Having the best RAM for gaming can make a big difference in how well your PC runs the newest games. Most people do well with 16GB of DDR4, but we found out before the new year that the PC version of Returnal works best with 32GB. With that in mind, the tide may be slowly starting to turn, so it might be a good idea to think about making some changes.
It can be hard to figure out if faster memory has an effect on your system. For example, if you have an Intel system with one of the best graphics cards, most programmes won’t respond to faster or slower system memory in a meaningful way. On the other hand, some tasks, like some games and software, work well with higher data rates. For example, programmes that compress files, like 7-Zip or WinRAR, need fast memory.
On the other hand, higher memory frequencies help Zen processors from AMD more. The company’s “Infinity Fabric,” which is made up of the bits inside Ryzen CPUs that connect the different logic blocks, is as fast as the memory bus. You can learn more about this here. When it comes to Ryzen and Threadripper-based platforms, faster memory speeds often mean better performance in the real world. Below we mentioned the Best RAM for gaming.
Best RAM for gaming
Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-2666 (2 x 8GB)
Specifications
| Capacity | 16GB (2 x 8GB) |
| Data Rate | DDR4-2666 |
| Timings | C16-18-18-36 |
| Voltage | 1.20V |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
Intel’s H370 and B360 chipsets tell its Core i5 and higher processors to lock out any memory settings above DDR4-2666. This is unfortunate because the market has moved well past that setting. DDR4-3200 is now a standard in the enthusiast PC market, and memory stores that sell to enthusiasts and gamers often treat it as such. So, the best way to get a brand-new, high-performance DDR4-2666 kit is to use a time machine to go back to 2016 and buy the high-performance gear from that year. If that doesn’t work, Corsair has a way around it.
Corsair’s easy way around the performance problem caused by Intel’s DDR4-2666 limit was to use older, low-density chips to fill its 8GB DIMMs with two ranks instead of the single rank that its competitors used. The best part is that they did all of this without raising prices a lot. We recommend it to anyone whose XMP-compatible platform has a maximum DDR4-2666 data rate. This includes most H370 and B360 motherboards that come in retail boxes. Overall, this is one of the Best RAM for gaming that you can buy right now.
Pros
- Big performance benefit from dual-rank DIMMs
Cons
- No secondary XMP for DDR4-2400-limited motherboards
- Top non-XMP setting is DDR4-2133
G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600 (2 x 16GB)
Specifications
| Data Rate | DDR4-3600 (XMP) |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
| Voltage | 1.35V |
| Timings | 16-16-16-36 (2T) |
| Capacity | 32GB (2 x 16GB) |
If you only look at the published specs, it’s easy to dismiss G.Skill’s Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600 C16 kit. During our review, the RAM kit showed how well it worked and how much it was worth. Still, this is one of the Best RAM for gaming that you can buy right now.
And the real value is hidden under the heat spreader: Samsung B-die ICs are used in the memory modules. With time and patience, you can figure out how to make the timings work better. As always, the results of overclocking will vary, but we were able to get our sample down to CL13.
The XMP timings for the Trident Z Neo memory modules are 16-16-16-36, which aren’t the worst in the world of memory. But with the DRAM voltage set to 1.45V, we had to change the timings to 13-14-14-35 to keep the kit from becoming unstable.
Pros
- Good XMP performance
- Excellent headroom for manual tuning
Cons
- A little on the expensive side
Patriot Viper Steel DDR4-3600 (2 x 32GB)
Specifications
| Capacity | 64GB (2 x 32GB) |
| Data Rate | DDR4-3600 (XMP) |
| Timings | 18-20-20-40 (2T) |
| Voltage | 1.35V |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
The Viper Steel DDR4-3600 C18 is a great memory kit for professionals or people who make their own content but don’t have a lot of DDR4 memory slots. Performance is not an issue because the memory kit does well at everything. Overall, this is one of the Best RAM for gaming that you can buy right now.
Patriot has pretty much maxed out these modules, so there is not much room for overclocking, even if you’re willing to go wild with the voltage. But most of the time, running the Viper Steel at the advertised frequency should be more than enough.
Patriot puts a very good price on the Viper Steel DDR4-3600 C18 64GB memory kit. The memory kit costs $239.99, which is neither low nor high. Viper Steel is in the middle of all the other competitors. Since it performs well, it’s easy to recommend this kit to people who need speed and density in a dual-DIMM situation.
Pros
- Superb all-around performance
- Great capacity for content creators
- Perfect for boards with two RAM slots
Cons
- Little headroom for performance improvement
Patriot Viper Steel DDR4-3200 (2 x 16GB)
Specifications
| Voltage | 1.35V |
| Capacity | 32GB (2 x 16GB) |
| Timings | 15-15-15-36 |
| Data Rate | DDR4-3400 (XMP) |
Performance PC buyers have only two reasons to stop at DDR4-3200: they want to save money or they want to get a good performance out of a system that can’t go much further. Currently, this is one of the Best RAM for gaming that you can buy right now.
For people in either camp, but especially the first one, Patriot’s 32GB Viper Steel 3200 kit beats the competition in terms of price. In our analysis, it was nearly 18% cheaper than its closest competitor. Even though it has the same mid-market timings as its competitors, this doesn’t hurt its performance.
Even though the Patriot Viper Steel’s overall performance wins are less than 1%, its low price puts it well ahead of even the least expensive competitor in our basic performance-to-price comparison. So, people who want a high-performance PC at a good price have just found their new champion.
Pros
- Supremely inexpensive DDR4-3200
- Competitive performance
- No RGB
Cons
- Some buyers want RGB
Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4-3200 (4 x 8GB)
Specifications
| Warranty | Lifetime |
| Capacity | 32GB (4 x 8GB) |
| Data Rate | DDR4-3200 (XMP) |
| Timings | 16-18-18-36 (2T) |
| Voltage | 1.35V |
When building something, people who care a lot about how it looks have to choose between the best-looking and best-performing parts. Corsair’s Vengeance RGB DDR4-3200 kit has a little bit of both. It comes with four 8GB DIMMs (for a total of 32GB) with CAS 16 timings at a price that’s pretty average, given how the market has been going lately. And this kit isn’t just nice to look at; it also meets all the benchmarks.
The Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4-3200 gets RGB-enabled memory because it has great performance and a fair price. However, its pastel colours might turn off some builders. For now, this is one of the Best RAM for gaming that you can buy right now.
Corsair’s kit did better overall than our previous favourite, the HyperX Predator RGB, at every speed except DDR4-4000, which it didn’t reach. Corsair’s XMP value is also better and costs less than the competition. This makes the Vengeance RGB Pro the clear winner and a great addition to your next RGB build.
Pros
- Supports both Corsair and third-party RGB utilities
- Reasonably priced
Cons
- Didn’t reach DDR4-4000
- White light diffusers cast pastel hues
Patriot Viper 4 DDR4-3400 (2 x 8GB)
Specifications
| Capacity | 16 GB (2 x 8GB) |
| Data Rate | DDR4-3400 (XMP) |
| Timings | 16-18-18-36 (2T) |
| Voltage | 1.35V |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
It might not have any fancy software-controlled RGB lights, and there are faster kits that cost more as well as cheaper ones. But for many people who don’t want or need their memory to glow like a rainbow, Patriot’s Viper 4 DDR4-3400 C16 16GB (PV416G340C6K) is a good balance of price and performance. Still, this is one of the Best RAM for gaming that you can buy right now.
The kit comes with two 8GB modules with DDR4-3400 CAS 16-18-18-36 XMP values. The last three numbers aren’t very good, but DDR3 fans should remember that 16 cycles at a data rate of 3400 MHz have the same latency time as eight cycles at a data rate of 1700 MHz. This kit is a great deal for overclocking DRAM, and the red heatsinks make sure that your memory looks good enough to show off in a windowed case.
Pros
- Top overclocking from a mid-priced 16GB two-DIMM kit
Cons
- Still pricier than budget kits
How much RAM do we need?
Most serious gaming PCs should have at least 16GB of RAM, which is what we use in our high-end PC build. However, it’s not too expensive to upgrade to 32GB these days, since prices have been stable for a while. That much memory will give you a big buffer if you like to multitask, use creative or intensive apps, or just open a lot of Chrome tabs.
How fast should RAM be for a gaming PC?
For a dual-channel build, we recommend that you stick with two DDR4 modules, each with a clock speed of at least 3,000MHz. So, you should get the most out of the best CPUs for gaming. With Intel, you can pretty much settle for the best kit you can afford, but if you’re using AMD Ryzen, you’ll need to do a little more research.
FAQs
What DDR4 CAS latency should we look for?
A CAS latency, which is often written as “CL” followed by a number, is the amount of time it takes for a RAM module to get to a set of data that it needs. Latency is very important. Even though high clock speeds make RAM a lot faster, if the CAS latency is too high, the RAM kit could still work slowly, which could affect how well you play games or do your work.
Which RAM is the fastest RAM?
DDR4 memory has speeds that start at 2400 MT/s and is faster and more responsive than all previous generations. DDR4 is for people who want to get the most out of their system. It is optimised for gamers, professional designers, and enthusiasts who need to get the most out of their data rates.
What is the most powerful RAM ever?
The 2021 Ram 1500 is the most powerful half-ton pickup that has ever been made.
