Moving our GPU testing to AMD Ryzen

DRAM Selection - Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB Series 3600MHz DDR4 Memory

AMD's Ryzen processors have a memory sweet spot, a frequency that offers an outstanding balance between performance, pricing and stability. For AMD's Zen 2-powered Ryzen 3000 series desktop processors, this frequency is 3600MHz.

When building our GPU/gaming testbed, we wanted to use the highest frequency memory we could while ensuring that we didn't ruin our processor with overly high voltages and excessive memory clock speeds. Yes, we could use faster DDR4 memory modules, but we want this testbed to maintain its stability for several years, so we felt that we shouldn't be too aggressive with our memory selections.

Another factor that's worth considering is that we want to utilise a memory speed that's commonly used by Ryzen owners. We recommend 3600MHz DDR4 memory for new gaming systems, and we have chosen to stand by that recommendation with our own test system. 

For our new GPU test system, we were offered a 16GB (2x8GB) kit of Corsair's Dominator Platinum RGB Series 3600MHz memory modules. We felt that this suited our needs well. Most PC gamers build new systems with 16GB memory kits; and with both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 offering its users 16GB of combined system/graphics memory, it looks like 16GB of system memory will be more than enough for PC gamer for the next few years. 

Our kit of Dominator Platinum modules operates at 3600MHz speeds and with CL16 timings. While these DIMMs are not the fastest on the market, they are more than good enough for our purposes. 

Why RGB? 

Aesthetics are always worth considering when purchasing new PC hardware. Most modern PC cases feature tempered glass windows, making the appearance PC components important consideration. 

When reviewing new graphics cards, we know that we will be taking photographs for written reviews and recording footage for YouTube and our social media channels. While RGB components have their haters, it is undeniable that fancy lighting has been a part of PC building for many decades. It wasn't long ago that many custom PCs contained cold cathode lighting and single-colour LED fans. Things have progressed a lot since then, and RGB LEDs always have static lighting and off options for those who dislike rainbows.