Quiet PC build - suggestions

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Horseman
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Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by Horseman » Fri Oct 06, 2017 4:17 am

Hi guys.

After many delays my 9 years old PC (a Core 2 Duo 8400 with 4GB RAM) is starting to have random failures and I can't delay anymore buying a new machine. I bought that old system based on the suggestions here on this forum, and it has served me very well, I'd appreciate if you can advise me regarding what's the best configuration for my needs and budget - around 1000 euros. (BTW, I live in Europe, Portugal)

I’m a long time Sketchup and Vray user, using them mostly to model and render small rooms - kitchens, or bedrooms, or living rooms - but this PC will also be my main machine, where I do all my daily activity, from browsing to writing and dictating (I'm tetraplegic, and I use voice recognition software). So, it needs to do all that, and simultaneously render as fast as possible using Vray (and/or eventually other renderers). And of course, to be as silent as possible.

Due to my physical limitations I can't assemble the PC by myself, but one of my friends has a PC shop, so I'll order the parts from him and he'll assemble everything.

-----------------

CPU
From what I've been reading it seems that at the moment the best bet for someone that needs as many cores as possible (to render 3D models) is the Ryzen i7 1700. This CPU has a 65W TDP.

CPU cooler

I'm completely lost regarding this subject. My current machine has a Ninja version 1 or 2, but I have no preference regarding brands. I don't plan to overclock the CPU.

RAM
I'd like to get 32GB but with Ryzen it seems it's advisable to get RAM as fast as possible, so I was advised to buy 16GB, the G.Skill RipJaws V 16GB, DDR4-3200, CL6, and only get 32GB if the budget allows.

Motherboard
I'm also completely lost about which motherboard to buy. I don't plan to overclock the CPU, and my biggest requirement is that the system is reliable.

HDD's

I already have 4 hard drives, and at least for 2 or 3 years I'll need to have them inside this machine. I know it isn't ideal, they'll make noise, but until I have the funds to buy a NAS I'll have to live with it.

SSD
I want a reliable SSD for the OS and my main software. It doesn't need to be extra fast, I'm more focused on reliability and price. From what I've been reading the Crucial MX300 525GB seems a good bet, but I'm not familiar with SSD's, this will be my first one.

Case

Currently I have an ANTEC 182, which I'll keep with the old system, and I've been reading a lot of reviews of cases, but I have no preference at all. My main requirements are that it isn't too big. Ideally the size shouldn't be bigger than the Fractal Design Define C, which is 399 x 210 x 440mm, but I think that case only has space for two 3.5'' drives.

If it isn't possible to have at least four 3.5'' hard drives in a relatively small case, I'll need to rethink the PC location, but I don't have many options. The only alternative I have is a shelf, but in that location the case can either be...
a) only around 400mm tall, but as wide and deep as necessary, or
b) only around 450mm deep, but as wide and tall as necessary.

If it isn't possible at all, I'll have to consider buying a 4-bay NAS now instead of waiting 2 or 3 years, and in that case I'd buy a smaller PC case, since I wouldn't need to have the four 3.5'' HDD's inside.

Graphics card
I don't play games (not enough hand dexterity, unfortunately, due to the physical limitations mentioned above), and I don't need a very powerful graphics card. My only requirement is that it has 4GB, to use with Sketchup. From what I've been reading here this past week it seems a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti would be enough. I don't have preference regarding brands, once again my main requirement is reliability, and also silence. Or at least, relative relative.

Power supply
Another area where I'm completely lost. I think I don't need a fanless power supply, as long as it's quiet and reliable.
--------------------

Thank you very much for reading. As you can see I'm a bit lost after reading so many reviews and threads. I'd appreciate immensely all your comments and suggestions. The suggestions 9 years ago were priceless, hopefully this build lasts me another 9 years.

CA_Steve
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by CA_Steve » Sat Oct 07, 2017 11:05 am

Hi,

Are you fixated on transferring 4 HDDs to the new system? How about some consolidation to a newer larger drive? Let's resolve this before deciding on a case/cooler/etc..
- what are the capacities and how are you using them?

Of course, this is the week Intel released the Coffee Lake CPUs...but no reviews on the comparable 6 core/12 thread i7 8700...just the K version vs the Ryzen X version. That said, I always suggest waiting 2-3 months after release for a build...unless you like being a beta tester :) So, if an immediate build, yeah, stick with Ryzen.

CA_Steve
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by CA_Steve » Sat Oct 07, 2017 12:10 pm

Here's a first cut build based on the Ryzen 7 1700 in a Fractal Define C case...I used PCpartpicker with Spain localization to get a feel for prices in Euros...

Some comments:
- mobo: The Asrock AB350 Pro4 ATX gets solid customer feedback @ Newegg..93% 4 and 5 star and only 4% 1 and 2 star on 294 reviews.
- RAM: I didn't select memory, yet...Ryzen has some funky compatibility requirements for it's memory controller...leave this to last.
- SSD: The Samsung 850 EVO is a solid performer with better tools and slightly better performance over the Crucial MX300 for 10 Euros more.
- gfx card: The Palit KalmX is a great passive card...that needs some direct airflow.
- case: I left the Define C here as a placeholder.
- PSU: Corsair RMx550 is another solid performer. Semipassive fan may not turn on except for heavy loads with high ambient temps.
- case fans: the Define C just ships with two 120mm fans. Need more airflow in front, so these two Noctua 140mm PWM fans will do well.

Horseman
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by Horseman » Sun Oct 08, 2017 4:10 pm

Thank you very much for your posts, CA Steve.
CA_Steve wrote:Are you fixated on transferring 4 HDDs to the new system? How about some consolidation to a newer larger drive? Let's resolve this before deciding on a case/cooler/etc..
- what are the capacities and how are you using them?.
At the moment on my current PC I have 4 hard drives.
1TB
1.5TB
3TB
3TB

I have a lot of movies, documentaries, and TV shows on my hard drives, and the space is always tight, so I'm planning to buy a 6TB when buying the new PC. The plan was/is to leave the 1TB on the ''old'' machine, and use the other 3 plus the new one on the new machine.

I've never tried it, but this past week when reading this forum I learned that it's possible to tell Windows to turn the hard drives OFF when not in use, so I was thinking that I could place the files that I use daily on the 6TB hard drive (for example, the files that I keep seeding whenever the computer is ON), and the other 3 hard drives would automatically turn OFF shortly after the boot-up.

I still have to research this option a bit more, but those 3 hard drives will be completely silent, and not consuming energy, right?

Of course, as I wrote above I don't have much space for a PC case capable of holding many hard drives, but today I asked someone to take a few more measurements, and if it's really necessary I may be able to squeeze the case on the bottom of another shelf I have near my bed. That's one less problem, thankfully.
CA_Steve wrote:Of course, this is the week Intel released the Coffee Lake CPUs...but no reviews on the comparable 6 core/12 thread i7 8700...just the K version vs the Ryzen X version. That said, I always suggest waiting 2-3 months after release for a build...unless you like being a beta tester :) So, if an immediate build, yeah, stick with Ryzen.
I have to admit it didn't even cross my mind to buy the i7 8700, since it's ''only' an hexa-core, but this afternoon after reading your posts I checked a few reviews of the 8700k and it seems quite attractive. My current PC is having some failures, but perhaps it's worth it to wait some time.

The Ryzen memory compatibility requirements you mentioned worries me a bit, perhaps the 8700 is also the better choice due to that.
CA_Steve wrote:[- case fans: the Define C just ships with two 120mm fans. Need more airflow in front, so these two Noctua 140mm PWM fans will do well.
Would the R5 case also need to have another 2 fans, or would the included fans be enough?

Thanks again very much for your posts.

CA_Steve
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by CA_Steve » Sun Oct 08, 2017 5:15 pm

I've never tried it, but this past week when reading this forum I learned that it's possible to tell Windows to turn the hard drives OFF when not in use, so I was thinking that I could place the files that I use daily on the 6TB hard drive (for example, the files that I keep seeding whenever the computer is ON), and the other 3 hard drives would automatically turn OFF shortly after the boot-up.

I still have to research this option a bit more, but those 3 hard drives will be completely silent, and not consuming energy, right?
Yes.
My current PC is having some failures, but perhaps it's worth it to wait some time.

The Ryzen memory compatibility requirements you mentioned worries me a bit, perhaps the 8700 is also the better choice due to that.
My usual suggestion is to wait a few months to let the inevitable bios/firmware/driver/etc bugs settle out. In the meantime, reviews will hit for both the CPU and mobos and we'll have a better idea if one platform is better than the other for you. As for Ryzen RAM - there's a master table somewhere that tells how many RAM slots can be filled with single rank or dual ranked (RAM on one side vs two sides of the RAM circuit board) vs RAM speed..plus mobo's will have their own qualified vendor lists. So, a bit more complex than usual, but not horrible.
Would the R5 case also need to have another 2 fans, or would the included fans be enough?
The R5 comes with two 140mm voltage controlled fans. Ideally, you'll want 3 (two in the front and one in the rear), so both the passive video card and CPU get airflow. Here's the fun part....Asrock's one funky thing is only some of their fan headers support voltage control (vs all supporting PWM)...how many is determined by a deep dive into Asrock's manual/website. So, the simple answer would be get an additional Fractal 140mm voltage controlled fan and a three way cable splitter to have all controlled by one header....if there's only one v control header...until you decide on case and processor, worrying about which additional case fans to get is just not worth it.

Also, if you do reduce to 3 HDDs, there is also the Silverstone KL07.

Derek Semeraro
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by Derek Semeraro » Fri Oct 13, 2017 5:55 am

Ryzen 7 1700 is your best bet.

Any SSD from a reliable company (Samsung, Hynix, Kingston, Intel, Crucial, etc) is fine.

You should try out 16 GB RAM and see how it works before spending $150 more on 32 GB.

Horseman
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Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:08 am

Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by Horseman » Tue Oct 17, 2017 1:02 pm

Thanks for your posts Steve, and thanks Derek.

I think I'm pretty decided to get a Ryzen 1700, it seems the best choice. It seems I'll be able to check if the new Intel 8700k is a good alternative, tho, because yesterday I got a call from a rehabilitation center saying that a (extremely long awaited) spot for intensive physical therapy is available, tomorrow morning. It's very sudden, but I immediately accepted, which means that the new PC subject will have to wait until I'm back in 30 days time.

Thanks again for your posts. I'll get back to this as soon as I'm back at home.

Olle P
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by Olle P » Wed Oct 18, 2017 10:26 pm

Horseman wrote:... It seems I'll be able to check if the new Intel 8700k is a good alternative, tho, because ... the new PC subject will have to wait until I'm back in 30 days time.
Don't expect the 8700K to be (reasonably) available until early next year.

Derek Semeraro
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by Derek Semeraro » Fri Oct 27, 2017 11:03 am

The 8700k seems to be more powerful than the Ryzen 7, but it will also cost $100 more. If you have the money and want the best processor you can get, go for it. But if you feel like your other parts are being compromised by your budget, you may be better off using that money to improve other aspects of the build.

Horseman
Posts: 67
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:08 am

Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by Horseman » Thu Feb 01, 2018 5:38 pm

Hi everyone. I got back home 3 weeks ago, and I'm now getting back to the ''PC upgrade'' subject again. A very helpful SPCR forum user - zdb - offered his help, sending me the screws and grommets (and the 3 original case fans) he no longer uses on his PC, which I needed to keep using my faithful Antec 182, so instead of buying a new PC case I think I'll make an upgrade to my current PC, keeping the same graphics card.

I'd appreciate all comments and suggestions regarding the components necessary for this upgrade.
(recommendations I got so far are in bold)

CPU

Since I got home I've been reading many reviews and comparisons between the 8700k and the Ryzen family, and I'm still leaning towards the Ryzen i7 1700. Eventually the 1700X or the 1800X, if I can stretch the budget.
Ryzen i7 1700

I'm a bit worried with RAM compatibility, especially because the person/friend that will sell me the PC (he has a PC shop) isn't used to AMD, but hopefully it's now easier to select adequate RAM modules.

CPU cooler

My current machine has a Scythe CPU Cooler Ninja Plus Rev. B, and it'd be nice to use the same cooler, but from what I read it wouldn't be very easy to do so, especially with someone not used to AMD, so I think the best solution is probably to buy a new cooler. I don't plan to overclock the CPU, so it doesn't need to be extremely efficient.
Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler
Scythe Mugen


RAM

I'd like to get 32GB but with the current skyhigh RAM prices I'll have to buy only 16GB.
G.Skill RipJaws V 16GB, DDR4-3200, CL6

Motherboard

I don't plan to overclock the CPU, and my biggest requirement is that the system is reliable.
Asrock AB350 Pro4 ATX

HDD's

I already have 4 hard drives, and I'll use them.

SSD
I want a reliable SSD for the OS and my main software. It doesn't need to be extra fast, I'm more focused on reliability and price. From what I've been reading the Crucial MX300 525GB seems a good bet, but I'm not familiar with SSD's, this will be my first one.
Samsung 850 EVO
Crucial MX300
Crucial MX500


Case

I'll keep using the ANTEC 182.

Graphics card

I'll keep using the ASUS EAH-6670, it's perfectly okay for my current needs.

PSU
Corsair RMx550
(not sure I can buy this one where I live)

Horseman
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by Horseman » Sun Feb 04, 2018 5:29 am

I asked a friend to check how much the configuration on the post above would be, and haven't received the budget yet, but the more I read about RAM compatibility the more worried I get.

Is there any way to know if the motherboard and the RAM are fully compatible?
Asrock AB350 Pro4 ATX
G.Skill RipJaws V 16GB, DDR4-3200, CL6

Or what's the best way to know?

From what I'm understanding, the faster the RAM is, the more likely is to have some compatibility issues. Which is ironic, because I think one of the requirements to have good performance on a Ryzen machine is to have fast RAM.

Riok
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by Riok » Sun Feb 04, 2018 5:56 am

Horseman wrote: Or what's the best way to know?
1) Go to ASRock website
2) Go to your board's page
3) Go to support
4) Go to Memory QVL
5) Type "Ctrl+F" to search the page
6) Enter your ram product number and type "Enter"

Accxording to webopedia: QVL
Short for Qualified Vendor List, QVL is a list of pre-qualified vendors who have third-party products or services that a manufacturer has approved as suitable and compatible with their own products or services. For example, a motherboard manufacturer will often provided users with a system memory QVL that indicates which vendors and memory part numbers work with that specific motherboard.

Gskill also provides a QVL. So you can go the webpage for you RAM and check it there also.

What is your ram product number ? Is it F4-3200C16D-16GVK ?
Last edited by Riok on Sun Feb 04, 2018 6:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

Riok
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by Riok » Sun Feb 04, 2018 6:06 am

Here are some kits in the QVL:

G.Skill F4-3466C16D-16GTZSK G.SKILL Trident Z DDR4 Memory 16GB (8GBx2)
G.Skill F4-3200C16D-16GTZB G.SKILL Trident Z DDR4 Memory 16GB (8GBx2)
G.Skill F4-4266C19D-16GTZR Trident Z RGB 16GB (8GBx2)
G.Skill F4-4133C19D-16GTZKWC G.SKILL Trident Z DDR4 Memory 16GB (8GBx2)

CA_Steve
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by CA_Steve » Sun Feb 04, 2018 8:15 am

CPU cooler: Either of those would be fine.
- Kotetsu: The original needs an AM4 mounting kit. There is also the Kotetsu Mark II that is AM4 compatible.
- Same thing with Mugen 5. There is a Mugen 5 Rev B that supports AM4 w/o extra kit.

SSD: Crucial MX300 is slightly cheaper than the 850 EVO. The EVO is faster and has a better software app. Both are fine for reliability. Samsung JUST intro'd the 860 EVO and Crucial the MX 500. Both are faster than their predecessors..but both are brand new and don't have any early data on infant mortality/bugs/etc...

PSU: RM550x is a good choice. There is also the be quiet! Straight Power 10 series. Always on fan - but very low rpm and inaudible with your loads...also the newer Straight Power 11 is out (tightened specs).

Horseman
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by Horseman » Sun Feb 04, 2018 4:56 pm

CA_Steve wrote:CPU cooler: Either of those would be fine.
- Kotetsu: The original needs an AM4 mounting kit. There is also the Kotetsu Mark II that is AM4 compatible.
- Same thing with Mugen 5. There is a Mugen 5 Rev B that supports AM4 w/o extra kit.

SSD: Crucial MX300 is slightly cheaper than the 850 EVO. The EVO is faster and has a better software app. Both are fine for reliability. Samsung JUST intro'd the 860 EVO and Crucial the MX 500. Both are faster than their predecessors..but both are brand new and don't have any early data on infant mortality/bugs/etc...

PSU: RM550x is a good choice. There is also the be quiet! Straight Power 10 series. Always on fan - but very low rpm and inaudible with your loads...also the newer Straight Power 11 is out (tightened specs).
Thanks again Steve.. As soon as I get the first estimate of the configuration I'll check if it's necessary to make a change to the cooler and/or the SSD. I'll also check the price of the be quiet! Straight Power 10, if the RM550x isn't available here.
Riok wrote:
Horseman wrote: Or what's the best way to know?
1) Go to ASRock website
2) Go to your board's page
3) Go to support
4) Go to Memory QVL
5) Type "Ctrl+F" to search the page
6) Enter your ram product number and type "Enter"
Thanks for the explanation! I can't type "Ctrl+F" to search the page (I can only use one hand), but when I go to this webpage the kits you mention on the following post aren't there....
https://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/AB350%20P ... asp#Memory
Riok wrote:Here are some kits in the QVL:

G.Skill F4-3466C16D-16GTZSK G.SKILL Trident Z DDR4 Memory 16GB (8GBx2)
G.Skill F4-3200C16D-16GTZB G.SKILL Trident Z DDR4 Memory 16GB (8GBx2)
G.Skill F4-4266C19D-16GTZR Trident Z RGB 16GB (8GBx2)
G.Skill F4-4133C19D-16GTZKWC G.SKILL Trident Z DDR4 Memory 16GB (8GBx2)
(Or at least, they aren't showing up here on my browser. Maybe I'm not looking correctly)

I'll attach a screenshot of what I'm seeing on my browser.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Riok
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by Riok » Mon Feb 05, 2018 2:56 am

Horseman wrote: Thanks for the explanation! I can't type "Ctrl+F" to search the page (I can only use one hand), but when I go to this webpage the kits you mention on the following post aren't there....
https://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/AB350%20P ... asp#Memory
Yes they are there, you need to scroll down the page. There's a huge list of kits ;)
There are other ways to access the search function in Firefox for example:
- right click on firefox's window
- activate menu bar (the menu bar appears with file/edit/display...)
- go to edition/search
- the search box appears at the bottom of the screen
I guess you also know stickykeys but it's not an option for you.

Anyway, there are so many kits and I just discovered the manufacturers start to do kits specially for Ryzen ! So I looked at GSkill website and they have some products designed for AMD, some released just a few days ago. Corsair also have aspecific "Are you ready for Ryzen ?" page.

As I don't have personnal experience with Ryzen nor the AMD platform the best I can do is to look what Gskill/Corsair propose as being AMD compatible products, then search amazon.es for thoose kits so they may be available also to your friend's pc shop in Portugal and finally look if they appear in your board's QVL.

In general it can happen that a newer kit is not listed in the QVL but works just fine. In this particular case, I won't take the risk.

GSkill Fortis for AMD
G.Skill F4-2400C16D-16GFT 16GB DDR4 2400MHz módulo de - Memoria (16 GB, 2 x 8 GB, DDR4, 2400 MHz, Negro, Rojo) (appears in the QVL) 250€

GSkill FlareX AMD
G Skill F4-3200C14D-16GFX - Tarjeta de memoria de 16 GB, color negro (doesn't appear in the QVL) 250€

GSkill Trident Z for AMD
The kits serial number ends with "TZRX" for the AMD specific ones. Amazon.es doesn't seem to have them at the moment.

Corsair Vengeance LPX
Corsair Vengeance LPX - Módulo de memoria XMP 2.0 de alto rendimiento de 16 GB (2 x 8 GB, DDR4, 2400 MHz, C16), negro (CMK16GX4M2A2400C16) (appears in the QVL) 190€

Corsair Vengeance LPX - Módulo de memoria XMP 2.0 de alto rendimiento de 16 GB (1 x 16 GB, DDR4, 2400 MHz, C16), negro (CMK16GX4M2Z2400C16) (appears in the QVL) 230€

Corsair Vengeance LPX - Módulo de memoria XMP 2.0 de alto rendimiento de 16 GB (1 x 16 GB, DDR4, 2400 MHz, C16), negro (CMK16GX4M1A2400C16) (doesn't appear in the QVL) 200€

Corsair Vengeance LPX - Módulo de memoria XMP 2.0 de alto rendimiento de 16 GB (2 x 8 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz, C16), negro (CMK16GX4M2A2666C16) (appears in the QVL) 200€

Corsair Vengeance LPX - Módulo de memoria XMP 2.0 de alto rendimiento de 16 GB (2 x 8 GB, DDR4, 3000 MHz, C15), negro (CMK16GX4M2B3000C15) (doesn't appear in the QVL) 200€

So here is my short list:
GSkill F4-2400C16D-16GFT 2400 MHz 250€
Corsair CMK16GX4M2A2666C16 2666 MHz 200€

I cannot recommend any 3000Mhz RAM. There are some encouraging comments on amazon but without first hand knowledge I cannot help you further on that.
Last edited by Riok on Mon Feb 05, 2018 6:12 am, edited 3 times in total.

Riok
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by Riok » Mon Feb 05, 2018 2:57 am

Riok wrote: I cannot recommend any 3000Mhz RAM. There are some encouraging comments on amazon but without first hand knowledge I cannot help you further on that.
Here are the 16GB (2*8) gksill kits in the QVL:
F4-3600C16D-16GVK Ripjaws V
F4-4000C18D-16GTZR Trident Z RGB
F4-4133C19D-16GTZKWC Trident Z
F4-3466C16D-16GTZSK Trident Z
F4-3200C16D-16GTZB Trident Z
F4-4266C19D-16GTZR Trident Z RGB

So there are the Ripjaws V, which are not designed with Ryzen in mind. They may work.
If you want to use the newer modules designed with Ryzen and to go above 2667Mhz, you need to get the Asrock X370 Taichi. The faster modules are listed in its QVL.

:)

Olle P
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by Olle P » Tue Feb 06, 2018 12:25 am

My own recent experience is that a QVL will only tell which RAM that are verified to function on that motherboard.
Do not expect it to be able to reach the RAM manufacturer's rated max speed! (Although some RAM do, it boils down to many factors.)
Initially I could run my "3200 MHz" RAM at max 2933 MHz or the computer wouldn't boot. After some UEFI upgrades I now run it at 3166 MHz.
I don't see the "Made for Ryzen" to be anything more than marketing. Shouldn't make a significant difference unless the RAM manufacturer provide a list with fully compatible motherboards...

yakuman
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Re: Quiet PC build - suggestions

Post by yakuman » Tue Feb 06, 2018 7:13 am

Olle P wrote:My own recent experience is that a QVL will only tell which RAM that are verified to function on that motherboard.
Do not expect it to be able to reach the RAM manufacturer's rated max speed! (Although some RAM do, it boils down to many factors.)
I recently built my first PC and experienced this too. Through troubleshooting with ASRock I found one of my RAM sticks failed to reach the advertised speeds. Then I went with G.Skill and it turned out successful (I've had good luck with this brand before on laptop RAM), even though the timings are even tighter than my first kit. The G.Skill also isn't on ASRock's QVL while the first one I bought were, however, G.Skill's QVL does show it's compatible with my mobo.

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