If you're going to build or customize your PC, for gaming or work, you'll need to understand all the components and how each one impacts the performance of your hardware setup. One of those key components is RAM or random access memory. DDR4 ram is faster than any previous generation of DDR. This guide will help you find the best DDR4 ram strips for your machine.
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Our selection
"If you are looking for cheap RAM modules for high level overclocking, Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB are the only ones you should be interested in.…"
"The Crucial Ballistix BL8G32C16U4R 8GB doesn't need fancy heatsinks to get your attention. Instead, this DDR4 ram features a low-profile aluminum heatsink that focuses primarily…"
"Crucial has revamped its entire DDR4 gaming lineup and brought it under one brand name - Ballistix. The Crucial Ballistix MAX BLM2K16G40C18U4B 8GB is the…"
"The Corsair Vengeance RGB offers bright, even illumination across a wide guide bar. The overclocked DDR4 ram of the RGB Pro series will illuminate your…"
If you are looking for cheap RAM modules for high level overclocking, Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB are the only ones you should be interested in. These modules don't have RGB lighting, but the power is definitely there!
75,99 £ on AmazonTheCorsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB DDR4 RAM modules for gamer PCs each have a capacity of 2 x 8 GB. The frequency of each of them reaches 3200 MHz. The latency also lives up to expectations. It peaks at CL16 (16-18-18-36), which suggests that there will be very little risk of memory saturation or slowdown.
The presence of the 8-layer PCB heatsink and the aluminum body allow for efficient heat removal during intense gaming sessions. It's important to note that the Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB is a low-profile model. For the uninitiated, this means that they are compatible with most recent motherboards produced by Intel.
The Crucial Ballistix BL8G32C16U4R 8GB doesn't need fancy heatsinks to get your attention. Instead, this DDR4 ram features a low-profile aluminum heatsink that focuses primarily on performance.
31,67 £ on AmazonThe Ballistix BL8G32C16U4R DDR4 ram from Crucial doesn't have the most eye-catching appearance and lacks RGB lighting. For lovers of beautiful bars, you'll have to look elsewhere. On the other hand, its finish, although simplistic, is rather elegant. In particular, the red color of the heatsink and the attractive cutouts combine to form a distinctive look, which easily fits into a number of gamer configurations.
This DDR4 ram strip has a capacity of 8GB and features an 8-layer PCB. Featuring a single-row design, the memory modules use Micron's D9XPF ICs.. With XMP 2.0 support, overclocking is possible and can go very far. There are also profiles defined for optimal performance. The JEDEC profile, for example, is the default profile.
Crucial has revamped its entire DDR4 gaming lineup and brought it under one brand name - Ballistix. The Crucial Ballistix MAX BLM2K16G40C18U4B 8GB is the highest-end DDR4 ram you can find from this manufacturer.
315 £ on AmazonThe Crucial Ballistix MAX BLM2K16G40C18U4B 32GB is a ram strip without RGB lighting. But the main feature of this model is the guaranteed minimum speed. It is set at 4000 MHz and can go up to 4400 MHz. Each Ballistix MAX BLM2K16G40C18U4B is composed of 2 mini 16GB strips. It has been designed for extreme overclocking and is compatible with the latest processors produced by AMD and Intel.
A high-quality black extruded aluminum heatsink provides optimal cooling, while a sensor on the DIMM provides real-time temperature monitoring. With hundreds of awards and numerous world overclocking records to its credit, the Crucial Ballistix MAX BLM2K16G40C18U4B DDR4 ram sets the standard for performance.
The Corsair Vengeance RGB offers bright, even illumination across a wide guide bar. The overclocked DDR4 ram of the RGB Pro series will illuminate your PC with fascinating dynamic multi-zone RGB lighting without forgetting the best of DDR4.
175 £ on AmazonFirst of all, these 4 Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro strips are 51mm tall, which is 7mm taller than the standard Vengeance RGB strips. In addition, most RGB strips tend to be between 40 and 44 mm tall. So be aware of this height restriction if you're using a small case. On the other hand, this has allowed the DDR4 ram strips to accommodate a large, semi-transparent light bar.
These strips are compatible with Intel and AMD motherboards supporting DDR4 technology. The models shown here are 2 x 16GB in size, for a total of 32GB. The frequency is 3,600 MHz basic and over 3,800 MHz overclocking. In addition, the aluminum heatsinks ensure efficient cooling of the bars. These DDR4 ram have a very fast latency at CL18 (18-19-19-39) and are above the normal in terms of smoothness and responsiveness.
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| TOP OF THE LINE | CHEAP | TOP OF THE LINE | EXCELLENT | |
In accordance with our commitment, this buying guide does not contain any sponsored products. |
9/10 |
7/10 |
9/10 |
8/10 |
| OUR SELECTION |
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB
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Crucial Ballistix BL8G32C16U4R 8GB
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Crucial Ballistix MAX BLM2K16G40C18U4B 32GB
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Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32GB
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If you are looking for cheap RAM modules for high level overclocking, Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB are the only ones you should be interested in. These modules don't have RGB lighting, but the power is definitely there!
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The Crucial Ballistix BL8G32C16U4R 8GB doesn't need fancy heatsinks to get your attention. Instead, this DDR4 ram features a low-profile aluminum heatsink that focuses primarily on performance.
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Crucial has revamped its entire DDR4 gaming lineup and brought it under one brand name - Ballistix. The Crucial Ballistix MAX BLM2K16G40C18U4B 8GB is the highest-end DDR4 ram you can find from this manufacturer.
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The Corsair Vengeance RGB offers bright, even illumination across a wide guide bar. The overclocked DDR4 ram of the RGB Pro series will illuminate your PC with fascinating dynamic multi-zone RGB lighting without forgetting the best of DDR4.
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Capacity
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2 x 8 G
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8 GB
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2 x 16 GB
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2 x 16 GB
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Frequency
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3 200 MHz
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3,200 MHz
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4,000 MHz
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3,600 MHz
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Latency
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CL16 (16-18-18-36)
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CL16 (16-18-18-36)
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CL18 (18-19-19-39)
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CL18 (18-19-19-39)
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Motherboard compatibility
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Intel
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Intel and AMD
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Intel and AMD
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Intel and AMD
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RGB lighting
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No
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No
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No
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Yes
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The clock speed of your DDR4 ram is perhaps the most important and basic specification. In simpler terms, it is the speed at which data is transmitted to your processor. The clock speeds on DDR4 ram have increased dramatically compared to DDR3 ram. Also, faster processors can easily use the full clock speed, provided the motherboard can handle it.
The motherboard provides channels between your CPU and RAM to transfer data, so this is the limiting factor when it comes to the clock speed of your DDR4 ram. For this reason, it is crucial that you determine what the DDR4 ram clock speed limits should be based on the motherboard you own or wish to acquire.
Latency and timing are very technical characteristics, and it's a bit difficult to explain without going too deep and exploring the intricacies of RAM design and function. But we'll try! RAM latency and timing are written on the RAM label and can be easily identified online on the product information page. They are usually written in this form: 16-16-16-32.
These numbers don't make sense at first, but they do say a lot about the performance of DDR4 ram. These numbers are the measure of latency or delays in specific RAM operations in nanoseconds. The lower the numbers, the faster the DDR4 ram. The most important number is the first. In the case of the given example (16-16-16-32), it is 16. This is called CAS latency and is the number of clock cycles it takes for the data requested by the memory controller to become available to a data pin.
RAM capacity impacts primarily on in-game performance. This is because video games use both the graphics memory and the random access memory (ram) in your system. The amount of memory used varies by video game, but the general rule is that your graphics card will often handle the most memory-intensive task: rendering high-resolution textures. Most of the time, the rest of the load will be handled by your system's RAM.
The general rule is to use 16GB of DDR4 RAM when paired with a 6GB or 8GB graphics card. However, many games don't even require that much system RAM. Most companies now recommend 8GB of system memory, but there are a few video games that recommend 16GB of RAM, especially if you want to play in Full HD or 4K resolution.
Matching your RAM to the quality of your PC setup is also important. You don't want to put 16GB of RAM in a PC config that costs less than £300, because the extra cost of going from 8GB to 16GB will mean you have to downgrade components that will have a bigger impact like your graphics card and processor.
And, it's important to remember that RAM is by far the easiest component of your system to upgrade. Because RAM is so easy to upgrade, if you're on a tight budget, it makes sense not to go overboard on the amount of memory when choosing your system components. Let's take an example. You're looking to build an entry-level gamer PC setup and you decide to put in 16GB of RAM. The difference between 8GB of RAM and 16GB of RAM is about 70 Euros. So essentially, by choosing 8GB of DDR4 RAM instead of 16GB, you'll save 70 euros on your budget.
TheRGB LED lights are purely cosmetic. But it makes people happy, and that's why it's so popular. Setting up a PC config has become an art, and an aesthetic PC will make you want to use it more. RAM strips with RGB implementation used to be slower than those without, but since the introduction of DDR4 ram, this difference has become non-existent.
Generally, this RGB light is controllable via dedicated software and sometimes with motherboard software, depending on the motherboard you have and the RAM you have. All popular RAM manufacturers like Corsair, G.Skill, Patriot Memory or Kingston HyperX offer RAM modules with RGB LEDs. Note, however, that you will have to pay a lot more for a DDR4 RGB ram than for a ram with identical performance without any RGB lights.
Before we get into the presentation of DDR4 RAM, let's first recall what RAM is. RAM is the place where data is stored before it is processed on your computer. RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It is made up of dynamic memory chips that can be written and then rewritten, again and again. Your RAM memory can only hold data when your laptop is turned on. So what is it really doing when you're busy typing on your computer and surfing the Web?
RAM is the device that loads data for everything you do. When you open a new tab or your web browser or a document to edit, your RAM does the heavy lifting. You can think of it as your computer's working memory that loads information for whatever you're currently using; applications, browsers or games. But RAM is not just any kind of memory, it is short term based. In the computer world, memory is called "random access" because once you turn off your computer, it "forgets" everything in it.
DDR4 RAM is the latest upgrade to dynamic RAM. DDR4 RAM has a higher overall speed than DDR3 RAM. It offers increased transfer rates and less voltage, which means less overall power consumption. In short, DDR4 RAM reduces voltage by 40% and increases performance and bandwidth by 50% over DDR3.
One of the main advantages of DDR4 that makes it better than DDR3 modules is that it has a wider range of clock speeds and timing, uses less power and has an overall reduction in latency. Because DDR4 is able to handle more information at once than older generations of RAM, it contributes to long-term system stability. It is also a safer choice for overclocking tests, mainly due to its ability to handle much more information without being overworked. Overall, this new configuration reduces stress on the computer.
A single channel DDR4 ram operates on a single 64-bit data channel. This means that it can transmit 64 bits of data? This channel will work between the memory controller or chipset and the memory socket. But in modern motherboard architecture, the memory controller is integrated with the processor and is not a standalone component.
When it comes to adopting multi-channel configurations, this means multiplying the effective channel width by the total number of available channels. So if you are considering a dual channel configuration, then it will be able to send 2 x 64 bits of data. Most modern motherboard versions allow this. The advantage is that you will have twice as many data traces in the memory bus, which will double the theoretical maximum bandwidth.
Apparently, it is better to have 4 x 2GB DDR4 ram strips than 2 x 4GB DDR4 ram strips or a single 8GB DDR4 ram in your system. Also, there might not be a significant difference in terms of performance during use, even in games. The difference won't be very noticeable but it will be a more reliable RAM subsystem.
As far as technological differences go, a DDR4 ram offers higher speeds, starting at 2,133 MHz, which would be the high end for DDR3 ram. Planned speed increases could take it well beyond 3,200 MHz.
DDR4 ram is more efficient than DDR3 ram, consuming up to 40% less power and requiring only 1.2V per strip. This is a great advantage for laptops, as it offers a longer battery life.
DDR4 supports higher density chips and stacking technologies that can allow single memory arrays with capacities up to 512GB.
With improved cyclic redundancy checks, on-chip parity detection of "command and address" transfers, and improved signal integrity, DDR4 ram is the most reliable to date.
DDR4 ram arrays don't look any different at first glance, but there are some subtle differences. DDR4 RAM is not compatible with DDR3 motherboards and vice versa. The notch has been moved to prevent accidental insertion of the wrong type of memory. Instead of 240 pins, each module has 288 pins. To improve resistance and electrical contact, there is a slight curve at the base of the DDR4 ram strip.
In our opinion, the best brands of DDR4 RAM in 2022 are :
Corsair is one of the largest computer hardware manufacturers in the world. Its catalog includes PC cases, power supplies, CPU coolers, storage devices and of course DDR4 ram. Corsair DDR4 ram are of excellent quality and are covered by a lifetime warranty.
Withaffordable prices and excellent overclocking capabilities, Crucial brand DDR4 ram are all fantastic. With Crucial's Ballistix line, you're assured of a certain level of quality since the DDR4 ram are made with components directly from one of the top three SDRAM suppliers in the world.
AlthoughG.Skill offers a handful of other products like a gaming mouse, keyboards, a few headphones, storage devices, and power supplies, it is primarily known for making well-made DDR4 ram. G-Skill ram stands out for its performance and reliability.
Kingstonis one of the leading RAM manufacturers in the world in 2021. The Kingston HyperX Predator and Kingston HyperX Fury DDR3 or DDR4 range have impressive overclocking potentials.
Since2003, when Patriot Memory introduced its first line of ram, it has helped popularize the use of heatsinks, even on ram strips that don't particularly get hot in order to extend longevity and improve performance.
The diagram below will help you to get an idea of the typical prices for each price range (entry-level, mid-range and high-end).
However, more expensive does not necessarily mean better.
We therefore advise you to always consult our ranking before deciding, rather than blindly relying on price ranges.
Check the compatibility of your motherboard and processor with the DDR4 RAM you wish to purchase
This is one of the big pitfalls that users often fall prey to. They forget to check the specifications of the motherboard and CPU they have to ensure compatibility with their new DDR4 RAM.
Check the height and clearances of the RAM
RAM clearance is another thing that can cause problems when setting up your gaming setup. DDR4 ram comes in a wide range of different styles and sizes, and as a result, this means that the height of the RAM also differs considerably.
Boot your computer to free up RAM
Thefirst thing you can try to free up RAM is to reboot your computer. When you restart or shut down your computer, all of your RAM (stored data) will be cleaned up and programs will be restarted. This can potentially wipe out some processes and programs that run in the background, taking up your RAM storage.
Clear your cache
Ifyou're still running low on RAM, the next option to free up RAM is to delete your cache. Sometimes your cache can take up a lot of space, because it uses RAM for memory functions. The cache stores information that your computer uses to reload pages it has seen before rather than downloading them again. This can save you time when browsing, but if you're short on RAM, it's something you can afford to enjoy a better browsing experience.
Upgrade your software as soon as possible
It's important to run the most recent versions of your computer software and applications. Older versions of software and applications can take up more RAM space, which will slow down your computer.
DDR4 RAM can be installed in different configurations, depending on the motherboard. Strips can be installed in single, dual and quad-channel. You can find cases where motherboards can accommodate up to eight DDR4 RAM strips, making it a pretty powerful platform. Depending on the DDR4 RAM you purchased, you'll need to install the bars in the corresponding slots. The motherboard and manual will show you which slots are paired.
Ifyou hit the ceiling when performance drops and you just can't push the system any further than it's capable of going, you'll probably need to add a little more RAM.
8GB of ram has remained the bare minimum for Windows 10 use for some time now. It's more than enough for everyday productivity tasks, light gaming, and minimal multitasking. But it's not a good starting point for an experienced user. For those, 16GB of DDR4 ram is recommended. For intensive multitasking users or those running memory-intensive programs such as video editors and 3D graphic designers, 32GB DDR4 ram is desirable.
Asingle memory channel is 64 bits wide. Most modern systems support dual-channel memory architecture, which expands the memory path to 128 bits. With more cores powered by more data under heavier workloads, some high-end desktop platforms (HEDT), including Intel's Core X series (on socket LGA2066) and AMD's Ryzen Threadripper (on sTR4) go further, with a 256-bit memory path, with four different channels.
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