Help upgrading G5 5090 DDR4 memory

Question

Howdy folks,

When I spec'd my desktop I did not pay attention to the memory configuration. The machine was shipped with a single 16GB DIMM of Hynix OEM DDR4-3200 (why they even give you the option to spec a machine with a single stick of RAM is beyond me. It's stupid). My machine is an i7-10700F so it supports a max speed of 2933mhz, which the OEM memory runs at with 21-21-21 timings.

I want to buy a matching set of 8GB DIMMs to take advantage of dual channel mode (as well as benefit from single rank DIMMs) but I'll be if I can find ANYTHING that claims to run natively at 2933 or 3200mhz beyond OEM stuff.

I bought some Crucial Ballistix (2x8GB DIMMs) from Amazon and it runs at 2666 with 19-19-19 timings without issue. I'm getting a 15% improvement in multicore CPU benchmarks and a 55% improvement in memory benchmarks. No idea if this is translating to games or not but it's certainly not going to hurt, and I can buy 32GB of this budget gaming RAM for less than half the price Dell wants for another stick of 16GB OEM stuff.

But if I'm going to spend the money on new RAM I would like it to run natively at 2933mhz to squeeze the most out of this system. As this "gaming" desktop doesn't have the abilty to run XMP profiles (for some reason *ahemAlienwareahem*) can anyone recommend a commercially available enthusiast DDR4 that will run at 2933mhz without XMP?

I'm starting to have a bit of buyer's remorse with this computer. It's marketed as a budget gaming computer that's "easy to upgrade" (Dell's words, not mine) but it seems like everything is either

from factory or proprietary enough it's impossible to use off-the-shelf components to upgrade it.

(seriously. Why does Dell even offer the option to spec a machine with a single stick of RAM??)

Any help is appreciated!

RoHe · Accepted Answer

@J1mmyD33 - Crucial is offering DDR4-3200 UDIMM RAM that's compatible with the G5 5000. Just keep in mind that it will clock down and run at a max of 2933 MHz.

Don't think their Ballistic DDR4-3200 RAM is worth the extra cost, since it's also going to clock down to 2933 MHz.

J1mmyD33 · Accepted Answer

@RoHe @DELL-Chris M

Just thought I'd let you know that the Crucial memory linked works great with the OEM Hynix and does indeed run at 2933mHz natively.

Also, this system HEAVILY benefits from having two DIMMs (dual channel mode). AIDA64 reports a 10% increase in memory bandwidth over the Ballistix running in dual channel @2666mhz and a whopping 45% increase over the single 16GB stick at 2933mhz.

I didn't intend on upgrading to 32GB in the near future but it's an added bonus I guess. Thanks for all the help folks.

RoHe · Answer

The G5 5090 specs say: 2666 MHz RAM, so that may be your upper limit. Installing only a single module is all about cost...

J1mmyD33 · Answer

Hey RoHe!The i7 and i9 processors natively support 2933mhz speed as well as the H470 chipset on the G5 mobo.I confirmed with Dell in this thread as I thought something was weird with my CPU-Z and AWCC showing 2933 as my memory speed.   I'm still miffed about the memory selection. It defaults to 16x1 but 2x8 is the same price! Oops.   Does anyone know if higher clocked (e.g. 3600 or 4000) XMP memory run faster than 2666 natively?   I'm going to post on a couple of larger forums but it is an odd situation as the H470 chipset on most commercial boards supports memory overclocking of some fashion, so I can't find any previous posts with the same issue as I have.

RoHe · Answer

@J1mmyD33 - Hang on a nano-sec...

The link posted in that other thread is for the G5 5000 and does say that PC supports 2933 MHz RAM with an i7 or i9 CPU.

But... the equivalent doc for the G5 5090 does NOT say that. I don't know if this is just an accidental omission or if this is a real difference between the G5 5000 and the G5 5090.

I'll ping my Dell tech contact to see if we can get any clarification...

J1mmyD33 · Answer

You know, I never noticed that. It's the PDF that was referred to me in private message. I assure you that my CPUZ and AWCC are showing 2933mhz with the OEM memory. Used to be that higher rated RAM would run at the fastest frequency the mobo supported, so you could just throw in some decent kit and it would just work. This issue is confusing me! Thanks for your help.

RoHe · Answer

I believe CPU-Z reports 2933 MHz while the specs say 2666 MHz. Be happy about that! It's certainly possible the docs are just out-of-date (wouldn't be the first time around here ).

It all depends on how the motherboard, BIOS, and chipset drivers are configured by Dell, regardless of what Intel or anyone else claims. For example, the XPS 8940 manual says:

The computer is shipped with 3200 MHz memory. However, with Intel Core i3/i5 processors, it is limited to 2666 MHz. With Intel Core i7/i9 processors, it is limited to 2933 MHz.

So even though that model comes with 3200 MHz RAM, it can't use the full speed. Wouldn't surprise me at all if Dell set the same limitations on the G5 5090.

I'd just go with decent quality and compatible 2933 MHz RAM. Doubt you'd even notice any difference between RAM running at 2933 or at 3200 MHz. (Note: Dell PCs can be very fussy about RAM, and not all brands of RAM will work, even though the specs seem to match.)

I pinged my Dell contact but haven't gotten a response...

J1mmyD33 · Answer

Ahh yes, I don't expect it to run at 3200. I'm trying to find info on what commercially available RAM is able to perform at 2933 without XMP. The Ballistix I bought is only running at 2666, and since I'm spending the money I might as well return and find something else that will.

But I'm not interested in paying for OEM memory, and finding info on non-XMP 2933mhz compatible memory is harder than it seems...

Not holding you to anything but if your pal ever gets back to you...

DELL-Chris M · Answer

Clarification. According to the service tag number provided by J1mmyD33, he purchased the Inspiron G5 5000, not the Inspiron G5 5090. So the thread title confused all.

J1mmyD33 Inspiron G5 5000 shipped with ~~two 8GB 3200 MHZ memory sticks~~ one 16GB 3200 MHz memory stick and the i7-10700F CPU.

The July 2020 Inspiron G5 5000 sales page states = "Up to 128GB DDR4 3200 MHz RAM"

Which matches the Inspiron G5 5000 Setup and Specifications PDF page 14 =
"NOTE: The computer is shipped with 3200 MHz memory. However, the memory speed is limited to 2666 MHz in computers shipped with Intel Core i3/i5 processors and 2933 MHz in computers shipped with Intel Core i7/i9 processors.".

The August 2019 Inspiron G5 5090 sales page states = "Up to 64GB DDR4 2666 MHz RAM"

Which matches the Inspiron G5 5090 Setup and Specifications PDF page 14 showing only 2666 MHz memory.

J1mmyD33 · Answer

@DELL-Chris MThank you for clearing that up, I didn't realize I have a 5000 (tangent... what's the difference?).

My computer did not have 2x8GB sticks however, it shipped with a single 16GB stick.

Can Dell recommend to me a brand of "compatible memory" that will run at 2933mhz natively, that isn't OEM? Understandable if you can't. Thank you!

DELL-Chris M · Answer

Thank you for clearing that up, I didn't realize I have a 5000 (tangent... what's the difference?). Bring up both of these PDF in two side by side browsers to scan through the differences. Inspiron G5 5090 Setup and Specifications Inspiron G5 5000 Setup and Specifications My computer did not have 2x8GB sticks however, it shipped with a single 16GB stick. You are correct! I checked the incorrect service tag number for another Inspiron G5 5000. Yours shipped with =C5N22 16GB, DDR4, 3200MHz, 2RX8, 2Gx64, Unbuffered, 288 pin, Dual Rank, 1.2V, Non-ECC Which will only function up to 2933 MHz with your i7-10700F CPU. Can Dell recommend to me a brand of 'compatible memory' that will run at 2933mhz natively, that isn't OEM? We cannot.

RoHe · Answer

Let the games begin!

Inspiron Desktops

Help upgrading G5 5090 DDR4 memory

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