjaws that came as 32-39-39 at 6400. Easy to run.

Hardcore OCers don't like G.skill because they don't have the PMIC thermal pad. Doesn't really matter for most people. But it's a consideration. Not sure if Fury Beast has it either, never checked.

Thanks for your essential information.
According to https://www.kingston.com/en/blog/pc-performance/ddr5-overview, their Fury Beast lineup has PMIC.

If you are doing AI/ML/DL modeling in RAM, you'd probably need as much as you can get and do better with a 2x48GB kit. Corsair has a nice 6000C30 one.


Those kinds of things can absolutely take all the memory you can throw at it and more. The most recent open-weight models, reasonably quantized and still useful & practical to run local, can take close to 100GB.

Thanks, Indeed (I am currently working with large datasets). I will consider getting a 2x48Gb kit.

When in doubt, use QVL for motherboard you selected.

Unfortunately, I am still waiting for the X870, especially the Taichi lineup.

Not really
If you want memory modules with 16Gb ICs, you buy Hynix A-die. If you want 24Gb ICs, you buy Hynix M-die. If you don't want to manually tune your memory, you buy EXPO kits that come with a self-certification report, which should include the type of IC used in your memory module. Sadly, most manufacturer except Kingston or G.Skill don't put these reports up.

On a more practical note, go for the Kingston kit. It should generally be better, since Kingston kits usually come with a working XMP/EXPO profile for a given speed and include a down-bin in case your memory controller can't handle the primary speed. G.Skill typically only comes with one profile, and those don't always work from my experience. Although you should be fine at 6000MT/s.
As others mentioned, if you plan to manually tune or overclock your memory, avoid the G.Skill kit, since the missing thermal pad on the PMIC will become noticeable.
Generally speaking, avoid RGB on memory modules, because you risk the RGB software accidentally overwriting your SPD, the place where XMP/EXPO profiles are stored, if you go for more elaborate RGB patterns. It also adds a slight amount of heat to the module, but that isn't an issue unless you go for extreme overclocks without a fan.


No. Sadly, for DDR5, a lot of memory QVLs of motherboards are just extended marketing materials that don't always reflect the reality. The exception seems to be MSI, but so far their AM5 boards aren't that great overall.

You should rather do it the other way round, and check the module manufacturer's QVL to see if your motherboard is actually supported. Kingston is very conservative with their QVLs, and G.Skill usually does a good job as well in that regard.

Thanks for your feedback, I will consider buying Kingston 64/Corsair 96.

Probably a dumb question, but if you plan to use the new system mainly for productivity why do you not go for ECC memory? I know there's no RGB, but is that necessary? Here's what Kingston has. You also need a motherboard which supports ECC. Most Ryzen boards from ASUS and ASRock do.

Yes. initially, I planned to buy an unbuffered ECC memory, but the budget slapped my face.

Does not DDR5 have ECC built into the module?

It's On-Die ECC

Both the kits listed by OP say "On-die ECC" in the description.

Yes. as @ir_cow mentioned, it's ECC wannabe memory.

 

[EmmanuelMar]

Corsair Vengeance DDR5 6000MHz 64GB 2x32GB CL30 Memoria dual AMD EXPO e Intel XMP​

 

[ir_cow]

Being in the EU means higher prices.

https://www.amazon.nl/-/en/Kingston-Renegade-6000MT-Desktop-Gaming/dp/B0CJC7QC8R/

 

[mkppo]

If you're waiting for X870, might as well wait for memory modules to come up, I think a few are slated to be launched alongside X870.

 

[azrael]

Does not DDR5 have ECC built into the module?

Both the kits listed by OP say "On-die ECC" in the description.

All DDR5 memory has On-Die-ECC, but that's not ECC in the traditional sense. It is used to ensure data integrity in the chips themselves when scaling to higher frequencies and/or smaller manufacturing nodes. Memory transfers are still subject to potential corruption (e.g. background radiation) without proper ECC. In DDR5, what was usually only known as ECC, is now (mostly) referred to as Sideband-ECC. A dead giveaway, as always, is the number of chips on the module. With DDR4 you had an extra chip for each 8 making the data path 72 bits wide. DDR5 is a bit different as the data path has been split into two 32 bit paths, so there's an extra chip for each path (80 bit wide) making it 10 instead of 9.

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

FWIW - Phoronix (A Linux news site) has done a 6000 vs 8000 DDR5 test on the Ryzen 9 9950X

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X DDR5-6000 / DDR5-6400 / DDR5-8000 Memory Performance Review - Phoronix

www.phoronix.com

Note that they just publish the tests, and leave the reader to draw their own conclusions.

 

[AusWolf]

FWIW - Phoronix (A Linux news site) has done a 6000 vs 8000 DDR5 test on the Ryzen 9 9950X

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X DDR5-6000 / DDR5-6400 / DDR5-8000 Memory Performance Review - Phoronix

www.phoronix.com

Note that they just publish the tests, and leave the reader to draw their own conclusions.

I haven't got the faintest idea what any of the used software is, but the lack of difference in results is stunning.

My PoV is confirmed once again: RAM tuning is overrated (aka. pointless).