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RYZEN DDR4 MEMORY, WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!

OcUK Staff
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Yes that RAM will work fine, DDR4 is DDR4, it will work. There is no such thing as AMD or Intel specific RAM, that is always just marketing BS. Any DDR4 will work. :)
 
Soldato
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Cheers for the info :) Bit out that the "officially supports" speed is unobtainable by mortal man, however! AMD are leaving themselves open to false advertising complaints there...
 
OcUK Staff
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A comment from Asus:

"
I’ve decided to provide some recommendations on DDR4 limitations concerning AM4 currently.

As it stands the AMD code has restricted RAM tuning options which means many RAM kits at launch will not be compatible. This is the same for our competitors also.
What we recommend is the following:
If fully populating a system with 4 DIMMs (2DPC), use memory up to a max of 2400MHz.
If using 1DPC (2 DIMMs) ensure they are installed in A2/B2 and use memory up to max of 3200MHz.

The indication I have received from HQ is that AMD has focused all their efforts on CPU performance so far and will release updated code in 1~2 months when we expect improved DDR4 compatibility and performance."


In short if filling all 4 DIMM's set your speed to 2400MHz and work up from there.
If using 2 DIMM's put them in the A2/B2 slots and a max of 3200MHz should be possible.

In our testing only the Crosshair board achieved 3000-3200MHz, the others were in the 2400-2666MHz range.

BIOS updates will come!
 
Associate
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A comment from Asus:

"
I’ve decided to provide some recommendations on DDR4 limitations concerning AM4 currently.

As it stands the AMD code has restricted RAM tuning options which means many RAM kits at launch will not be compatible. This is the same for our competitors also.
What we recommend is the following:
If fully populating a system with 4 DIMMs (2DPC), use memory up to a max of 2400MHz.
If using 1DPC (2 DIMMs) ensure they are installed in A2/B2 and use memory up to max of 3200MHz.

The indication I have received from HQ is that AMD has focused all their efforts on CPU performance so far and will release updated code in 1~2 months when we expect improved DDR4 compatibility and performance."


In short if filling all 4 DIMM's set your speed to 2400MHz and work up from there.
If using 2 DIMM's put them in the A2/B2 slots and a max of 3200MHz should be possible.

In our testing only the Crosshair board achieved 3000-3200MHz, the others were in the 2400-2666MHz range.

BIOS updates will come!

Good to know, I'm glad I bought 32GB as 2x 16GB now, although wondering if even the CH6 I've pre-ordered can do 2x 16GB at 3200.... Still at least the memory will be capable when they later improve the BIOS code.
 
Soldato
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I don't think its really surprising. Memory code isn't fully optimised, performance will get better. If you've ever looked at Mobo BIOS updates, got to say increased memory compatibility and performance is a pretty common note!

Ryzen is coming out the doors gun blazing, and will likely improve with mobo bios improvements and microcode updates. WHat you should take from this is performance will only get better as what we've seen so far will be within limits of what is currently available, not any compatibilty/performance improvements that might come out 6 months down the line!

Memory optimisation/compatibility still to come. If the chip does this well now at typically sub 3000Mhz, how much will it gain when its able to use higher speeds reliably? This is all something we don't know, AMD64/AthlonXP etc gained from tight timings and better memory, and had the same lead architect as this design so the same possibilities wouldnt be out the question!
 
Soldato
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Those that jumped on X99 chipset early will relate - microcode and memory training routines will become more co-operative in time. Intel's DDR4 platform was a similar **** show, and in fact for Haswell-E still is in some cases on certain ratios.

Things will only get better
 
OcUK Staff
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I don't think its really surprising. Memory code isn't fully optimised, performance will get better. If you've ever looked at Mobo BIOS updates, got to say increased memory compatibility and performance is a pretty common note!

Ryzen is coming out the doors gun blazing, and will likely improve with mobo bios improvements and microcode updates. WHat you should take from this is performance will only get better as what we've seen so far will be within limits of what is currently available, not any compatibilty/performance improvements that might come out 6 months down the line!

Memory optimisation/compatibility still to come. If the chip does this well now at typically sub 3000Mhz, how much will it gain when its able to use higher speeds reliably? This is all something we don't know, AMD64/AthlonXP etc gained from tight timings and better memory, and had the same lead architect as this design so the same possibilities wouldnt be out the question!


Intel same issues in past.

Also we find that 3000C14 performance just as well as say 3733C18, on Intel, but it is also programme dependent, some programmes like raw MHz RAM speed and others prefer tighter latencies. On AM4 I'd be aiming for 2666-3000 with the lowest possible latency I could achieve, so buying 3000-3200 kits will be good because you can run them slower but tighten the latencies. :)
 
Soldato
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Indeed. From what you've seen so far, have you noticed much in the way of performance differences going from 2400-> 3000 on the Ryzen systems you have seen tested? Curious as to how this architecture will scale to memory speed.

Will you be getting more low-latency DDR4 in?
 
Man of Honour
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Yes, its called AMP. Might need to dig in the bios as you say but I imagine thats where the OC profiles for the higher end boards are coming from.

http://www.amd.com/en-gb/innovations/software-technologies/amp

Thanks.

And it will read the same values from the memory ???

Or does it need AMP memory (or if they are different I suspect most memory have both AMP and XMP profiles but doesnt mention the former) - I have the corsair vengange lpx (in red) from 18 months or so ago and works fine at 2666 on my skylake @ 4.5.
 
Soldato
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I could be wrong but I have a niggling memory that AMP profile is seperate to XMP profile, so for it to work you would want memory that comes with an AMP profile. If that is the case I expect we shall be seeing some shortly that has been qualified for the new platform. Alternatively set the configuration manually but not as easy as AMP/XMP.
 
Man of Honour
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I could be wrong but I have a niggling memory that AMP profile is seperate to XMP profile, so for it to work you would want memory that comes with an AMP profile. If that is the case I expect we shall be seeing some shortly that has been qualified for the new platform. Alternatively set the configuration manually but not as easy as AMP/XMP.

Thanks - interesting times ahead, and good to get back into AMD - I ditched nVidia years ago and now Intel can go swivel.
 
Associate
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I could be wrong but I have a niggling memory that AMP profile is seperate to XMP profile, so for it to work you would want memory that comes with an AMP profile. If that is the case I expect we shall be seeing some shortly that has been qualified for the new platform. Alternatively set the configuration manually but not as easy as AMP/XMP.

XMP is for Intel, but nothing stopping motherboard manufacturers reading the XMP profile from the SPD and setting the timings even on AMD boards.
 
OcUK Staff
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Indeed. From what you've seen so far, have you noticed much in the way of performance differences going from 2400-> 3000 on the Ryzen systems you have seen tested? Curious as to how this architecture will scale to memory speed.

Will you be getting more low-latency DDR4 in?


We won't be stocking more DDR4 no, because its all the bloody same these days bar heatspreader design. ;)

3000 kits give good versatility, drop the MHz for latency, up the MHz and loosen the timings.

Memory has little impact on performance, just like with Intel, it is just something the extreme benchmarkers focus on or corporate users doing intense encoding where faster memory clock might shave a few seconds off encoding time which if your business depends on that it becomes important. But for every day users someone running 2400MHz or 3200MHz you would never notice as an every day user or gamer, likewise on an Intel platform too. Especially if say the 2400 kit is at C10-C12 and the 3200 kit is at C15-C17. :)

I'd not get to worried about memory frequency guys! :)
 
Soldato
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XMP is for Intel, but nothing stopping motherboard manufacturers reading the XMP profile from the SPD and setting the timings even on AMD boards.
Exactly, but that was what I was getting at in response to MDPlatts, XMP is Intel. An AMD mobo could theoretically use that profile, but as they have thier own profile system, not sure they'd want to! I suspect due to the differences in the way the boards and IMCs work, they would prefer to stick with AMP profiles.
 
Associate
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Exactly, but that was what I was getting at in response to MDPlatts, XMP is Intel. An AMD mobo could theoretically use that profile, but as they have thier own profile system, not sure they'd want to! I suspect due to the differences in the way the boards and IMCs work, they would prefer to stick with AMP profiles.

The same memory will end up just having an extra profile written to the SPD and a sticker added to the product packaging no doubt.

Oh and probably a price increase because of it, lol.
 
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