Gecata by Movavi
Simple and solid game recorder and streaming program
Best RAM for Gaming
Finding the best RAM for gaming may be tricky. Below, you’ll find a list of good options to consider.
- TEAMGROUP T-Force Delta RGB DDR4 32GB 3600MHz – best for fastest gaming computer RAM
- TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z DDR4 16GB Kit 3200MHz – best for ASUS motherboard users
- Corsair Vengeance RGB RS 64GB DDR4-3,200 – best for high-end gaming hardware
- Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB DDR4-2666MHz – best for small computer cases
- G.Skill Ripjaws V 16GB DDR4-2,666 – best for on-a-budget gaming
- Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 32GB DDR4-3,200 – best for unique RGB-lighting look
- HyperX Predator Black 32GB DDR4-3200 – best for excellent overclocked performance
- Kingston HyperX Fury 16GB DDR3-1,866 – DDR3 builds
- Patriot Viper 4 8GB DDR4-3,000 – stable overall performance
- Adata Spectrix D80 16GB DDR4-3,200 – best for liquid cooling with RGB lighting
Software advice: Gecata by Movavi
If you’re looking for a program to record your gameplay, try Gecata by Movavi! It’s really lightweight and doesn’t require just 2 GB of RAM to operate. It lets you record gameplay in 4K and at up to 120 FPS. You can also live-stream on YouTube and Twitch. Download the free version and give it a try!
Best gaming RAM: Our top 10 picks
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Best for: fastest gaming computer RAM
Reviews: 4.8 out of 5 on Amazon
Price: $147.92
It is one of our favorite budget gaming PC RAMs, costing less than many other memories if the comparable speed. If you don’t want to spend more than $150 on 32 GB of RAM and need a quick and reliable choice – you can’t go wrong with TEAMGROUP T-Force Delta.
Speed: DDR4-3,600MHz
CAS Latency: 18
Timings: 18-22-22-42
Capacity: 32 GB (2 × 16 GB)
Pros:
Great price for 32 GB of RAM
Beautiful RGB lighting
Cons:
Some users report it not lighting all the way up
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Best for: ASUS motherboard users
Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 on Amazon
Price: $81.77
Certified by ASUS, this one performs best on motherboards by this company. However, this RAM isn’t exclusive for ASUS PC, so you can try it on other computers. The stylish design will appeal to those who prefer non-RGB solutions. Thus, if you’re looking for the best RAM for a gaming PC, why not give this one a try?
Speed: DDR4-3,200MHz
CAS Latency: 16
Timings: 16-16-16-38
Capacity: 16 GB (2 × 8 GB)
Pros:
Comes in three colors, the red and yellow camouflage ones looking really stylish
Runs great with ASUS motherboards
Cons:
Some users complain that it doesn’t run on the advertised speed
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Best for: high-end gaming hardware
Reviews: 4.8 out of 5 on Amazon
Price: $332.84
If you have no issues spending over $300 on great gaming memory hardware, Corsair Vengeance RGB RS 64GB is one of the best DDR-4 RAMs for gaming you can find out there. Its performance at XMP settings beats some faster RAMs across several data rates, and it is overall one of the most impressive options to consider. It supports all kinds of customizable RGB utilities, Corsair’s as well as third-party ones, while its heat spreaders allow the memory to clock up to 3,200MHz with ease!
Speed: DDR4-3,200MHz
CAS Latency: 16
Timings: 16-20-20-38
Capacity: 64 GB (2 × 32 GB)
Pros:
64 GB of RAM is more than enough to play and stream all the recently released desktop games
The users tell that the RGB lighting is very pretty. However, there’s a non-RGB version available, if you like that.
Cons:
These RAM sticks are definitely not cheap
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Best for: small computer cases
Reviews: 4.8 out of 5 on Amazon
Price: $75.24
If the RGB Pro model is too tall for your build (or for your taste), here’s a great low-profile alternative that’ll suit practically any set-up without sacrificing the performance provided by its bigger brother. Despite its size, it comes with an integrated heatsink and benefits immensely from its dual-rank DIMMs. Also, if you have a motherboard such as H370 or B360 that is limited by a DDR4-2,666 data rate, this RAM is a way to go.
Speed: DDR4-2,666MHz
CAS Latency: 15
Timings: 15-17-17-35
Capacity: 16 GB (2 × 8 GB)
Pros:
Ideal for small computer cases
Dual-rank DIMMs give a great performance boost
Cons:
Your motherboard must support XMP
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Best for: on-a-budget gaming
Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 on Amazon
Price: $81.52
The Ripjaws V is the second-gen DDR4 RAM from G.Skill, and we are happy to see that the company was not put aback by mixed reviews their first memory received but used them to improve upon their mistakes, making the Ripjaws V a lot better than its predecessor. The new memory is faster, cheaper, and has a better heatsink. In fact, we think that Ripjaws V is one of the best gaming RAMs for mid-tier builds. It easily beats some of the 2,400MHz kits and can be overclocked to 2,800–3,000MHz, and you can try to go as high as 3,200MHz, risking to encounter some problems with stability.
Speed: DDR4-2,666MHz
CAS Latency: 15
Timings: 15-15-15-35
Capacity: 16 GB (2 × 8 GB)
Pros:
Some of the best price-quality ratios on the market
Edgy design
Cons:
No secondary XMP
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Best for: unique RGB-lighting look
Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 on Amazon
Price: $211.47
Corsair was in way over its head with Dominator Platinum RGB. Its incredible DHX cooling technology, extra-bright Capellix LEDs, and the all-encompassing iCUE software are packed in one of the sleekest cases out there. This RAM is one of the best you can get if you’re ready to spend over $200. And aside from all the various types of games you’ll be able to run on this RAM, its 32 GB DIMMs will allow you to perform other activities that may demand tons of memory.
Speed: DDR4-3,200MHz
CAS Latency: 16
Timings: 16-18-18-36
Capacity: 32 GB (2 × 16 GB)
Pros:
The RGB lighting looks great and is unique to this model
Cons:
Not all the options are Intel-compatible
Costs more than other compatible hardware options because of its eye-catching design
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Best for: excellent overclocked performance
Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 on Amazon
Price: $205.70
This 32 GB kit clearly stands out from the crowd. While a DDR4-3200 XMP profile for over $200 will probably put off typical RAM users that want to get high speeds “out of the box,” the mind-blowing overclocking capabilities of this RAM will surprise overclocking enthusiasts. We’ll go as far as to say it is the best gaming RAM for overclocking we’ve tested so far. It also includes an infrared synchronization of all four modules, changing color patterns with proper timing.
Speed: DDR4-3200MHz
CAS Latency: 16
Timings: 16-18-18-36
Capacity: 32 GB (2 × 16 GB)
Pros:
You can choose between a solid black and an RGB version
Users point out great stability and performance
Cons:
To take full advantage of the RAM’s potential, you need to be skilled at setting it up
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Best for: DDR3 builds
Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 on Amazon
Price: $78.11
Here’s our top DDR3 pick. If you’ve decided to upgrade an old system that doesn’t support DDR4 memory, we advise you to buy this RAM. It might seem a bit slow, compared to the other RAMs in our list. Still, it auto-detects the elements of your system and overclocks itself to the very impressive speeds, while remaining an inexpensive RAM.
Speed: DDR3-1,866MHz
CAS Latency: 10
Timings: 10-11-10
Capacity: 16 GB (2 × 8 GB)
Pros:
Is suitable for older builds that don’t support DDR4
Draws less power than other compatible hardware
Cons:
Is not recommended for newer builds: DDR4 RAM sticks are just as inexpensive, but work much faster
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Best for: stable overall performance
Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 on Amazon
Price: $77.65
Here’s another excellent overclocker, but this time with a high basic 3000 XMP profile. It doesn’t have fancy customizable RGB LEDs all over the place, but it has a decent price to offer in return, and dual-DIMM with stylish heatsinks make it look pretty cool in the case. This card is a sweet spot for value-oriented gamers that seek a RAM with advanced XMP, significant overclocking but want to economize as much as possible and do not mind sacrificing RGB LEDs.
Speed: DDR4-3,000MHz
CAS Latency: 15
Timings: 15-15-15-36
Capacity: 8 GB (2 × 4 GB)
Pros:
Solid RAM choice overall
Cons:
Mediocre flexibility for manual tuning
8 GB may not be enough for games being released currently
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Best for: liquid cooling with RGB lighting
Reviews: 4.6 out of 5 on Amazon
Price: $281.67
This precise model sits in the middle of the Spectrix D80 line that ranges from DDR4-3,000 to DDR4-4,133 with 8, 16, and 32 GB options available, so there is a lot to choose from. In contrast to the Viper 4 model, Spectrix D80 goes all-in in terms of RGB lighting and overall design complexity, making it not only a great gaming RAM but also one of the most flashy ones. The one feature you might find interesting is the liquid cooling system meaning you can pick a high-speed 4,133MHz model and never worry about it overheating.
Speed: DDR4-3,200MHz
CAS Latency: 16
Timings: 16-18-18-36
Capacity: 16 GB (2 × 8 GB)
Pros:
Looks great
Has great tuning capabilities
Cons:
One of the priciest options for a 16 GB RAM
RAM terminology
DIMMs. A physical slot on the motherboard where you insert a RAM.
Speed. We usually talk about RAM speed, which actually means RAM processing frequency, measured in MHz. It affects the number of commands a RAM can process in one second.
Timings. The number of memory clock cycles that will need the RAM to complete an operation requested by the memory controller. Consequently, the lower these timings, the better.
CAS Latency. Column Access Strobe Latency measures the delay between the request of the data sent by the memory controller to the RAM and the moment the data becomes available. It is the first number in the list of RAM’s timings.
XMP. EXtreme Memory Profile is a set of instructions for the BIOS saying at what simultaneous timings, frequency, and voltage RAM should be activated. This profile is designed to optimize overclocking, giving limited access to it without the need to tinker in individual BIOS settings.
Conclusion: What’s the best memory for a gaming PC?
How to find the best memory for your gaming PC? Take these factors into consideration:
Motherboard compatibility. Some RAMs are not compatible with motherboards by certain producers, thus they can be, e.g., Intel- or AMD-exclusive. Make sure that the model you’re getting works with the motherboard you’re using.
RAM standard. Currently, you can find DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5 on the market, DDR4 being the most widely used. DDR5 are the most up-to-date in terms of technology, but they’re rather expensive and don’t give you much advantage over the DDR4 ones. The DDR3 standard is already quite outdated and only worth considering if you’re upgrading a very old PC. So, in general, DDR4 RAM is the best pick.
Frequency. In general, the higher the frequency, the faster your RAM works. However, if your motherboard doesn’t support the frequency of your memory, there’s no way to get the RAM stick to perform at the frequency advertised. So, take a close look at the specifications of your motherboard to get the most compatible RAM.
Timings. The timings measure the delay between various operations on a RAM chip. The lower the latency, the faster the RAM is going to work. Still, if you’re choosing between several RAMs, higher frequency is more important than lower timings. But if you’re choosing between two RAMs of the same frequency, the first number in timings called the CAS latency is the second parameter to look at.
Type of memory die. A die is a type of memory chip a RAM is equipped with. There are three main producers (Samsung, Micron, and Hynix), each having their own types of dies. Those types vary depending on the customization and overclocking capabilities. Generally, Samsung B-die is considered the best among the competition, then comes Micron E-die, then Hynix DJR, etc.
Capacity. Currently, most of the games released list 16 GB of RAM as a recommended option. So, if you’re not going to stream or have a ton of Google Chrome tabs open while gaming, 16 GB should be enough. However, if you want to get the maximum performance possible, 32 or even 64 GB RAMs are available on the market.
The specifications of the RAM you already have in. If you want to add more RAM sticks while leaving the existing ones in, make sure that the new sticks are compatible with the old ones in terms of frequency, timings, die, and capacity. Otherwise, you risk loosing on the potential the memory sticks hold. Generally, the RAM setup altogether works at the rate of the lowest performing link. So, if you have a stick of 2,666MHz and get a newer one that’s working at 3,600MHz, the whole setup will still perform at 2,666MHz. The rule of thumb here is getting the same model of memory sticks when expanding or replacing them altogether.
Physical size. There’s no use in a RAM if you cannot fit it into the setup. It’s especially true if you’re searching for the best RAM for a gaming laptop. Laptops don’t have much physical space for a RAM, so you need to be really careful with the size of the sticks.
Frequently asked questions
Which RAM is best for gaming?
What is the best RAM for gaming? Check out this list:
TEAMGROUP T-Force Delta RGB DDR4 32GB 3600MHz
TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z DDR4 16GB Kit 3200MHz
Corsair Vengeance RGB RS 64GB DDR4-3,200
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB DDR4-2666MHz
G.Skill Ripjaws V 16GB DDR4-2,666
For more options, read this article.
Is faster RAM better for gaming?
RAM should be appropriate for the setup at hand. Sure, faster speed and lower latency is better for gaming overall, but if your motherboard doesn’t support high-frequency RAM, it’s not the memory sticks you need to upgrade. To significantly improve your gaming experience, start by getting a better processor or graphics card.
Is 6 GB RAM enough for gaming?
The vast majority of recently released games list 8 GB RAM as the minimal system requirements. This makes 6 GB RAM not enough to play virtually anything but old games and low-budget indie. However, if you want to be running any other apps while gaming (e.g., a few browser tabs, messengers, or a media player), it’s better to get at least 16 GB RAM.
How fast should RAM be for a gaming PC?
RAM of a gaming PC should fit the overall build. In general, if you’re aiming for a great gaming experience, your motherboard should support a RAM of at least 3,000 MHz. If your setup can accommodate for a higher frequency RAM, like 3,200 or 3,600 MHz, but you can’t buy a RAM of the corresponding frequency, going lower than 3,000 MHz may negatively affect your player experience. However, if your motherboard supports only 2,666 MHz RAM or lower, there’s no need to buy 3,000 MHz RAM sticks since you won’t be able to utilize them properly.
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