Ryzen 2 Overall system / memory stability

[Greboth]

Hi all,

This is basically a 8700k v 2700x question which I know there is already a thread for however I'm coming at it from a different angle and didn't want to hijack that thread. I've got all the parts together for my new build except CPU and Motherboard so I'm left with the question of 2700x or 8700k.

The TL;DR at the beginning; How stable is the Ryzen 2 platform? Is it just the people having problems are posting more so it seems like a bigger issue than it is?

Obviously Ryzen is, relative to Intels, a new platform however it seems there a number of people having problems getting their system stable whether seeminly due to having things like XFR, precision boost etc. enabled or not being able to hit the advertised RAM speed or timings etc.

Having read a lot of the reviews and benchmarks, Ryzen 2700x is the CPU for me; My PC is used about 50/50 for gaming and creating things (videos, 3d modelling and rendering etc.) I'll be gaming on a 1440p 60Hz monitor so there seems to be little point going 8700k for the higher FPS is can achieve.

All that said, I've done very little overclocking, tweaking, stability testing in my time with PC's so was hoping for a "plug and play" experience with Ryzen and letting the chip self clock as necessary. However this may seem unlikely depending on prevelant the problems are with system stability.

All this puts be back to thinking about going the 8700k route which obviously has it's own issues with less cores/threads, any upgrade would need a new motherboard, temperates if overclocked etc.

As I'm sure someone will ask, whichever way I go I will have 32Gb (4x8Gb) DDR4 3200Mhz Team Group 8 Pack RAM and a GTX 1070. The two combo's I'm looking at are;

For AMD;
My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Asus ROG Strix X470-F Gaming AMD X470 (Socket AM4) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £184.99
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 7 Eight Core 2700X 4.35GHz (Socket AM4) Processor - Retail= £319.99

Total: £515.48 (includes shipping: £10.50)​

https://w
ww.overclockers.co.uk/media/image/thumbnail/CP3ACAM_184823_105x105.jpg​

Intel;
My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Intel Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz (Coffee Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - Retail= £329.99
• 1 x Asus ROG Strix Z370-F Gaming Intel Z370 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £189.95

Total: £519.94 (includes shipping: £0.00)​

​

 

[Greboth]

Thanks for the reply @BongoHunter That was some of my thinking on how succesful I would be with the 4 sticks but it is B die so I remain hopeful if I go the Ryzen route. I don't mind a little tuning but it seems some people have had problems since launch so over 2 weeks of tuning to not have a stable system is off putting.

I had thought about Threadripper but that would add £100+ to the cost and I'm already going over budget with 2700x or 8700k. I'd discounted SKT2066 due to the amount of negativity I remember it having at lunch however looking up some benchmarks it really doesn't outperform a 2700X unless you go higher for the higher end chips then I'm running in to the same problem as Threadripper.

 

[Greboth]

Also interested in stability of the Ryzen+ platform! Have a 1600X on B350, and it seems solid at stock - goes many weeks between reboots, as long as the SoC volts are tapped up a touch. Cannot run my 2x16 TridentZ at rated 3200, however. Want to swap MB anyway, so interested in success stories with X470 "just working"

Do you know if the Trident Z is Samsung b die? I couldn't find any 16Gb sticks when I looked around but would rather have 2 16Gb than 4 x 8Gb.

My Asus X470 prime / 2700X / 16gb 8pack 3200 system is rock solid stable. I mostly use it for gaming and not had a single crash or problem in the weeks since launch. I haven’t had to tweak anything in the bios at all it just works with docp enabled.

Thanks pcfarrar I guessed there would be people for who it just worked but as with anything, very few people are going to post when it works but everyone will post when it doesn't which does give a distorted view.

 

[Greboth]

On the Ryzen build I would spend the little extra and buy the Asus CH7.

Any particular reason? It seemed a good place to save £60 as from what I’ve read they seem almost the same board with overall reviews being equal and teardowns praising the Strix’s power delivery as one of the best of the X470 platform.

 

[Greboth]

Only because with a 2700x you get more options that get more out of the CPU automatically.

Core Performance boost for example is not an option I have on my Prime Pro x370. And from what I've read it will automatically pushes the frequency up by 200MHz temp allowing.

Not sure how true this is as it still might be tempt limited but the option to enable Core Performance boost (level 2) is not on my board.

I get 4GHz presently. With Core Performance boost set to level 2 I'd get 4.2GHz all cores automatically.

Some one else with a CH7 or even a CH6 (if they backported it) can tell us if this is the case.

So many acronyms and terms, I assume you're on about PBO? or is there some other vendor based features that auto boost / overclock more than XFR2 and PB2?

I didn't mean for this to turn in to a spec me sort of thread but PBO does look good, though the Strix has all the features I need so £60 just for a (potential) 200Mhz bump seems a lot.

To the OP, 4 sticks of B-die will run fine and will actually run up to 3333mhz C14 no problem. In my case on a CH6 using "The Stilts" timmings" the only change needed to his timmings when running 4 sticks of ram is to move trc to auto. This is because trc always needs to be higher with 4 sticks than it does with 2.

Thanks I know about The Stilts timings but it utterly confused me so I left haha but it is something I need to look in to more so I can understand it but I shall keep it in mind about the trc value.

 

[Greboth]

Yes I know it's all very confusing. Core Performance boost is not Precision boost Override.

Have a read of this article.

Like I said, if I was buying an X470 board and I wasn't constrained by budget I'd buy a CH7.

It's actually about £40 more expensive than the board your currently looking at.

Oh derp! I read that article before but didn't see any mention of Core Performance boost but only just realised there are several pages to that HardOCP article. So reading the full article, Core Performance Boost is just Asus terminology for XFR and PB and that level 2 is still a level as set by AMD where 3 and 4 are overclocks above AMD specification. So it is interesting that you don't have the option for level 2 as you would think, being AMD specified, all AM4 boards would offer it (or at least the x boards, I can understand holding back on the B or A boards). Maybe it is X470 only feature which is why it isn't available on your X370? I guess I'll need to do some research as to the BIOS options of the Strix as I'll be cooling it with an Noctua NH-D15 so there should be reasonable headroom temperature wise for boosting.

I'll have to look in to the prices, A quick search after reading your post I only found 2 places cheaper than OCUK for the CH7 but one I've not heard of the one and the other I refuse to shop with due to their terrible customer service.

 

[Greboth]

I wouldn't touch an Intel build at the moment, At least not until we know where things stand with the new Spectre bugs & patches. If you can I'd wait a few weeks before committing.

That is a good point actually, though any loss in performance for Intel is only going to make Ryzen look to be an even better buy. I have the first week of June off so I'll be building the PC then so I do have a few weeks I can wait before ordering whichever CPU / Mobo I go with.

Have had a 1700, 2700x and now 8700k.

The intel is the most reliable and refined from the lot by far the moment.

The 2700x and AM4 platform on a whole with new bios revisions may get better.

This is my issue really, on stats alone the 2700x is easily the better CPU for me for the tasks I do nevermind the available upgrade path but in terms of my experience / lack of patience to continually tweak and refine the system then Intel is the better choice. I'm starting to think it is going to be a tough choice as this thread has highlighted that there are people who have plugged and played with Ryzen 2 so it is basically a lottery and the only way I'm going to find out is order the components and hope for the best.

 

[Greboth]

Ryzen 2 has been plug and play experience for me. Took my 1700 out, dropped the 2700X in, booted, set the XMP profile for the 8pack RAM and it's been rock solid since - 0 issues.

I think if you go for a ASUS CH or ASRock Taichi and B-die memory you're pretty much guaranteed a zero hassle build.

As per the OP I was thinking of going for the Strix board as I don’t need the extra features of the CH7. However the amount the CH7 is recommended I think I may have to bite the bullet and accept I’m going further over budget.

Thanks to all for your comments too, I think I’m going to go for the 2700x. It still seems system stability is a bit of a gamble but less so than I thought before. So I think it is worth a roll of the dice for a better system than go the safe but worse route with the 8700k.