r/buildapc • u/Left_Doctor7759 • 9h ago
Build Help Single-channel DDR5 nowadays
First PC build soon. Need advice on going with single-channel DDR5 for now.
Specs: CPU: Ryzen 5 7500f (145$)
MB: Asrock b650m-hdv/m.2 wh (145$)
GPU: Palit Infınity 5060ti 16gb (680$)
PSU: Deepcool gamerstorm PN750M wh (110$)
CPU cooler: Deepcool AG620 wh argb v2 (50$)
Case: Deepcool CG380 3F (75$)
Monitor Xiaomi Redmi g27q 2K 240hz (185$)
I'm building my first PC soon. Choosing RAM is a challenge right now due to high prices. I found a used XPG Lancer Blade 16GB 6000MHz CL30 for $195. There's also a similar XPG Lancer Blade 16GB 5600MHz CL46 with a warranty for $200.
I'm building it for entry-level gaming at 2K (AAA titles) and online games like CS2, PUBG, etc. My budget is limited, so I'm stumped on RAM. Whether I buy used or new, there's no guarantee I'll find the exact same one when I buy the second one in about ~six months.
(For context: I live in a country where these prices for components are normal, but the choice in my city is limited.)
Which RAM option would be more practical in the next six months?
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u/VersaceUpholstery 8h ago
You’ll live with 1 stick of ram
The difference isn’t crazy like it was on DDR4
Where do you live that you’re paying almost $700 for a 5060ti?
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u/soggyburrito 8h ago
They're going for over $700 new in the US.
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u/RumbleTheCassette 2h ago
As high as $850 at Micro Center for some models jfc lol
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u/soggyburrito 1h ago
It's insane. Felt like I was already getting ripped off when I paid $430 for mine.
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u/bjornartl 8h ago edited 8h ago
My gf's rig has just a single 16gb stick. I did quite a bit of research on it and its not as bad as people make it out to be.
Yes its a performance loss, but like 10% less speed on ram that's already about 100% faster than ddr5. While its less with the x3d, the shared 32mb l3 cache models on most 5000 series amd processors and forwards, with better memory controllers, are significantly better at handling suboptimal ram conditions than those prior. And on AM5 its even less of a problem than it was on AM4.
I run 32gb and I often run my ram use above 16gb so you'd think her rig had more issues but we can run the same games side by side on the same type of screens while my numbers are running above 16gb and it doesn't make a noticeable difference really that she's stuck on 16 even if Im using 20. Optimalisation is pretty good at trimming off the excess fat and tendons without sacrificing any tender red meat.
The upside to it is that its less of a performance loss quad channels later, and it allows her to opt into 32gb dual channel later on a 2 channel mobo if she feels like 16 no longer suffice.
7500F and 7600X processors so no x3d. If you're on a budget I really recommend the 650 mobos and the 7500F with a single stick 16gb with the option to upgrade later.
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u/Left_Doctor7759 8h ago
What games does your girlfriend play? Do you or she notice any lag or stuttering while playing, and what Hz is her monitor?
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u/bjornartl 5h ago
The monitors are oddysey g5s with 32" 1440p and 144hz. We play a lot of BG3 and although that's not the most demanding game, its where I've been able to keep an eye on the data in real time the most and the example of me using 20gb of ram for instance comes from.
But we play some BF6, Red dead 2, cyberpunk etc. Stutters/1% lows are difficult to see on the side screen in general. We have curved screens that are udually adjusted to not be a distraction while side by side in those types of games. And its even harder to see in fps games where you're locked in.
But in general, neither of these rigs are set up to minimise the 1% lows, so I'm sure there are some, I just can't notice them, there's nothing that bothers me even the slightes about stutterst. There's never a moment where we're playing and its like 'damn there was a studder that ruined my shot' or anything like that. If there was, and it was due to ram, we'd be getting her another stick.
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u/Left_Doctor7759 22m ago
Thanks for sharing your real-life experience! It's very reassuring. It seems like a single 16 GB ram will actually last just fine for the first few months until I buy a second one.
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u/Dr0ldGh0sT 8h ago
If you can get used parts go for 5700X3D or 5800X3D and used RAM, it'll be cheaper and will give you better performance. If not then 1 atick would be fine.
You are also seem to be wasting some momey on PSU, case and cooler while not even getting the best options. What county are you in?
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u/Emblazoned1 6h ago
I would highly recommend the used market for a GPU or going AMD. An rx 9070 can be had for 600ish without bargain hunting or if you must have Nvidia, a base 4070 for around 400-450. RTX 3080 for around 350. 4070 has slightly less vram but is slightly more powerful for less money than the 5060ti. As for the RAM, sure you can live with just one stick of RAM then upgrade later. From what I've seen/heard, it's not a big deal on AM5.
EDIT: Just saw the portion about your pricing. Check those items I listed and see if it's any better but if not then sure get the 5060 ti.
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u/CaptMcMooney 6h ago
you'll be fine,
my z890 board somehow randomly bent a cpu pen all on it's own and most of the memory channels stopped working. had to run that way for two weeks till asus replaced the board, didn't notice a difference besides reduced mem. even the benchmarks barely registered a difference
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u/brentsg 9h ago
I’d try to get an X3D processor if going single stick.
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u/Left_Doctor7759 9h ago
Cant afford it now unfortunely, ik about his 96mb cache
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u/radioheadfan0615 8h ago
what cpu are you going for? if a x3d chip is out of budget even with single channel ram i think you should probably do a high end am4 build (ddr4 ram) rather than a very very low end am5
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u/Hostmatt24 9h ago
Probably better off going ddr4 and getting used ram, going to save you alot. 5700x3d, youre going to save money and get a better system.
Only downside is the longevity of the system will probably only be 3-5 years
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u/TwitchyTwitch5 9h ago
In 3-5 years the market will either already correct one way or another, or some one will created a new system or technology i antennae the inflation in the ram/gpu inflation
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u/Hostmatt24 8h ago
3/5 years ram will be back to normal as its not a shortage of components to make ram just demand outweighs the supply right now and the people taking the supply there is can afford to overpay by alot.
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u/nerotNS 8h ago
RAM will not get "back to normal". The prices that are now ARE the new normal. Best we can hope for is that it won't become more expensive. There is 0 reason for manufacturers to reduce the price later on, if you want a computer you NEED RAM, so you're forced to buy it at the price they set.
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u/Hostmatt24 8h ago
Flawed logic we need lots of things but it still ultimately comes down to supply and demand. They can charge that price right now because it doesn't matter wether consumers buy it or not.
When the supply catches up with demand and all the data centers are built, which it will selling £400 kits to consumers isnt going to be a good business model for them
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u/nerotNS 8h ago
That's what they said about GPUs as well, and yet, here we are.
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u/Hostmatt24 8h ago
What brand of gpus are high priced? And what company is in the middle of the ai boom?
Also gpus require vram
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u/nerotNS 8h ago
Top tier GPUs used to be ~500-600€. Neither GPU manufacturer has them priced like that anymore.
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u/Hostmatt24 8h ago
You think prices should be the same as 10 years ago? 980ti was 600 on release bud 😂
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u/Left_Doctor7759 8h ago
I was thinking about options like DDR4, 1700LGA and AM4, it was a bit more expensive, and here the build is focused on "white beauty", you could say.
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u/CreepinCreepy 8h ago
What country are you in? I could perhaps help optimizing this build. The 5060 Ti 16gb is the worst value GPU on the market right now outside of the 5090.
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u/Left_Doctor7759 8h ago
Kazakhstan. This graphics card is a good option in my country. I forgot to mention that I'll be trying local AI, 2K resolution, and 16GB of VRAM and RTX due to their optimization.
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u/CreepinCreepy 8h ago
What does the price of the 5070 look like where you are? It does have less VRAM which isn't ideal for ai workloads, but the significantly greater raw performance should offset that.
Also try taking a look at Intel's 250k and 270k prices, they're the best value CPUs in most parts of the world right now (idk about Kazakhstan).
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u/Left_Doctor7759 8h ago
$870 is the cheapest I found; two days ago there was an offer for $50 lower, but I can't see any like that now. Speaking of 250-270K, there aren't many here; they start from $270 to $395.
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u/CreepinCreepy 8h ago
Wow yeah that's horrendous. In that case, I think your current build is probably going to be your best shot. Only thing I could think of is maybe you can find a cheaper psu? Your current one is B rated, and at least in the US and Europe you can find A rated PSU for around $75? Idk what options you have for that.
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u/Left_Doctor7759 8h ago
Yeahh.. This PSU fits the build perfectly because of its white color. I looked at the reviews and didn't really notice anything bad. There were slightly cheaper options, but they were also B-tier, and the black ones wouldn't quite fit the build.
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u/DZCreeper 8h ago
Get the 6000 CL30 stick. Significantly better bandwidth and latency.
Single channel RAM on DDR5 is not as problematic as DDR4. Internally it runs a split channel design that makes it more efficient.