Unlike the more glamorous worlds of GPU and CPU releases and updates, RAM hasn’t changed as quickly – for now we’re still on the DDR4 generation, with DDR5 still a way off. This means if you’re looking to invest in upgrading your gaming pcs memory, more money is likely to go a lot further and for longer.
The other good news about RAM is that it’s relatively easy to install so the only other decisions you need to make are how much memory you need and what speed you want that memory at.
RAM: Size & Speed
Think of your gaming pc need for RAM like a politician being interviewed; it needs to be able to access and process lots of information quickly and seamlessly – otherwise it doesn’t look good.
We’d recommend a RAM size of at least 16GB for most gamers (even the latest releases don’t require more than this). However, if your using your pc for things other than gaming and/or you have the cash then go for 32GB; this will put you in the realms of teflon (politically speaking).
We’ve gone through and provided our recommendations for the best 5 RAM for gaming below.
RAM Terminology
Most people we know have a decent bit of knowledge about the technology behind components & the jargon involved (although to be fair most people just want to know if it’ll work) so here’s a few bits of terminology around RAM:
Timings: Basically how quickly the RAM will take to complete a request – the lower the better.
Frequency: Speed in which the memory operates (in MHz).
DIMMS: Stands for Dual In Line Memory Modules & is basically the physical part of the circuitboard that holds the RAM slots.
RAM Size: 32GB – RAM Type: DDR4 SDRAM – Memory & Clock Speed: 3600MHz
This is probably the best RAM for gaming from a high end perspective. A revamp on the previous version, this super sleek and colourful update comes with 12 super efficient, ultra bright, individually addressable CAPELLIX RGB LEDs and ‘tightly screened high-frequency memory chips’. There are a number of alternatives based on how many RAM Size cards you have room for e.g. x4 8GB but this is the one that we have gone with.
RAM Size: 32GB – RAM Type: DDR4 SDRAM – Memory & Clock Speed: 2666MHz
How much power does one person need!!!?!! Well you can go higher with Corsair’s Vengeance LPX range but you’d need a few thousand plus a high spec’d CPU, so for the price & the memory that you get the Corsair Vengeance will be perfect for you, a very high performing piece of it at a very good price.
RAM Size: 16GB – RAM Type: DDR4 SDRAM – Memory & Clock Speed: 3200MHz
We like this. ‘Yellow Camouflage’, supports AMD & Intel motherboards & is cheap as chips for it’s price versus performance. Goes well with 3rd generation Ryzen processors as it’s easy to overclock, especially on B450 boards. Great value for money!!
RAM Size: 16GB – RAM Type: DDR4 SDRAM – Memory & Clock Speed: 3200MHz
Of all the releases from the Ripjaws family the series V here is probably the best one around from a mid-tier gaming perspective. Easy to install & doesn’t take much overclocking to hit the top speed. Can’t really be argued with (unless you need brighter packaging) from a performance & cost perspective.
RAM Size: 8GB – RAM Type: DDR4 SDRAM – Memory & Clock Speed: 2400MHz
Most people seem to have picked this as the best value for money & cheapest option for gaming & who are we to argue – although the Corsair Vengeance 8GB pushed it very close. Whisper it and you may get clock speeds of up to 3,2000MHz with some voltage fiddling. If you’re happy with it why not treat yourself to another stick!
