Manufacturer Memory QVL - Just how important?

[csin82]

I've been just vaguely considering at this point building a TR4 based system. Not really for gaming but more for work/home lab type stuff involving running a few VMs. That means I'd probably go for 32Gb initially but would want the option for 64Gb later.

Looking at the QVL for the ASRock X399 Taichi for example, it seems like it'll take pretty much anything if you only use 2 slots, a little less if you want to fill up 4, and hardly anything if you want the option of filling up all 8. To make things harder, the part numbers listed seem to be pack SKUs, so all the ones that say 2/4/8 are for packs of 8. Not great if you're looking to fill up 4 now and possibly 4 later.

Is there a trick to this? How much attention do you need to pay to the manufacturer QVL lists? Can you just pick memory of a very similar spec?

Sorry if this has been asked before.

Thanks!

 

[pastymuncher]

Probably more important for AMD than Intel due to Ryzen being so picky (not sure about Threadripper). At the end of the day though, the lists rarely get updated as there is such a huge choice of memory available the motherboard manufacturers would have a never ending job testing combinations.

 

[Vince]

I've been just vaguely considering at this point building a TR4 based system. Not really for gaming but more for work/home lab type stuff involving running a few VMs. That means I'd probably go for 32Gb initially but would want the option for 64Gb later.

Looking at the QVL for the ASRock X399 Taichi for example, it seems like it'll take pretty much anything if you only use 2 slots, a little less if you want to fill up 4, and hardly anything if you want the option of filling up all 8. To make things harder, the part numbers listed seem to be pack SKUs, so all the ones that say 2/4/8 are for packs of 8. Not great if you're looking to fill up 4 now and possibly 4 later.

Is there a trick to this? How much attention do you need to pay to the manufacturer QVL lists? Can you just pick memory of a very similar spec?

Sorry if this has been asked before.

Thanks!

Go over to my threadripper home lab ESXi Build thread here:

https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/home-lab-threadripper-build-thread.18789497/

Has lots of info on different boards (I have a x399 Taichi & Asus x399 Prime). We are mainly talking esxi but my results with 32gb and 64gb and speeds they can run etc are in there. My memory is not on the QVL list for any x399 motherboard but is 64gb 8x8gb 3466mhz G.Skill B-Die.

64gb B-Die across 8x8gb dimms you are looking at fully stable 2933mhz with tight timings, if I remove half I can run 3466mhz (using the taichi) on the asus board I can't get stable at all at 3466 but can get stable across the board at lower frequencies. The Taichi, now all of the linux/vmware issues are resolved is a really solid lab board and is the one I am now using full time.

If you're looking at just running 2133 which is the only supported frequency with 8 dimms populated then frankly grab any old ram and throw it in there. It will be fine the IMC is really only fussy if pushing the frequency. I believe with half populated the rated spec is 2667 according to AMD's website.

 

[csin82]

Thanks - will take a look.