RAM Buyer's Guide - PC Guide https://www.pcguide.com Practical Guides to PC & Tech at Home, Work, and Play Tue, 28 May 2024 12:11:34 +0000 en-US https://www.pcguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/PCguide-favicon-75x75.png RAM Buyer's Guide - PC Guide https://www.pcguide.com 32 32 Best RAM for AMD Ryzen 7000 series: top overall, budget, video-editing https://www.pcguide.com/ram/guide/best-for-amd-ryzen-7000/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=253504 Fri, 03 Nov 2023 17:10:01 +0000 Best RAM for gaming in 2023 – DDR5, DDR4, and DDR3 https://www.pcguide.com/ram/guide/best-for-gaming/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=1406 Thu, 02 Nov 2023 15:12:49 +0000 Best RAM for i7 9700k in 2024 https://www.pcguide.com/ram/guide/best-i7-9700k/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=21742 Tue, 09 May 2023 15:41:45 +0100 Best RAM for Ryzen 2700X in 2023 https://www.pcguide.com/ram/guide/best-ryzen-2700x/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=21626 Tue, 09 May 2023 15:05:36 +0100 Best RAM For Ryzen 5000 CPUs in 2024 (5950X, 5900X, 5800X, 5600X) https://www.pcguide.com/ram/guide/best-for-ryzen-5000-cpu/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=17244 Tue, 09 May 2023 14:02:47 +0100 Best DDR5 RAM in 2024 – for performance and value https://www.pcguide.com/ram/guide/best-ddr5-ram/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=41404 Fri, 28 Apr 2023 11:33:00 +0100 Best RGB RAM 2024 https://www.pcguide.com/ram/guide/best-rgb-ram/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=11183 Wed, 19 Apr 2023 13:46:18 +0100 Best DDR4 RAM in 2024 – our top picks https://www.pcguide.com/ram/guide/best-ddr4/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=1905 Tue, 18 Apr 2023 11:51:26 +0100 Best DDR3 RAM for Gaming https://www.pcguide.com/ram/guide/best-ddr3-for-gaming/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=1965 Wed, 18 Jan 2023 17:39:47 +0000 Best RAM For Ryzen 5000 APUs (5700G, 5600G) https://www.pcguide.com/ram/guide/best-for-ryzen-5000-apu/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=31678 Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:31:55 +0000 Find all the DDR5 RAM supported Motherboards with this Compatibility List When any new tech gets developed, there’s always going to be compatibility issues and when you throw PC building into the mix, it gets more and more complicated each time. This is why we've put this DDR5 RAM-supported motherboards article together.

Compatibility of components is key as it is critical whether motherboards support the products you buy - not only for a component to work, but even to have the right slot to put them into.

Now, with DDR5 RAM, this is more important than ever and you don’t want to get it wrong. You’ll not only drop a bunch of cash on the incompatible kit, you can even break components if you’re not careful.

Below, we’ll be detailing all the DDR5 RAM-supported motherboards to avoid any potential pitfalls you might encounter, as well as recommending which motherboards will be the best for this new RAM.

DDR5 RAM Compatible Motherboards

Intel DDR5 RAM Compatible Motherboards

ASRock Z690 Taichi Razer Edition - Scan - AmazonASUS PRIME Z690-A - Amazon - Best BuyASUS PRIME Z690-P - ScanASUS PRIME Z690-P WIFI - Scan - AmazonASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 EXTREME - Scan - Best BuyASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 EXTREME GLACIAL - AmazonASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 FORMULA - AmazonASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO - Scan - AmazonASUS ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI D4 - Scan - AmazonASUS ROG STRIX Z690-F GAMING - AmazonASUS ROG STRIX Z690-G GAMING - Scan - AmazonASUS ROG STRIX Z690-I GAMING - Scan - AmazonGigabyte Z690 AERO G - Scan, Best Buy - Amazon Gigabyte Z690 AORUS ELITE AX - Scan - Best Buy - AmazonGigabyte Z690 AORUS MASTER - Scan - Best Buy - AmazonGigabyte Z690 AORUS PRO - Scan - Best Buy - AmazonGigabyte Z690 AORUS ULTRA - Scan - AmazonGigabyte Z690 AORUS XTREME - Scan - AmazonGigabyte Z690 GAMING X - Scan - AmazonGigabyte Z690 UD - Scan - Amazon Gigabyte Z690 UD AX - AmazonMSI MAG Z690 TOMAHAWK WIFI - Scan - Best Buy - AmazonMSI MEG Z690 UNIFY - Scan - AmazonMSI MPG Z690 CARBON WIFI - Amazon - Best BuyMSI MPG Z690 EDGE WIFI - Scan, Amazon - Best BuyMSI MPG Z690 FORCE - Scan - Amazon - Best BuyMSI PRO Z690-A - Scan - Amazon - Best BuyMSI PRO Z690-A WIFI - Scan - Amazon

AMD DDR5 RAM Compatible Motherboards

With the official announcement of AM5 at the end of August, we're now awaiting the launch of AMD DDR5-supported motherboards for the new Ryzen 7000 series of CPUs.

While we'll certainly be updating this guide, you can also head over to our where to buy AM5 motherboards article for the latest updates.

In terms of what to expect, we know that on September 27th AMD partners will be launching enthusiast Socket AM5 DDR5 motherboards for the following chipsets: X670E, X670.

Then, in October, there will be the launch of DDR5-supported motherboards around the following chipsets: B650E, B650.

In fact, we've already had a sneak peek of the AM5 DDR5 motherboards arriving from Asus and MSI.

Best DDR5 Motherboards

If you want to pick up one of these DDR5 compatible motherboards, here are the three we currently recommend over the rest.

MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi Gaming MotherboardASUS ROG Strix Z690-F Gaming MotherboardASUS Prime Z690-A ATX Motherboard]]> https://www.pcguide.com/ram/guide/ddr5-motherboard-compatibility-list/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=41416 Thu, 04 Nov 2021 11:10:47 +0000 Best DDR3 RAM in 2024 https://www.pcguide.com/ram/guide/best-ddr3/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=23359 Thu, 22 Apr 2021 16:53:26 +0100 Best RAM For Ryzen – 5 Best Options For 2024 Lowest price

HyperX Kingston Fury 8GB Capacity: 8GB Standard: DDR4 Speed: 2666 MHz CAS: 15 Configuration: 2 x 4GBView Latest DealRead Full Review

Give me that bling

G.Skill 16GB DDR4 Trident Z Royal Silver Capacity: 16GB Standard: DDR4 Speed: 3200 MHz CAS: 16 Configuration: 2 x 8GBView Latest DealRead Full Review

Superb speed

Patriot Viper Steel Series Performance Memory Kit 16GB Capacity: 16GB Standard: DDR4 Speed: 4133 MHz CAS: 15 Configuration: 2 x 8GBView Latest DealRead Full Review

best RGB RAM for Ryzen

Corsair RGB Pro 16GB Capacity: 16GB Standard: DDR4 Speed: 3466 MHz CAS: 16 Configuration: 2 x 8 GBView Latest DealRead Full Review

best Ryzen-optimized RAM

G.Skill TridentZ RGB 16GB Capacity: 16GB Standard: DDR4 Speed: 3600 MHz CAS: 17 Configuration: 2 x 8 GBView Latest DealRead Full Review

1. HyperX Kingston Fury 8GB

The cheapest Ryzen compatible RAM we recommended Capacity: 8GB Standard: DDR4 Speed: 2666 MHz CAS: 15 Configuration: 2 x 4GB Lowest price Decent bump over basic DDR4 speeds Ideal for budget Ryzen systems Decent OC success rate May not be fast enough for APUsCheck Price on AmazonThe HyperX Kingston Fury RAM kit is one of our favorite budget RAM kits thanks to its decently-boosted RAM speeds and low price. It has a heatsink for added overclocking utility, and some users have even reported pushing it as high as 3000 MHz, which definitely can’t be complained about at this price point.Our only issue with it is that it may not be ideal for Ryzen APU builds, especially the higher-end APUs. (Ryzen 3 2200G might be okay.) We’ll explain how this works in more detail in the buying guide, but if you’re buying an APU build with the intent to actually use its integrated graphics, we recommend bumping up to our #2 pick so you aren’t bottlenecked by RAM speed.For non-APU builds, though, this should be a perfect companion for Ryzen 3 and Ryzen 5 CPUs.At the time of writing, this cheaper option is marginally slower and on sale. We recommend grabbing it if it’s still cheaper!

2. G.Skill 16GB DDR4 Trident Z Royal Silver 3200Mhz

Yeah baby. Or maybe it might be a bit too much... Capacity: 16GB Standard: DDR4 Speed: 3200 MHz CAS: 16 Configuration: 2 x 8GB Will certainly stand out in your build Great CAS latency for speed Great reputation for Ryzen CPUs Expensive Probably looks ridiculousCheck Price on AmazonThe is the ram that any rapper building his own PC would go for. Without a doubt. We have picked the silver version here, but yes it also comes in gold (google it!)The G.Skill TridentZ series is a particular favorite among Ryzen enthusiasts, since they have a higher chance of using Samsung B-Dies. (We’ll explain why this matters in the buying guide below.)Even without that, though, these TridentZ RAM sticks are rated to reach up to 3200 MHz, good for any Ryzen build, but especially good for a Ryzen APU build. Set aside 2GB or so for the iGPU and you’ll be in business for a surprisingly strong 1080p gaming experience, even with some modern AAA games.The CAS Latency is well-balanced with the 3200 MHz speed here, so that shouldn’t cause any problems, either.If you are the kind of hobbyist that likes their builds to match beautifully though, good luck finding a GPU and mobo to match with these bad boys!

3. Patriot Viper Steel Series Performance Memory Kit 16GB

The best memory for Ryzen 7 processors and Threadripper Capacity: 16GB Standard: DDR4 Speed: 4133 MHz CAS: 15 Configuration: 2 x 8GB Superb speed Well-suited for Ryzen 7 and Threadripper builds Low CAS latencyCheck Price on AmazonThe Patriot Viper Steel Series is a favorite among enthusiasts, and this is actually our first truly high-end selection. There’s 16GB of RAM here for roughly ~$150, but cutting that price in half, you’d still be getting 8GB of incredibly fast, low-latency RAM for only $75.While the 4133 MHz rate is likely beyond what you could reach with a Ryzen processor, this means it’s more or less guaranteed to run well in the ~3600 MHz range that Ryzen is known to reach, and it has a lower CAS latency.The price is a bit of a bitter pill for this one, but it’s more than fair for what you’re getting in return.

4. Corsair RGB Pro 16GB

The best RGB RAM for Ryzen Capacity: 16GB Standard: DDR4 Speed: 3466 MHz CAS: 16 Configuration: 2 x 8 GB Superb speed Great RGB effects Great reputation with Ryzen CPUs High PriceCheck Price on AmazonThis is going to be our first...controversial pick. So, we’ll get the disclaimer out of the way first: these are a bit overpriced. There is no reason for these to cost more than #3, especially since they’re slower, but that comes with the territory of RGB. If you want to fix that “slower” point and keep RGB, you can...but be prepared to pay for it.However, Corsair’s RGB products are easily among the best in the industry, and they should work well with full-system RGB setups. Corsair’s Vengeance line is known to perform well with Ryzen CPUs, in general, so we’re still happy to recommend this RAM kit...even if it does come at a little bit of a price premium.

5. G.Skill TridentZ RGB 16GB

The best Ryzen-optimized RAM, if you can afford it Capacity: 16GB Standard: DDR4 Speed: 3600 MHz CAS: 17 Configuration: 2 x 8 GB The best speed Great reputation with Ryzen CPUs Great RGB effects High price Low availabilityCheck Price on AmazonThis is one of the best Ryzen-optimized RAM kits, and it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll land a Samsung B-Die with this particular kit. This G.Skill TridentZ RAM is optimized to run at up to 3600 MHz with a CAS latency of 17, and thanks to the B-Die we know it has it’ll almost certainly play nicely with Ryzen CPUs.The fast speed, plus the confirmed B-Die, plus the RGB… makes this our pick for best Ryzen-optimized RAM, provided you can afford it. Or that it’s even available, which it often is not. Even if these requirements aren’t met, however, we’re pretty confident that our above recommendations will also provide a great experience on Ryzen, especially the ones from G.Skill and Corsair.The only real issue we have with it is availability, though even third-party sellers are selling for about ~$170 at the time of writing, which isn’t a bad price at all for this kit.

Buying The Best RAM For Ryzen

In this section, we’ll answer common questions and fill you in on what you need to know, just in case you’re confused.To make a few basic things clear about the spec listings, though: Capacity - More is better, but 8GB is perfect for common use and modern gaming scenarios. Larger capacities are best for Ryzen’s APUs or more intensive tasks, like video editing. Standard - The current generation of RAM being used, which will always be DDR4 when using Ryzen since DDR3 had largely been phased out by the time it released. (Until DDR5 and compatible motherboards launch.) Speed - Higher is better, especially for Ryzen. We’ll explain both of those points below. CAS Latency - Lower is better, but this inevitably raises with speed.

Wait- what makes RAM any different for Ryzen?

Ryzen CPUs have some design quirks that set them apart from Intel CPUs. It’s been demonstrated through several tests at different times that higher RAM speed gives Ryzen CPUs a more noticeable bump in performance than Intel CPUs. This makes RAM an especially important purchase for a Ryzen build, doubly so if it’s a Ryzen APU build.

Why Ryzen APUs need fast, dual-channel RAM

Ryzen APUs like the Ryzen 5 2400G contain both Ryzen CPU cores and Vega GPU cores. The CPU and integrated GPU have to share resources, though, and that includes the RAM installed in your system.Discrete GPUs have the advantage of dedicated VRAM, usually at the GDDR5 grade or better. Not only is this memory faster, but it’s tailored specifically for use with graphics processors, whereas non-G DDR memory is not.To get the optimal performance with a Ryzen APU, you need at least a dual-channel configuration (so it runs at full DDR4 speed instead of half speed) and 3200 MHz of speed.

Is Ryzen RAM compatibility any different?

Not… really, but some people have favorites. Since Ryzen CPUs seem to be more RAM-dependent than Intel CPUs, they benefit across-the-board from higher speeds and lower latency. This makes them particularly sensitive to low-speed, high-latency RAM kits in a way that Intel usually isn’t.One of the ways enthusiasts like to choose Ryzen RAM is through selecting kits that use Samsung B-Dies, since those are of a consistently high quality. Of course, getting RAM that fits this criterion can be tricky since it’s unpredictable as to whether or not Samsung B-Dies were used-- and you can only test it once you receive it (that’s why the Trident Z is so noteworthy).Of course, this isn’t actually necessary for getting good RAM with Ryzen, but it does make G.Skill and Corsair great brands to buy from in this category.

Why does RAM speed matter in general?

By and large, RAM speed doesn’t do very much to improve average FPS. The actual benefits, even with Intel CPUs, are found to be in FPS minimums and lows, which increase with higher RAM speeds. Any game will experience occasional FPS drops, sometimes minor, sometimes severe. With a faster RAM speed, these drops can be better alleviated to the point where they are less noticeable or not noticeable at all.Since Ryzen is more susceptible to slower RAM, these points matter even more for AMD users.

Can Ryzen even push RAM to these higher speeds?

At 4000 MHz and above, probably not. Around the 3600 MHz range, reaching that speed is pretty much guaranteed, as long as the kit in question is able to reach it.There’s still a benefit to buying faster RAM in this case, though, since it increases the chance of you getting high-quality dies that won’t cause issues with Ryzen. (ie, Corsair and G.Skill using a lot of Samsung B-Dies.) We believe we’ve done our due diligence in researching our picks for this purpose, but feel free to leave a comment below if you feel like we’ve made a mistake.]]> https://www.pcguide.com/ram/guide/best-for-ryzen-cpu/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=2929 Tue, 17 Mar 2020 12:15:24 +0000 DDR3 vs DDR4 RAM: Which is better? The basics of DDR RAMThe DDR in DDR3 and DDR4 stands for Double Data Rate, and RAM stands for Random Access Memory. DDR RAM was named as much because it was twice the speed of its predecessor, SDRAM (Single Data Rate). DDR has been the standard built upon ever since, starting from the original DDR RAM, to DDR2, to DDR3, and now to DDR4. (If you’re curious: DDR5 may release in 2019, but it was also planned for 2018, too, and that didn’t end up happening.)RAM is used by your PC to handle multitasking. The more RAM you have, the more things your PC will be able to handle at once, provided the CPU can keep up. The faster your RAM is, the faster your CPU will also become in turn, which will help keep all of that multitasking smooth and seamless. (Within reason: if your CPU can’t keep up with your RAM or vice versa, you’ll still have a bad experience.)

What’s the difference between DDR3 and DDR4?

As explained above, the biggest difference is that DDR4 is the standard that succeeds DDR3. Despite the physical similarity of their DIMMs (RAM stick), these standards are not cross nor backward-compatible. This means that DDR3 RAM won’t work on a DDR4 motherboard or vice versa.If your PC is from 2014 or earlier, it is most likely using DDR3 RAM. Use Speccy to verify your RAM speed, standard, and capacity if you aren’t sure.Because of these compatibility issues, DDR3 has become more of a nuisance to build around. It’s also becoming more expensive as its availability dwindles. As such, you are sort of guided towards using DDR4 regardless.Now, for the other big question: is DDR4 faster than DDR3? Yes… usually.Mainstream DDR3 RAM peaked out right around 2133 MHz in speed. Mainstream DDR4 RAM started at that speed and has since shifted to 2400 MHz as a baseline. A few DDR3 RAM kits exist out in the wild with speeds above 2133 MHz, but those are increasingly rare (and often expensive as a result) and don’t come anywhere near DDR4’s maximum potential.

How much faster is DDR4 than DDR3?

In terms of what’s being sold to mainstream consumers, the fastest most saw with DDR3 was 2133 MHz, with 1333 MHz being the entry-level standard. With DDR4 RAM, 2133/2400 MHz have been the starting baseline, with the high-end often meeting or exceeding 4000 MHz.Essentially… DDR4 RAM is twice as fast as DDR3, across-the-board. That’s a pretty big generational leap, but there are a few other things to consider. Don’t just click away yet though, because this still doesn’t tell you a lot about its performance difference!

Channel configuration, and why it matters

Quick, choose one of the configurations below! 8GB (4GB x 2) DDR3 RAM @ 2133 MHz 8GB (8GB x 1) DDR4 RAM @ 2133 MHzIf you’re like most people who don’t understand much about PC hardware… you would assume that #2 is faster, or at least equally fast as #1.You would be wrong. In fact, #2 is actually running at half the speed of #1.This is because of channel configurations. For DDR RAM to reach its full rated speeds, you need two identical RAM sticks running together (that’s why you will usually see RAM sold in double packs). To get 8GB of RAM @ 2133 MHz in this scenario, you need two identical 4GB RAM sticks running together.#1 uses two 4GB RAM sticks, so they both reach their rated speed of 2133 MHz. That’s great, and should be more than enough for common use and most gaming scenarios.#2 only uses a single 8GB RAM stick, though, and that’s where problems arise. Since only one stick is present, it’s actually running at half speed, or 1066 MHz. This can still be okay for common use, but you may see issues in games or other heavy applications. Moreover, why buy something and only get half of its projected power?Whenever possible, make sure you have a dual-channel RAM configuration. If you can’t have a dual-channel configuration, at least make sure it’s a very fast DDR4 stick to help reduce the speed penalty. (A single-channel DDR4-2400 stick will run at half speed, but still, exceed a DDR3-1333 kit running in dual-channel.)

How does GDDR5 and GDDR6 RAM tie into this?

The “G” stands for “Graphics”. GDDR5(X) and its successor standard, GDDR6, refer to RAM used exclusively by graphics processors. The higher number means newer, better, faster… and more expensive. Otherwise, GDDR and DDR are unrelated. There are also some other, non-DDR types of graphics card RAM, like the HBM2 standard seen on AMD’s Vega cards.

DDR3 vs DDR4 Gaming: Will It Impact FPS?

Yes, but probably not in the way you are thinking.Assuming you are running a DDR3 setup and DDR4 setup with the same speed and capacity…With a single-channel DDR3 configuration… yeah, your frames are going to suffer, especially in modern games. Upgrade that to a dual-channel DDR3 config and you should be fine, though.With a single-channel DDR4 configuration… you should actually be fine. A dual-channel configuration is ideal, though, and there is often little reason to not be running dual sticks since that’s how they are most often sold.Past the speed of single-channel DDR4 or dual-channel DDR3, though… RAM speed doesn’t really impact gaming performance. Specifically, it doesn’t impact your average FPS, which is the usual way that gaming performance is measured.What it does impact are 1% lows. Your games will always experience the occasional FPS drop, regardless of platform or PC power. The severity of this FPS drop will depend on a multitude of factors, but chief among them is actually your RAM speed. Essentially, the slower your RAM speed, the more drastic and noticeable these FPS drops will become.While faster RAM will not improve your average or peak FPS, it will improve your lows, which will create a much more consistent gaming experience. This means investing in faster RAM is still worth it, especially when playing modern or competitive games.As far as size goes, if you’re gaming you will usually want at least 8GB between your sticks although 16GB is becoming a little more popular and might be better if you are wanting to future proof your rig.

Where can I get some RAM?

Well, right here in our Best RAM For Gaming In 2019 roundup. In it, we discuss DDR3 RAM, DDR4 RAM, 8GB kits, 16GB kits, RGB kits, etc; whatever you want, it’s there. If this article told you the last little bit you needed to know, go ahead and pick some memory out!If you want some quick picks, here are a couple of our favorites: For DDR3 RAM: A fast DDR3 RAM kit that at 2400 MHz, which is amazing for DDR3. For DDR4 RAM: A budget DDR4 RAM kit running at 2666 MHz, which is pretty decent for DDR4..]]> https://www.pcguide.com/ram/guide/ddr3-vs-ddr4/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=2919 Thu, 02 May 2019 04:29:18 +0100