Boost Your Gaming Performance with Faster RAM - The Impact of RAM Speed on Ryzen 5600X

Boost Your Gaming Performance with Faster RAM - The Impact of RAM Speed on Ryzen 5600X

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. testing Methodology
3. Gaming Results
4. Watchdogs Legion
5. Cyberpunk
6. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO)
7. Fortnite
8. Microsoft Flight Simulator
9. CPU Specific Benchmarks
10. Cinebench R20
11. Blender
12. Puget Bench Suite
13. Premiere Pro
14. After Effects
15. Photoshop
16. Confusing Results and Explanations
17. Conclusion
18. Pros and Cons
19. Highlights
20. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

🎮 Gaming Results

When it comes to boosting gaming performance, the speed of your RAM can play a significant role. In this test, we'll explore the impact of different RAM frequencies on the performance of the Ryzen 5600 CPU.

🕵️‍♀️ Testing Methodology

To determine the effect of RAM speed, we benchmarked the Ryzen 5600 with various memory frequencies. The sweet spot recommended by AMD for Ryzen CPUs is 3600MHz, so we started with a 3600MHz CL17 kit. From there, we progressively reduced the memory frequency in steps: 3400, 3200, 3000, 2666, and 2133.

Before diving into the results, it's essential to ensure that your memory is running at the intended speed. Open the Task Manager and verify that your memory is operating at its purchased frequency.

Now, let's explore the gaming findings for different RAM speeds and see how they correlate with performance in various games.

🎮 Watchdogs Legion

At 1080p and Ultra settings, the gaming performance is relatively close across all RAM speeds, except for 2133. The slowest speed, 2133, trails behind by approximately 8 FPS compared to even the 2666. Enabling XMP on the 3600MHz kit boosts performance by 18 FPS or more, offering a significant improvement.

🎮 Cyberpunk

In Cyberpunk, the 3600MHz kit takes the lead with 89 FPS, displaying a linear progression. However, due to the nature of the Game, which experiences wide swings in performance, the differences may not always be noticeable during gameplay. Nevertheless, 2133 remains the slowest speed with an approximate difference of 20 FPS compared to 3600.

🎮 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO)

Interestingly, RAM speed doesn't seem to have a considerable impact on CSGO performance. With a lightweight game like CSGO, the difference between the various RAM speeds is minimal, and all tested frequencies hover around the 330 FPS mark.

🎮 Fortnite

Fortnite demonstrates a slight advantage for the 3600MHz speed, offering 6 FPS more than the next best option. However, the performance is nearly identical between 3400, 3200, 3000, and 2666, leaving 2133 as the slowest with around 10 FPS less than the Second slowest.

🎮 Microsoft Flight Simulator

In Microsoft Flight Simulator at ultra settings, we observe a nice linear progression with better RAM speeds. Although even the highest performing RAM speed of 44 FPS in this game isn't impressive, it showcases a steady improvement as the speed increases.

🖥️ CPU Specific Benchmarks

Moving beyond gaming, we delved into CPU specific benchmarks using Cinebench, Blender, and the Puget Bench Suite.

🖥️ Cinebench R20

In the single-threaded test, all RAM speeds produce similar results, which is expected. However, in the multi-threaded test, the slower speeds of 2666 and 2133 surprisingly outperform the faster speeds by 200 points. This discrepancy doesn't Align with expectations and raises confusion.

🖥️ Blender

In the Blender benchmark, the trend continues, with 2133 being the fastest and 3600 the slowest by a significant margin. The discrepancy in performance between slower and faster RAM speeds, especially in the bmw scene, further deepens the confusion.

🖥️ Puget Bench Suite

The results from Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Photoshop in the Puget Bench Suite show varying degrees of sensitivity to RAM speed. While Photoshop displays a linear progression with performance, the other programs demonstrate a tight grouping with slight differences between speeds.

✨ Conclusion

In games, there is a clear correlation between RAM speed and performance on the Ryzen 5600X. Faster memory speed consistently delivers better results, while running at 2133 can be actively detrimental to performance. However, it's worth noting that the performance gap between 3000 and 3600 is not significantly large.

In CPU specific benchmarks, the impact of RAM speed becomes more perplexing. Results in Cinebench, Blender, and the Puget Bench Suite do not conform to expectations, with slower RAM speeds outperforming faster speeds in some situations.

Despite the confusing results, if gaming is your priority, faster memory is better. However, the performance gap may not be significant enough to justify replacing existing RAM with the same capacity.

👍 Pros:

• Faster RAM speeds improve gaming performance
• Clear correlation between RAM speed and gaming results
• Significant performance increase by enabling XMP on 3600MHz RAM

👎 Cons:

• CPU specific benchmarks show unexpected results, with slower speeds sometimes outperforming faster speeds
• Performance gap in gaming between 3000 and 3600 RAM not significantly large

Highlights

• The impact of RAM speed on gaming performance
• Surprising results in CPU specific benchmarks
• Deciding whether to invest in faster RAM for gaming

FAQ

1. Does RAM speed affect gaming performance?

   • Yes, faster RAM speeds generally lead to improved gaming performance. However, the performance gain may not be significant in all cases.

2. Why do CPU specific benchmarks show unexpected results?

   • The reasons for the discrepancy in CPU specific benchmarks based on RAM speed are not yet fully understood. It may depend on specific settings, applications, or other factors.

3. Should I upgrade my current RAM to a faster speed?

   • If you're already satisfied with your gaming performance, the performance gap between RAM speeds may not warrant an immediate upgrade. Consider other factors like capacity and budget before making the decision.

Resources:

• Azroc X570 PG Veloster Board
• Ryzen 5600X
• Additional Videos on RAM Speed Testing
• Merchandise and Support Options