Recommended RAM for Ryzen 9 3900X video editing workstation?

Yo, that 3900X is such a beast for editing, great choice!! I’m totally seeing the debate between speed and capacity in the replies above... tbh it's always the big question with Ryzen builds. Before I weigh in on stuff like the Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB (2x32GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 or something similar, I realy need to know a bit more about your actual projects.

Like, are you mostly dealing with compressed 8-bit files from a Sony or Canon, or are you working with heavy 10-bit ProRes or even RAW footage?? Also, how long are your typical sequences? If you’re doing 30-minute timelines with tons of color grading and layers, that’s gonna change my answer big time lol. Just want to make sure you dont overspend on speed if you actually need the raw headroom for caching! Anyway...

Honestly, for heavy 4K editing, you're definitely gonna want to jump straight to 64GB. While 32GB is okay for basic stuff, those heavy editing apps just eat RAM for breakfast once you start adding transitions or color grading... it's kinda crazy how fast it disappears lol. Aiming for 3600MHz is a smart move because it really helps that 12-core CPU perform its best, but tbh, capacity is way more important than shaving off a tiny bit of latency. If you can find a kit that's 3600MHz CL16, that's awesome, but 64GB of slightly slower stuff is still better than 32GB of the fastest RAM out there. It’s all about what you’re actually looking for. Stability is the most important thing to focus on tho.

I totally get the speed argument, but tbh, capacity is way more important for 4K stuff than 3600MHz. Since you’re using Premiere, 32GB fills up sooo fast lol. I’d actually sacrifice some speed and grab G.Skill Ripjaws V 64GB (2x32GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 instead. You won’t really notice the Infinity Fabric difference (already mentioned above) compared to the extra overhead 64GB gives you room for.

Yo, that 3900X is such a beast for editing, great choice!! I’m totally seeing the debate between speed and capacity in the replies above... tbh it's always the big question with Ryzen builds. Before I weigh in on stuff like the Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB (2x32GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 or something similar, I realy need to know a bit more about your actual projects.

Like, are you mostly dealing with compressed 8-bit files from a Sony or Canon, or are you working with heavy 10-bit ProRes or even RAW footage?? Also, how long are your typical sequences? If you’re doing 30-minute timelines with tons of color grading and layers, that’s gonna change my answer big time lol. Just want to make sure you dont overspend on speed if you actually need the raw headroom for caching! Anyway...

Yo! Tbh, for a 3900X beast, you definitely want to hit that 3600MHz sweet spot. It keeps the Infinity Fabric happy and everything just runs way smoother. If you can swing it, definitely go for CL16 over CL18... that lower latency actually makes a huge difference when ur scrubbing through a 4K timeline.

About the capacity... honestly?? If ur doing heavy After Effects work, 32GB is gonna feel tight real fast. AE just eats RAM for breakfast lol. I’d say just jump to sixty-four GB now so you dont have to worry about bottlenecks later. It’s soooo worth it for those long renders. Just make sure ur getting a matched kit so everything stays stable. 64GB at 3600MHz CL16 is basically the dream setup for that 12-core chip!! Enjoy the build, its gonna be fast af.

I totally get the speed argument, but tbh, capacity is way more important for 4K stuff than 3600MHz. Since you’re using Premiere, 32GB fills up sooo fast lol. I’d actually sacrifice some speed and grab G.Skill Ripjaws V 64GB (2x32GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 instead. You won’t really notice the Infinity Fabric difference (already mentioned above) compared to the extra overhead 64GB gives you room for.

I totally get the speed argument, but tbh, capacity is way more important for 4K stuff than 3600MHz. Since you’re using Premiere, 32GB fills up sooo fast lol. I’d actually sacrifice some speed and grab G.Skill Ripjaws V 64GB (2x32GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 instead. You won’t really notice the Infinity Fabric difference (already mentioned above) compared to the extra overhead 64GB gives you room for.

To add to the point above: while the thread generally leans toward prioritizing capacity, it is unfortunate that many modern 64GB kits use high-density dies that really hamper your sub-timings. It is honestly not as good as it used to be when high-quality Micron or Samsung chips were easier to source for these high-capacity sets. Most of what you find now has mediocre tRFC values, which is disappointing because it actually impacts your 1% lows during 4K playback in Premiere. I have had some issues with newer Corsair bins on Ryzen 3000 series, so I would probably avoid those for a workstation. I would look at Kingston FURY Renegade 64GB DDR4 3600MHz CL16 instead. It is a bit more expensive but the stability is usually much better for the 3900X memory controller. If you are trying to save some cash, TeamGroup T-Create Expert 64GB DDR4 3600MHz CL18 is okay, though it is a shame to settle for CL18 on a 12-core beast. Definitely stick to a 2x32GB config to keep the stress off the IMC. It makes life way easier when you are trying to hit that 1800MHz FCLK. Let me know if you run into any stability issues once you get it booted, happy to help you tweak the BIOS settings.

Nice, didn't know that

Yo, that 3900X is such a beast for editing, great choice!! I’m totally seeing the debate between speed and capacity in the replies above... tbh it's always the big question with Ryzen builds. Before I weigh in on stuff like the Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB (2x32GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 or something similar, I realy need to know a bit more about your actual projects.

Like, are you mostly dealing with compressed 8-bit files from a Sony or Canon, or are you working with heavy 10-bit ProRes or even RAW footage?? Also, how long are your typical sequences? If you’re doing 30-minute timelines with tons of color grading and layers, that’s gonna change my answer big time lol. Just want to make sure you dont overspend on speed if you actually need the raw headroom for caching! Anyway...