When it comes to PC gaming, high-speed DDR5 memory is all the rage of late, and understandably so: Both Intel and AMD's latest platforms are power-hungry performers that have increased needs in terms of bandwidth to fully realize their potential performance thresholds. However, a recent, persistent fall in both storage and memory prices, has pushed the DDR5 Ram market from a high-end enthusiast-only product to a much more mainstream offering with a variety of products available in the sub $100-150 range versus kits that fetched as much as $1000 in the past for the most premium products.

When you consider a new RAM kit, you want to look at the following factors (not necessarily in order) to ensure you get the best fit for your gaming PC:

• Capacity
• Latency
• Clock Speeds
• Aesthetics
• Cost Relative To Capacity

UPDATE: 2023/05/24 By RAHIM AMIR

DDR5 Memory Price & Availability Updates

Since this content was originally published, a lot of DDR5 memory has become more accessible to end-users, redefining what premium categories look like with both faster and cheaper DDR5 memory being available. We have updated product listings where appropriate and added new options that we feel suit the need of users looking for new DDR5 and DDR4 upgrades currently.

While DDR5 gains are more pronounced when it comes to productivity applications, games also benefit by eking out better results thanks to the extra bandwidth available to the PC. Overclocking however is a different story: Most kits have wildly different performance results when overclocked due to different thresholds and compatibility making them somewhat unpredictable and requiring quite a bit of tuning to ensure you get the best stable profile possible for your gaming PC.

As one of the premier memory brands towards the tail-end of the DDR4 lifecycle, it is no surprise to see G.Skill present as one of the more market-dominant players when it comes to the DDR5 memory, spearheaded by its G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB Series offerings. While DDR5 is still a maturing memory platform, G.Skill's offerings have made much headway from costing as much as $1000 a pop for the more pricey variants to most kits being in the sub $100-200 range.

As our recommendation for the best Performance-Centric Ram kit in the market, our pick for DDR5 memory is a 64GB ram kit from the G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB Series which might be overkill for most people but a somewhat future-proof approach to the problems of DDR5 memory when it comes to stability in most quad-channel setups. It has low latency and excellent looks thanks to its subtle approach to RGB and is backed by a comprehensive lifetime warranty.

All in all, the Z5 lineup isn't the cheapest, the highest clocked, or even the most well-lit-up RGB ram kit out there, but it is a potent and reliable package when it comes to DDR5 and given early adoption pains by many users last year, we feel it strikes the right balance for users looking for a competitive performance-grade DDR5 experience that can be overclocked easily without breaking the bank. The 32GB kit is also a viable option for those of us who feel 64GB is overkill for gaming and the AMD-specific NEO options are also a good investment, albeit with slightly different clocks that comply with AMD's EXPO specifications for the Ryzen 7000 series processor lineup.

The CORSAIR Vengeance DDR5 32GB kit (16G x 2) clocks in at 5600MHz, which makes it meet the requirements of Intel's 13th-generation processors easily. It boasts compatibility with Intel's latest XMP 3.0 standards and wide compatibility across the board. A key feature that this set of rams has is the ability to customize its XMP profiles using the excellent Corsair iCUE software that should allow budget gamers to overclock the rams to higher clocks or tighter timings to eke out better performance from their systems.

The lack of RGB is noticeable since Corsair reserves that for its more premium Dominator and Vengeance RGB lineups but not a deal-breaker. The Vengeance is supposed to be a no-frills approach to providing affordable DDR5 memory, and it delivers on that promise handily. The RGB Dominator Rams are however something that people tend to prefer thanks to their looks, but you can't go wrong with either option depending on how much you are looking to spend on your memory upgrade. Corsair also sells RGB-enabled EXPO-optimized Rams in similar specs for AMD's Ryzen 7000 lineup that cost a shade extra and provide RGB lighting for those looking to splurge a little more.

The Kingston Fury Renegade RGB 32GB 7200MHz DDR5 CL38 is one of the fastest-clocked RAM module kits you can buy in 2023. It also happens to be one of the fastest consumer-grade DDR5 memory you can buy. There are faster memory modules incoming. Both V-Color and G.Skill have announced 8200MHz modules recently, and we aim to review at least one of the two in the coming days. For now, the Fury Renegade is one of your best bets.

Most high-end Z790-based motherboards do have BIOS updates that do allow support for the 7200 MHz XMP profile on the Fury modules and while performance gains are minor compared to lower latency, lower-clocked DDR5 modules such as our pick for best-all-around DDR5 memory above, it does offer considerably bragging rights as one of the fastest memory modules you can currently pick up, albeit at a considerable premium currently.

While DDR5 is constantly evolving, the DDR4 standard has matured considerably over the years it has been in service. That has allowed for higher clocks, better latencies, and lower prices across the board over time for quality DDR4 memory. The TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert overclocking 3600MHz CL14 rams are the pinnacle of such a standard which uses Samsung B-Dies to boast of its ability to overclock considerably better than the competition or provide an extremely tight latency offering at 3600Mhz making them an excellent recommendation for DDR4-based Intel 12th and 13th gen motherboard offerings as well as AMD's Ryzen 5000 series processors that tend to favor the 3600MHz clocks as a sweet spot for performance.

While the Teamgroup RAMs are in essence a no-nonsense approach to enthusiast-grade memory, one can still somewhat complain about the lack of RGB at the price they cost but all in all, they are excellent RAMs that can be tweaked and overclocked quite well - and even if you don't, the XMP CAS latency of CL14-15-15-35 while running at 3600MHz is nothing to scoff at.

AData's XPG lineup is an increasingly larger player in the DRAM market as its gaming-themed memory designs, backed by a lifetime warranty and subtle RGB effects are gaining significant ground as it continues to trade at a discount regularly versus similar competitors. The XPG DDR4 D50 RGB rams happen to be one of its most popular offerings currently, and it looks and feels premium despite the price point it trades at currently.

While the D50 RAMs are not the fastest in terms of latency, they do deliver solid performance, excellent looks, and widespread compatibility that covers both Intel's and AMD's DDR4 memory standards while backed by a comprehensive lifetime warranty that covers any issues that you might have. All in all, a quality product with good looks and excellent performance makes the D50 RGB Rams an easy recommendation.

The v-Color Prism Pro DDR4 32GB (2 x 16GB) 4266 MHz kit is one of the highest-end DDR4 memory module kits money can buy and if you are looking for performance and looks to match, this has you covered on both fronts with ease. With acceptable latency on offer (CL19) and excellent overclocking frequencies on offer at an acceptable price point, it does tend to provide a premium DDR4-enabled experience to users using DDR4 memory with 12th and 13th gen Intel CPU or older Intel and AMD platforms.

There are faster RAMS on offer in the market with DDR4 pushing all the way to as much as 5333 MHz on some select modules but the law of diminishing returns kicks in. Stability is a key issue for motherboards pushing DDR4 at such frequencies. Looser latency is another factor, making it a somewhat poor trade at a significantly higher cost that doesn't hit the performance sweet spot in any meaningful way. This makes the v-Color offering one of the few options that do make sense as an upgrade goes.

Other Upgrade Considerations:

Depending on your choices for a ram upgrade, you might also be interested in getting a CPU cooler for your processor if overclocking is in play or if you are building a new PC altogether. If upgrading your ram seems like too much of a hassle, consider getting one of the best pre-built systems on the market instead to get your desktop gaming journey going.

FAQ:

Q: Should I Get DDR4 or DDR5 Memory For My PC?

A: This depends on your choice of motherboard. Some motherboards work with DDR4 memory while others are compatible with DDR5 RAM specifically. If future-proofing is a factor in your decision-making, it is important to go for a DDR5 motherboard and compatible memory to boot to ensure you can upgrade either the memory or the motherboard/platform with ease down the line should you choose to do so.

Q: How Much RAM Is Enough For Modern Games?

A: Most games can easily be handled by 16GB of RAM but it does tend to cut close as modern games get increasingly taxing. Given how cheap memory modules are currently, the ideal memory upgrade you should aim for should be 32GB; 64GB is overkill for gaming and 16GB might be a little too less for certain titles.