Memory Fast LP (not VLP) RAM options for an APU build?

[Valantar]

So it's slowly but surely approaching build o'clock for my HTPC upgrade, and I'm thinking I'll take advantage of the current low RAM prices before they shoot up again due to [insert entirely random and not at all intentional occurrence limiting RAM supply].

Very briefly: Are there any options beyond Corsair LPX?

I'm still not sure if this'll end up being a 3400G/3200G or future Zen2 APU build (depends on when they arrive and their price/perf, I guess), but what I do know is that this build will do well with some fast RAM. It doesn't need more than 16GB (this is an HTPC, mainly for video, with some light gaming and multitasking, web browsing, possibly some transcoding at times, but never any sustained heavy loads), and I don't want it too expensive. It also needs to be standard profile-ish, as I'll be making a modded cooler out of an old Arctic Accelero S1 to fit into a Lazer3D HT5. I'm not interested in doing any manual RAM overclocking - too much of a hassle and too much to learn.

From what I can see, my options are either Corsair LPX 4000 C19 (around 2300 NOK) or 3600 C18 (between 1000 and 1300 NOK depending on the store). The latter seems like a no-brainer, really. But are there any other options worth considering?

 

[TheHig]

Team Dark pro are C14 3200 b dies that can hit those speeds and timings.

Removing the decorative logo top of the module makes them just taller than the dimm itself. I have done this to mine. Can provide pics after work.

 

[Stevo_]

Seems like Flare-x are the agreed on benchmark for APU RAM especially the c14s at 3200, those got cleaned out quick when prices dropped. Running LPX 3000 on my 2400G XMP 2933 but seems like over 3200 unless you are into OCing is likely a waste, more low hanging fruit available OCing the iGPU.

Pretty good 2200G/2400G memory scaling article on Tom's

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/raven-ridge-memory-scaling-benchmarks,5489.html

 

[TheHig]

^ this

My 2400g is running Gskill Ripjaw V 3200 c16 and performance is great.

 

[Valantar]

Thanks for the responses

@TheHig Unfortunately I can only find a single store in Norway selling Team Dark Pro DIMMs, and they're even more expensive than the LPX 4000s. Importing isn't an option due to shipping costs, import fees and the impossibility of RMAs. Heck, Amazon won't even ship electronics here.

@Stevo_ Unfortunately FlareX DIMMs are too tall for my use. I know they're seen as some of the best Ryzen RAM, but sadly that doesn't help much when they don't fit. And I won't risk pulling the heatsinks off - the only time I've done that, the heatsink pulled everything including the solder pads off the PCB. Luckily that DIMM was already dead

As for my desire for 3600, I know that's unrealistic (or at least a best-case scenario type of thing) on Zen+-based CPUs, and I'm assuming that carries over to the 3400G/3200G - though given the minor price difference between 3200 and 3600 that I've been looking at (around 200 NOK difference, or about $23) I'd rather get the faster kit and see if I can make it work. Worst case scenario I waste about 2.5% of my budget on RAM speed I can't use. Also I'm kind of hoping 3600 might be doable due to better trace quality and so on on more modern motherboards than my main PC's Biostar X370GTN (can't really go above 2933 with my TridentZ 3200C16s) - but again, I won't be disappointed if I go for a 3400G and can't exceed 3200MT/s.

But just to confirm, there are no other low profile/standard profile/heatsinkless DIMMs with decent speed ratings out there?

 

[ebc92]

I've been looking for a similar kit myself, incidentally also in Norway.

I found that if you're looking for a low profile b-die/3200@cl14 kit you're pretty much forced to tear up some heatsinks.
I eventually settled on a pair of G.Skill Ripjaws V as they can be had in said config for a reasonable price.

When you tore up that DIMM earlier, did you use a heatgun?

 

[Valantar]

I've been looking for a similar kit myself, incidentally also in Norway.

I found that if you're looking for a low profile b-die/3200@cl14 kit you're pretty much forced to tear up some heatsinks.
I eventually settled on a pair of G.Skill Ripjaws V as they can be had in said config for a reasonable price.

When you tore up that DIMM earlier, did you use a heatgun?

Nope, it was an old, dead (Memtest errors galore) DDR2 stick (from back when my old Core2Quad rig was still in use), - Corsair Dominator 1066MHz, IIRC - and I got the bright idea to just pull at the heatsink and see what happened. Strong double-sided tape (or possibly a strip of thick glue) cured from the heat of 2.0V DDR2 over 7-8 years was ... stronger than a single layer of fiberglass and copper. Heat would probably have loosened it, but I still don't trust doing that having seen just how weak PCBs and traces can be.

I don't really care about B-die, as it's EOL and going away soon (and thus going for exorbitant prices a lot of the time), while recent testing seems to suggest newer Ryzen CPUs can do well with other chips too. Given how my rather terrible motherboard (the first ever ITX AM4 board, from a 3rd-tier OEM, with a pretty bad UEFI) can do 92% of the rated speed of my non-B-die TridentZs (think they're Hynix, but can't remember) I'm not overly worried about a newer (B450 or B550 when it arrives) board not reaching >3200 with 3600-rated DIMMs, regardless of the chip. As I said, worst case scenario I end up wasting about 2.5% of my budget on unused RAM speed. I can live with that.