ASUS Z97 Deluxe i7 4790k and what RAM??

[Lance]

Hey all,

I have had an amazing bag of mixed messages as to what is the best type of RAM for this mobo/cpu set. I started with Corsair and have come a looong way to get to GSkill. Now the same voices are crying, "Sniper 2x8 1600" and "no, no, no! Trident X 2400!" The explanation I have been given so far is that Sniper is matched to the Z97, but wait, that's what the others said about Trident, and the Mhz are all over the place. I have read the Sticky about Mhz and got, "higher is better" out of it, so it seems the sky is the goal there--right?

OK, who are these voices u ask? A couple of build blogs I have been on. The build you ask? Well, ASUS Z97 Deluxe, i74790k, MSI GTX 970 ME, Corsair 750 platinum psu. I am looking to build a rig that is over-clockable, will handle most games right now and have room to upgrade in the future. This is my 'One Shot' for a while so I need to get it right! Thanks for any help you can give me.
Lance.

[GSKILL TECH]

Trident X DDR3-2400

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-589-_-Product

For the Z97 motherboard and 4790K CPU, you will need DDR3-2400 to unleash it's potential. Higher speeds can work, but the margin of improvement isn't as great without overclocking. Lower speeds can work fine as well, but why not gain a nice percentage in performance if the price is about the same?

You get mixed messages on different forums and bloggers because they have different experiences and use their computer for different purposes. But if you ask the top gamers in the world, the people that need to maximize performance because ANY lag can mean win or loss, they are not using standard DDR3-1600 RAM.

It's not always about the max speed, max FPS, etc. With technology, platform will always be much faster than what games can support. In the case of RAM and the new computer platforms, it's not a problem with maximum speed, issues happen because of minimum speed. The goal is to raise the average minimum to have consistent smooth play. This eliminates any lag or delays. For first person shooters and memory intensive games, this is most important. For some games, it is not as demanding which is why some people believe DDR3-1600 is no different than DDR3-2400.

Search the web and you can find people with the Z97 and a new i5/i7 CPU, wondering why their system is still so laggy. It makes no sense to them, but when you purchase a top motherboard, a top CPU, but standard RAM, common sense should flag something is not right.

The RAM I suggested will make your computer good for many years to come. It will take time for developers to make games to take advantage. Especially if you overclock, it will be plenty fast. That build is definitely the best 'one shot' someone can have right now for gaming.

[emissary42]

I have read the Sticky about Mhz and got, "higher is better" out of it, so it seems the sky is the goal there--right?

In general yes, but here is a point of diminishing returns with that (performance/price). Usually i'd recommend one of the more affordable DDR3-2400 kits, because here in Europe you can get them for only a very little premium over most DDR3-1600/1866 offerings and you don't have to pay with limited compatibility for the performance gains yet either. At DDR3-2800 and up that can become an issue, depending upon MB and the processors IMC quality. Apparently manually tuning some / all the timings and voltages is not for everyone.

The http://gskill.com/en/product/f3-2400c10d-16gtx have many ASUS Z97 MB including both Deluxe models on their QVL.

[Lance]

That was a very considerate and informative answer, thank you.

One added consideration, 2x8? 4x4? 4x8!? I have read conflicting posts on the "more is better" theory with regards to 4's vs 8's and topping at 16--vs 32gb's.

[GSKILL TECH]

Just depends how much you will ever need. 16GB is plenty for most people. Power users/professionals that multitask and run many things at a time could possibly use more.

[Wolfgang]

ASUS Z97 Deluxe i7 4790k and what RAM??

Parts Picker site says this when used with that Mobo/Cpu combo :
– The G.Skill Trident X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory operating voltage of 1.65V exceeds the Intel Haswell Refresh CPU recommended maximum of 1.5V+5% (1.575V). This memory module may run at a reduced clock rate to meet the 1.5V voltage recommendation, or may require running at a voltage greater than the Intel recommended maximum.

I am making the exact same build.
Is this a problem?
Thanks!
-Wolfgang

[emissary42]

Intel specified memory support according to the JEDEC DDR3 standard. In additon to that they created the Intel Extreme Memory standard for any kit that does not match the JEDEC standard in terms of frequency, timings and/or voltage (basically anything thats not DDR3-1066 CL7, DDR3-1333 CL9, DDR3-1600 CL11, DDR3-1866 CL13 @ 1.5V, or 1.35V for DDR3L). XMP enabled kits can use higher frequencies, lower timings and/or lower/higher voltages than what the JEDEC standard specifies. More information on Intel XMP: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/...ofile-xmp.html

List of certified kits (PDF-Datasheet): http://www.intel.com/content/dam/www...-datasheet.pdf

[Wolfgang]

Well, close to the same build anyways:-)
Asus Z97 Pro Wi-Fi ac Mobo
I7-4790 K

[Wolfgang]

So...... Can i use it ? or is there another set you recommend?
Thanks!
-Wolfgang

[GSKILL TECH]

No problem at all.

[Wolfgang]

Great! Thanks!