# NVme 3.0 vs 4.0 vs RAM 32 vs 64GB



## thesandbox (Sep 6, 2020)

Just curious if I go with the Sabrent NVme PCIe 4.0 SSD will it allow even less RAM usage the the 3.0 Rockets. If so will it make enough of a difference to justify 32GB instead of 64GB of RAM. 
I am in the process of building a new Studio PC for the first time in 8 years and as I am doing less and less audio tracking and using more and more VST's my system is definitely showing its age. Most of my projects range in the 60-80 track range but I am also starting to do more sound for video and less work on typical song projects and my sample library continues to grow as well as I assume my track count will. I am also just getting into setting up more templates for this type of work. 
My build so far is an a Fractal R6 case, x570 Asrock Taichi, 3900XT CPU with Noctuna NH D15S, RX750M PSU, Sapphire Pulse RX570 8 GB GPU, and a Samsung 970 500MB NVme OS/App drive. 
I am leaning towards the 64GB Crucial Ballistix and 2TB Sabrent NVme PCIe 3.0 memory but wondering if 32GB RAM will suffice or will I regret not getting 64 as I want to stick 2 sticks of dual channel. Do the the newer NVme PCIe 4.0 speeds make RAM even less of an issue as I can get the 2 TB Sabrent 4.0's for $379 right now or is that just overkill all together???


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## Pictus (Sep 6, 2020)

PCIe generation has ZERO relation with memory requirements...

I prefer the B550 motherboards...
They do not use the pesky chipset fan, the Vision D has
Thunderbolt ports and the rest Thunderbolt header.




The Asus Strix-E has front USB-C, but some boards may have the
infamous NIC Intel I225-V revision 2 that may still have some bugs...
Later boards may have the revision 3, that is true bug free...


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## thesandbox (Sep 6, 2020)

So the faster read speeds will not make a case for using less RAM? Now to just find somewhere with the Ballitx 3600 2x32GB in stock...I can find the 3200 in stock....should I just go with that and also stick with gen 3.0 drives as well? I figured with most sample libraries and kontakt that 3000mb/s vs 5000mb/s read speeds was kind of a mute point.


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## easyrider (Sep 6, 2020)

Wait a few weeks and get a Ryzen 4900x


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## Gerhard Westphalen (Sep 6, 2020)

Pictus said:


> PCIe generation has ZERO relation with memory requirements...
> 
> I prefer the B550 motherboards...
> They do not use the pesky chipset fan, the Vision D has
> ...



You can potentially lower the preload buffer so it can have a relation.


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## thesandbox (Sep 6, 2020)

easyrider said:


> Wait a few weeks and get a Ryzen 4900x


Also considering that as well as the CPU, memory, and sample drives are the items I have not yet ordered....the rest is already here. Or at least another price drop on the 3900XT....microcenter has them at $429 right now and have one about 90 min from me.


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## Pictus (Sep 6, 2020)

thesandbox said:


> So the faster read speeds will not make a case for using less RAM? Now to just find somewhere with the Ballitx 3600 2x32GB in stock...I can find the 3200 in stock....should I just go with that and also stick with gen 3.0 drives as well? I figured with most sample libraries and kontakt that 3000mb/s vs 5000mb/s read speeds was kind of a mute point.



Well...
I suspect later you go for 128GB RAM, I am not sure if with 4x32 you be able to run
at 3600MHz, but I would go for the 3600MHz kit anyway...
To run 4 RAM kits at good speed, probably will need to manually tweak the BIOS with the excellent








NEW!!! DRAM Calculator for Ryzen™ 1.7.3 (overclocking...


AMD Ryzen Memory Tweaking & Overclocking Guide https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/Ryzen_Memory_Tweaking_Overclocking_Guide/ MEMbench 0.6 README https://www.overclock.net/forum/27960952-post4412.html HOW USE MEMTEST in MEMbench https://www.overclock.net/forum/28069030-post5047.html...




www.overclock.net


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## Technostica (Sep 6, 2020)

Based on a number of factors I would go for 64GB and a PCIe 3.0 drive:

1. Some sample libraries reportedly don’t even benefit from moving from a SATA to a PCIe 3.0 SSD.
2. The first generation of PCIe 4.0 SSDs use controllers which are only able to utilise about 50% of the extra bandwidth of PCIe 4.0.
3. The second generation have been announced but not sure they are available yet. Plus it’s unknown how significant the gains will be for DAW users. Cost? Premium.
4. You seemed to state that you only want to use 2 sticks of RAM which removes the possibility of upgrading from 32 to 64 gigabytes without selling the 32GB.
5. DDR4 RAM is mature and cheap right now whereas PCIe 4.0 SSDs are still at the premium stage and it’s a maturing technology.


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## thesandbox (Sep 6, 2020)

Corsair has the Trident Royal in stock at the 3600 but CAS of 18. If I wait for the Ballitix to be back in stock at the 3600 16 CAS then might as well wait to see the speck on the Zen3 CPU. Not in a huuuuuuggge rush but my last couple of projects have made me make the move at this time.


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## thesandbox (Sep 6, 2020)

Technostica said:


> Based on a number of factors I would go for 64GB and a PCIe 3.0 drive:
> 
> 1. Some sample libraries reportedly don’t even benefit from moving from a SATA to a PCIe 3.0 SSD.
> 2. The first generation of PCIe 4.0 SSDs use controllers which are only able to utilise about 50% of the extra bandwidth of PCIe 4.0.
> ...


Definitely the direction I was thinking as well. Thanks for added confirmation.


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## Technostica (Sep 6, 2020)

Do you really need a 12 core CPU?
The Ryzen 4000 (Zen 3) series supposedly have improved inter-core latency as well as a higher performance overall. So for ASIO loads is it possible that we might see better performance with an 8 core Zen 3 than a 12 core Zen 2? The 12 core uses dual chiplets so it has a double penalty latency wise versus an 8 core Zen 3 which uses one chiplet.


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## thesandbox (Sep 6, 2020)

Technostica said:


> Do you really need a 12 core CPU?
> The Ryzen 4000 (Zen 3) series supposedly have improved inter-core latency as well as a higher performance overall. So for ASIO loads is it possible that we might see better performance with an 8 core Zen 3 than a 12 core Zen 2? The 12 core uses dual chiplets so it has a double penalty latency wise versus an 8 core Zen 3 which uses one chiplet


Yes....considered the 3700x as well but wanted the added cores for future proofing plug in counts etc...but will definitely take a look at Zen 3 numbers as they trickle out but also don't want to wait into next year either.


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## Technostica (Sep 6, 2020)

thesandbox said:


> ... but will definitely take a look at Zen 3 numbers as they trickle out but also don't want to wait into next year either.


AMD have said they will be out this year but what that means exactly is unknown.
The Zen 2 APUs which were only announced recently are OEM only for example.
With Intel in the doldrums they can afford to delay things and what with Covid they might just prioritise Zen 3 for Data Centres and keep consumers waiting or with limited supplies and high prices.


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## Pictus (Sep 6, 2020)

The new ZEN3 Ryzen 4000 Veermer series also will use even faster RAM like 4000MHz


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## thesandbox (Sep 6, 2020)

Just have to draw the line somewhere. My goal is to have something again that will get me through the next 5-7 years working on modest projects that still involve recording/producing other artists as well as a personal drive to do more sound for picture albeit probably short video, marketing, perhaps indie films at some point, etc...
If the 3900XT and current crop of memory serves me well the next year or two then upgrading those two items will not break the bank if wanting to get into bigger projects.


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## Reid Rosefelt (Sep 6, 2020)

Technostica said:


> Based on a number of factors I would go for 64GB and a PCIe 3.0 drive:
> 
> 1. Some sample libraries reportedly don’t even benefit from moving from a SATA to a PCIe 3.0 SSD.


This has been my experience.


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## Buz (Sep 7, 2020)

Oh that's an interesting topic. I misunderstood the wording initially.

It makes sense because solid state drives can return data in time for a low-latency environment. Presumably generational performance gains translate directly into streaming performance.

Although for now most libraries would be designed to work without exploiting that level of streaming performance. So it'd be better to maximise RAM and add storage later as budget permits.

It would be fascinating to hear a developer's perspective on it. For example the Synchron player benches 4k and 64k performance and presumably does something with that information.


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