Random-access memory (RAM) is more than just a number on a spec sheet. Memory is one of the most important pieces of hardware that goes into a build and the type of memory kit has a huge impact on your system’s overall performance in gaming, productivity tasks, and more. A lot of different manufacturers regularly release new memory kits with different speeds, timings, and capacities, making the overall process of going through seemingly endless models of RAM sticks a time-consuming task. But since it can’t be overlooked, we’re here to help you find the best memory kit for your system. We’ll only be looking at the best DDR4 RAM kits in this article since it’s quite an elaborate list.
Navigate this article:
- Best overall DDR4 RAM: Team Xtreem ARGB DDR4-3600MHz c14
- Best high-end DDR4 RAM: Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR4-3200MHz
- Best high-frequency DDR4 RAM: G.Skill Trident Z Royal 16GB DDR4-4000MHz
- Best 32GB RGB DDR4 RAM kit: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4-3200
- Best DDR4 RAM for manual tuning: G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600
- Best DDR4 RAM for mid-tier PCs: G.Skill Ripjaws V
- Best 64GB RAM kit (Two-DIMM): Patriot Viper Steel DDR4-3600
- Best entry-level DDR4 RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX
As always, we’ll now be taking a look at a few important things to consider before buying new DDR4 RAM:
- 16GB RAM is plenty for most users: Yes, 16GB is still the current sweet spot for almost all gaming and productivity tasks. Heavy multitaskers and those leaning towards creative workflows may need more memory though.
- You don’t need the fastest RAM kit: We recommend spending on DDR4 memory with 3200MHz to 3600MHz frequencies for both Intel and AMD builds. The kits faster than these tend to jump up in price with less impact on the performance.
- Tight memory timings > Speeds: The Column Access Strobe (CAS) latency, or CL, timings will look something like this: 15-17-17-35. It indicates the number of clock cycles it takes your RAM to respond to a command. Without getting into too many details, we’d like to point out the tighter timings are better than faster speeds for gaming and even multi-tasking scenarios like streaming, rendering, etc.
- Faster RAM, and more of it, can greatly benefit a system running an APU, as they utilize your computer’s system RAM.
- Heat spreaders and RGB lights: The sticks don’t require metal heat spreaders as long as you’re not pushing the memory to its extreme limits with manual overclocking. And RGB lights won’t change your memory performance either. So if your case doesn’t have a window or if you don’t care about how your system looks, you can simply opt for sticks with exposed PCBs.
With those few important things out of the way, let’s take a detailed look at each item in our collection:
Best overall DDR4 RAM: Team Xtreem ARGB DDR4-3600MHz
| Specification | Team Xtreem ARGB DDR4-3600MHz RAM |
|---|---|
| Speed: | 3600MHz |
| Timing: | 14-15-15-35 |
| CAS Latency: | 14 |
| Voltage: | 1.45v |
| DIMMs: | 2 x 8GB, 2 x 16GB, 2 x 32GB |
The Team Xtreem ARGB RAM kit is our pick for the best overall DDR4 RAM you can buy for your PC. It’s one of the few 3600MHz RAM kits that come with a CAS latency of just 14. A lot of other kits in this collection have a CAS latency of 15 and higher, which means their memory timings are higher. The Xtreem ARGB RAM kit has a default voltage of 1.45v and primary timings of 14-15-15-35. The default voltage is a little bit on the higher side but, as you can see, we’re looking at a low latency CAS 14 kit here. It’s also covered with a lifetime warranty in case anything seems off the charts, so there are no red flags here with this one.
As the name suggests, the Xtreem ARGB memory is an addressable RGB kit. The outer shell on each DIMM diffuses the lighting across most of the module, resulting in subtle lighting. We say ‘subtle’ because the RGB lights are properly diffused on this kit. Given how the entire module lights up, it would’ve looked super flashy without a proper diffuser. You don’t have to deal with separate customization software either, as the module lights can be customized with various motherboard manufacturers’ software suites. Rest assured the sticks will look great even without any RGB lights. The dark blue variant, in particular, looks stunning just by itself.
The DDR4-3600MHz speeds make it perfect for both Intel and AMD-based builds. As you probably already know, moving beyond this speed incurs a latency penalty that requires very high speeds to overcome. We’re talking over 4000MHz, at which point you’re looking at some premium kits. 3600MHz sits right in the sweet spot of memory speeds, and the Xtreem ARGB kit is one of the best ones you can buy.
You can also overclock the Xtreem ARGB kit safely as long as your board allows for high memory speeds. You can pair it with a lot of motherboards on the market right now and push it to, say, 4400MHz easily. Your overclock mileage may vary, of course. This is also a great plug-and-play kit if you don’t want to deal with any kind of tinkering though. It’s good to go right out of the box.
Overall, we think the Team Xtreem ARGB kit with its DDR4-3600 speed and 14-15-15 timings is as good as it gets. It offers a good mix of speed and low latency without eating into your budget all that much. It trades blows with a lot of other top-tier memory kits on the market that cost way too much money. It may not be the best for overclocking, but it’s definitely an option if you don’t want to run it at its rated speed.
The Xtreem ARGB ticks all the right boxes with its appealing design, addressable RGB lights, reliable speeds, low latency, and an affordable price tag. It leaves very little room to complain about, so we think it deserves the top spot in our collection of the best DDR4 RAM kits. You can buy the white variant of this particular DIMM if you fancy an all-white PC build to preserve the aesthetics.
- The Team Xtreem ARGB ticks all the right boxes to become our pick for the best DDR4 RAM you can buy right now. It offers reliable speeds and low latency to deliver solid performance.
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Best high-end DDR4 RAM: Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR4-3200MHz
| Specification | Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR4-3200MHz RAM |
|---|---|
| Speed: | 3200Mhz |
| Timing: | 16-18-18-36 |
| CAS Latency: | 16 |
| Voltage: | 1.35 |
| DIMMs: | 2x8GB, 4x8GB, 4x16GB, 2x16GB, 8x16GB, 2x32GB, 4x32GB, 8x32GB |
Corsair’s Dominator Platinum RGB DDR4 has been one of the best RAM kits in the market for quite some time now. This is the go-to RAM module pick for most users who’re looking to build a new high-end PC. It was one of the first high-performance DDR4 kits to hit the market and Corsair has done a pretty good job of optimizing it. It’s a successor to the regular Dominator Platinum kit that was popularly known for its sleek design, patented DHX cooling technology, and unrivaled performance. The Platinum RGB is essentially the same kit with just the addition of RGB lights. Corsair is using its Capellix LEDs for these modules, which is the same you’ll also find inside the company’s AIO CPU liquid coolers too.
The Dominator Platinum RGB ditches the silver top bar from the previous kit in favor of a lightbar to diffuse the light from 12 individually-addressable RGB LEDs. The DIMMs themselves have a stealthy look that blends nicely into most PCs. The ARGB lights don’t consume too much power, which is good since less power also means less thermal output. Just like every other Corsair component, you can control the lights on the Dominator Platinum RGB DDR4 kit from the company’s iCUE software.
The Dominator Platinum RGB DDR4 kit is available in a bunch of different configurations. Each SKU carries different speeds and CAS. The 3600MHz unit, for instance as a CAS latency of 18 whereas the 3200MHz unit is a C16 kit. Performance is on par or sometimes even better than a lot of other premium memory kits on the market. These are fantastic kits for simple plug-and-play using the stock XMP settings at 3600MHz. You’ll also be able to easily achieve up to 4,000MHz speed with manual overclocking too.
What’s impressive about this DIMM is that it handles thermal output very well. Even at extreme temperatures, the Dominator Platinum RGB stays under acceptable limits. Throw it into a nice PC case with a good amount of airflow, and the kit will work without any issues, even under load. Corsair also sells a variant of this RAM with up to 4000MHz speed and 19 CAS latency. You don’t necessarily need all the speed, as we mentioned earlier, but it’s definitely an option. You can also buy a white version of this kit which is great for builds with white aesthetics.
The Dominator Platinum RGB isn’t necessarily a new memory kit on the market, but it’s still one of the best DDR4 kits around. With a starting price of $210 for a 16GB (2 x 8GB) kit, it’s not a bad deal either. This is perfect for those who are looking to stick with DDR4 memory for their Alder Lake builds instead of jumping up to the more expensive DDR5 memory kits. These kits are going to be around for a while and we highly recommend getting them for your next high-end build. Alternatively, you can also check out Corsair’s Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 memory kits. They’re readily available on the market and they’ll save you some money for the rest of the components.
- Corsair's Dominator Platinum RGB is one of the best high-performance DDR4 memory kits you can buy on the market. It offers great speeds coupled with low latency and looks fantastic thanks to the ARGB lights.
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Best high-frequency DDR4 RAM: G.Skill Trident Z Royal DDR4-4000MHz
| Specification | G.Skill Trident Z Royal 16GB DDR4-4000MHz RAM |
|---|---|
| Speed: | 4000MHz |
| Timing: | 15-16-16-36 |
| CAS Latency: | 15 |
| Voltage: | 1.50v |
| DIMMs: | 2x8GB, 4x8GB, 8x8GB |
The G.Skill Trident Z Royal was an easy pick for us in this category because it’s simply one of the best DDR4 memory on the market and it looks absolutely gorgeous. G.Skill is second to none when it comes to memory kits, and the Trident Z Royal has to be one of their best products, if not the best. At DDR4 4000MHz with 15-16-16 timings, it offers a sweet combination of high frequency, low timings, and broad platform compatibility. We’re looking at a CAS latency of 15, which is just about what you’d get some a DDR4-4000 kit. It requires 1.5V to operate though, which is quite high for a default voltage. The higher operating voltage makes it harder to further tune the memory as it quickly starts to become unstable.
We hope you’re not planning to hide this kit inside a closed PC case with no window, though. These RAM modules deserve some attention. It comes in either gold or silver color, both with a stunning mirror finish and sparkling crystalline light bars on the top. The top bar also has RGB lights and they can get really bright. This may not be the best if you don’t like flashy RGB lights though. These modules may also look very weird inside a minimal PC case with basic components. It’s certainly a look that you need to get used to if you’re coming from non-RGB memory kits. We think it’s best paired with a sophisticated motherboard like the MSI Godlike Z590.
The silver one, in particular, will blend nicely with a lot of builds, but the gold variant isn’t too far behind. The mirror finish is definitely a fingerprint magnet though, but is that really an issue for a RAM module? You can control the lights using G.Skill’s own RGB app called Lighting Control Software. There are eight LED lights on each module and they can be controlled via the software to create quite the light show inside your case. You can also control the brightness which is great since the default settings can be overwhelming, especially with the sparkling crystals and mirror finish.
The performance is on par with most other high-frequency RAM modules on the market. It comes with Samsung B-Die IC which is known for its ability to scale really well with voltage. You can really push this memory to its limits with a good CPU memory controller and a capable motherboard. We recommend pairing it with a build involving high-end motherboards such as Asus Maximus XII Apex. Overclocking is also an option and this module is proven to hit DDR4-4400 at the stock 1.5v by changing the CAS latency from 15 to 16.
We highly recommend considering this kit if you’re planning to a new build around Intel’s new Alder Lake CPU. Pair it with, say, a 12900K, an RTX 3080, or 3090 and you’re looking at an exceptional build. It’s suited for both easy plug-and-play usage or for somebody who likes tinkering with speeds. It’s, without a doubt, one of the best-looking RAM modules out there on the market.
- The G.Skill Trident Z Royal is, without a doubt, one of the best-looking RAM modules on the market. It's also got the performance to back it up with high frequencies and low latencies.
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Best 32GB RGB DDR4 RAM kit: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4-3200
| Specification | Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4-3200MHz RAM |
|---|---|
| Speed: | 3200Mhz |
| Timing: | 16-20-20-38 |
| CAS Latency: | 16 |
| Voltage: | 1.35v |
| DIMMs: | 2x16GB |
We’ve already added Corsair’s Dominator Platinum to our collection as our pick for the best high-end RAM module. Now, we’re also adding the Vengeance Pro RGB module to the collection as our pick for the best 32GB DDR4 memory kit you can buy right now. The Corsair Vengeance Pro RGB kit brings what we think is one of the best-looking modules to the table, providing four 8GB DIMMs (32GB total) at CAS 16 timings for a reasonable price. You can always pick up other non-RGB kits, but the Vengeance Pro RGB modules will definitely grow on you over time.
Unlike some other kits, the Vengeance Pro RGB kit has just the right amount of lights that can be controlled using Corsair’s iCUE app. A lot of people think the ‘Team Xtreem ARGB DDR4-3600MHz’ kit, for instance, has too many lights since the entire stick glows when you turn on the PC. Alternatively, these LEDs are also addressable from the motherboard’s RGB software. It’s not just the looks here, mind you. The Corsair Vengeance Pro RGB blows a bunch of other DDR4 kits out of the water with its low latency and high frequency. In fact, the Vengeance Pro RGB is also popular for its overclocking capabilities, just like its non-RGB DDR4 counterpart.
In terms of specification, the Corsair Vengeance Pro RGB is available in a bunch of different capacities. This 32GB kit, in particular, comes with 4 x 8GB modules if you have space for a quad-channel setup. If not, the 2 x 16GB kit for a dual-channel setup is also an option. We’re looking at a tested latency of CAS 16 with 16-18-18-36 timings. The Vengeance Pro RGB modules are rated to operate at 1.35v, which is lower than the Trident Royal Z we saw earlier. A lower voltage rating means it leaves some headroom for tuning, potentially increasing the overall speed of the kit.
The Corsair Vengeance Pro RGB beats a lot of other high-performance DDR4 modules at most speeds and provides a better-performing XMP value than other kits in this price range. Overclocking is also an option, and is highly popular among enthusiasts, more so than the Dominator Platinum kit. It lacks advanced cooling solutions, but you do get an aluminum heat spreader to improve the thermal conductivity for better performance when overclocked.
What we like the most about the Vengeance Pro RGB kit is that’s more affordable than most DDR4 kits on the market. The 32GB (2x16GB) kit, for instance, is available for just $148, which is fantastic for the kind of performance and features it brings to the table. Of course, there are more affordable DIMMs on the market, but they’re nowhere close to Vengenace Pro RGB’s performance. Not to mention, you also get a lifetime warranty for this kit. You can also go with the 16GB kit if you’re leaning towards a budget build. Corsair has been teasing the DDR5 Vengeance kits, and we can’t wait to see the kind of performance it brings to the table, especially in comparison to the more expensive Dominator series.
- The Corsair Vengeance Pro RGB is one of the best DDR4 memory on the market that offers a fantastic set of features at a resonable price. The 32GB kit comes in either 2x16GB or 4x8GB module options.
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Best DDR4 RAM for manual tuning: G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600
| Specification | G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600MHz RAM |
|---|---|
| Speed: | 3600 |
| Timing: | 16-16-16-36 |
| CAS Latency: | 16 |
| Voltage: | 1.35v |
| DIMMs: | 2x8GB, 2x16GB, 4x16GB |
The Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600 memory kit may not look as sophisticated as the Trident Z Royal we saw earlier, but it offers pretty much everything you need from a high-end DDR4 RAM kit. It sports a tri-fin body with a two-tone design. Half of the aluminum heat spreader has a brushed metal finish while the other has a subtle white look. The modules are 44mm tall and they also have a LED diffuser on the top to show off the RGB. You can either use G.Skill’s Light Control software you can use your motherboard’s software to control the lights on the modules.
The Trident Z Neo posts with a DDR4-2133 and 15-15-15-36 by default but you can use the XMP profile to boost them up to the advertised DDR4-3600 frequency. The profile also gets the timings and DRAM voltage to 16-16-16-36 and 1.35V, respectively. This means it has a CAS latency of 16, which is still pretty commendable in the DDR4 memory space. In terms of performance, the Trident Z modules topple the competition in the overall ranking. It even beats the rival memory kits in gaming, making it a fantastic option for gamers. At 3600MHz, we think it’s suitable for both Intel as well AMD builds. DDR4-3600 is the sweet spot for memory, which is also why most of the DIMMs in our collection are around that speed. Anything more than will make the kit unstable, forcing you to step up to 4000Mhz and higher.
The best thing about the Trident Z Neo memory kit is that it offers a ton of headroom for manual tuning. Of course, it’s good for users who’re looking for a hassle-free plug-and-play experience, but you can fine-tune this memory kit to get the most out of it. The Trident Z Neo is proven to hit DDR4-4200 without any issues. You can easily achieve this by increasing the DRAM voltage from the base value and relaxing the timings a little bit. The XMP timings of 16-16-16-36 can be tightened down to 13-14-14-35 with proper tuning, although you’ll need a good motherboard to allow customization. The Z590 platform, for instance, is a good example of motherboards that can handle tuning.
The Trident Z Neo is one of those memory kits that looks rather underwhelming on the spec sheet. But it’s known to perform better than most other high-end RAM kits on the market when it’s put in the right hands. Of course, the overclocking performance may vary based on different hardware but you can’t write it off based on that. With the right expertise and a little bit of patience, the Trident Z Neo can prove to be one of the best DDR4 kits, trading blows with more expensive options on the market like the Corsair Dominator Platinum or G.Skill’s own Trident Z Royal. The Trident Z Neo comes in various speeds and configurations, with the 2600MHz variant being the most affordable option. All of them have the same design, same heat spreader, and the same set of five addressable RGB lights.
- The G.Skill Trident Z Neo is a perfect RAM kit for those who don't mind getting their hands dirty with some tinkering as opposed to a simple plug-and-play experience.
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Best DDR4 RAM for mid-tier PCs: G.Skill Ripjaws V
| Specification | G.Skill Ripjaws V 3200Mhz 16GB RAM |
|---|---|
| Speed: | Up to 3200Mhz |
| Timing: | 16-16-16-36 |
| CAS Latency: | 16 |
| Voltage: | 1.35v |
| DIMMs: | 2 x 8GB |
Almost all the other RAM kits on our collection have one thing in common – RGB lights. Not all of them, because, well, we know not everybody likes to host a light show inside their PC case. But we do have quite a few options. In some cases, a lot of them. A lot of people love RGB lights, which is why all manufacturers have at least one piece of hardware equipped with RGB. RAM modules are no exception in that regard. The kits like ‘Team Xtreem ARGB DDR4-3600MHz’ have are fully decked-out lights. If you are one of those who don’t like these flashy lights, we’ve got a solid option for you — the G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4 memory kit.
Turns out, leaving off RGB really can lead to a significant cost saving. That’s exactly why the G.Skill Ripjaws V are quite affordable, making it a perfect kit for economical shoppers eyeing a budget to mid-tier build.
The G.Skill Ripjaws V is the successor to the largely popular Ripjaws 4 that came out earlier. The Ripjaws V is available in a bunch of different speeds and configurations but all of them have CAS 16, which is great. These kits are best paired with low to mid-tier CPUs like the Core i3 or a Ryzen 5 3600. You need to make sure your CPU and motherboard can support the DDR4-3200 XMP before picking up one of these because they don’t have any configuration settings for speeds other than the stock ones.
Unlike the memory modules in this collection, the G.Skill Ripjaws V doesn’t look fancy. You still get an aluminum heat spreader though and it’s available in two colors options — Red and black. You also get a lifetime warranty for these, so no compromises there. The Ripjaws V is also solid when it comes to raw performance. It’s not tweakable but it still manages to outperform the rival memory kits with the XMP settings. It can handle almost all the basic workloads with ease. However, APU users might want to look at other options.
G.Skill listened to a lot of feedback and criticism to make the Ripjaws V better than the predecessor. It’s faster, more affordable, and we think it also looks pretty good compared to other non-RGB memory kits on the market. You can tweak the settings a little bit to overclock the kit, but it’s not going to do much before getting hit with stability issues. We think the Predator RGB kit is a better option for overclockers in this budget, but it’s slightly expensive.
It comes down to whether or not you’re willing to pay the premium for slightly better speeds, a fancier heat spreader, and RGB lights. We think the G.Skill Ripjaws V is a better pick and it’s perfect for those who’re looking to get the most value out of their budget. This memory kit is quick to fly off the shelves though, so you might want to check its availability using the link below.
- The G.Skill Ripjaws V is a great memory kit for budget shoppers who're not running after the highest frequencies or fancy heat spreader designs with flashy RGB lights. These modules are great for low to mid-tier builds.
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Best 64GB RAM kit (Two-DIMM): Patriot Viper Steel DDR4-3600
| Specification | Patriot Viper Steel DDR4-3600MHz RAM |
|---|---|
| Speed: | 3600MHz |
| Timing: | 18-20-20-40 |
| CAS Latency: | 18 |
| Voltage: | 1.35v |
| DIMMs: | 2 x 32GB |
Just like many other manufacturers, Patriot also has an impressive and elaborate portfolio of memory kits. You may not have heard about Patriot RAM kits if you don’t keep up with computing news though this since these modules tend to get overshadowed by other mainstream kits from the likes of Corsair, G.Skill, and more. For this particular collection, we’ve picked up a memory kit from the Patriot’s Viper Steel series. We think it’s one of their best lineups to date and has a lot of reliable memory kits. As such, the Patriot Viper Steel DDR4-3600 is our pick for the best 64GB RAM kit you can buy right now.
The Viper Steel series memory, in case you don’t know, starts at DDR4-3000 and tops out at DDR4-4400. DDR4-4400 is considered to be the holy grail of memory speeds in the DDR4 realm, so Patriot has got you covered with that too. We’ve picked the DDR4-3600 since we think it hits the sweet spot for most builds without having to deal with any latency that’s tied to faster kits. The Viper Steel modules, as you can see, sports an aggressive look featuring the brand’s Viper logo in the center. The module has an aluminum heat spreader which comes in gunmetal grey color and some black colored accents. It feels rather bland in front of other RGB-enabled fancy modules, but we think these modules will nicely blend in with the majority of PC builds.
The stick itself has a height of 45mm and the heat spreader hides a black-colored PCB underneath it. This particular kit includes two dual-rank memory modules with 32GB capacity each. They have an eight-player PCB with Hynix integrated circuits (ICs). The Viper Steel runs at DDR4-2666 with timings set to 19-19-19-43 at first boot. However, you can its XMP profile to hit the advertised DDR4-3600 speeds and 18-20-20-40 timings at 1.35v. It runs at a lower voltage than some other modules in the collection like the Trident Z Royal operating at 1.50v.
In terms of performance, the Viper Steel memory kits outperform most other RAM modules in the market. It’s one of the top-performing kits for gaming, making it a no-brainer for high-end gaming builds. We think it’s considering even for the newer Alder Lake CPU-based builds if you’re leaning towards DDR4 as opposed to DDR5. The Viper Steel isn’t a good option for overclockers though. You’ll only be able to hit DDR4-3800 at 1.45v with 21-21-21-41 timings before it starts to become unstable.
Where the Viper Steel series really shines is the capacity department. It’s a fantastic option for, say, content creators who don’t have the luxury of many DDR4 memory slots. The performance, even at stock XMP settings, isn’t an issue since it’s plenty to handle even the most demanding tasks. We think it’s also a great option for those running an APU. The only caveat with the Viper Steel series is that it’s offered as a single module or in a dual-channel package. The dual-channel limitation leaves the quad-channel users in the dust unless you want to combine kits, of course.
- The Patriot Viper Steel is great for adding a lot of memory to the system without the need for too many DDR4 memory slots. It's offered as a single or in a dual-channel package only, though.
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Best entry-level DDR4 RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX
| Specification | Corsair Vengeance LPX RAM |
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| Speed: | 2133MHz |
| Timing: | 16-19-19-36 |
| CAS Latency: | 16 |
| Voltage: | 1.35v |
| DIMMs: | 2 x 8GB |
We’ve already added the Vengeance Pro RGB kits to our collection, but the relatively older and slightly less powerful Vengeance LPX memory also deserves a spot. We’re adding the Vengence LPX DDR4 RAM as our pick for the best entry-level DDR4 memory to this collection. The Vengeance LPX DDR4 memory is still one of the best RAM kits for entry-level low-end builds. Not everybody is walking around with an Alder Lake CPU and an RTX 3090 GPU, after all. We think this is ideal for those who are starting out with a basic low to mid-tier PC build.
The Corsair Vengeance 16GB DDR4-2666 kit still outperforms many of its competitions by doubling the number of ranks per DIMM. Entry-level users who’re still using a relatively older chipset like the H370, for instance, can get a performance bump by upgrading to the Vengeance LPX memory. Unless you want to build around memories with tight latencies to improve performance, which might be expensive, you can build with two ranks of memory per channel.
Understandably, the timings of the Vengeance LPX memory kit are quite slow at 16-18-18-35. This means it has a CAS latency of 16, amongst the lowest, you’ll see in the DDR4 RAM category. Notably, you’ll also need a board that supports XMP to enable the kit’s DDR4-2666 profile. DDR4-2666 is for relatively powerful CPUs only though, so if you should be just fine pairing this module with a Core i5 or equivalent chip.
The Vengeance LPX memory truly shines with the voltage is bumped up to 1.35V. The Vengeance LPX is proven to shave off full three cycles of CAS and four cycles off tRP and tRCD. It then starts to outperform the rival modules in its price range. In fact, it even manages to lock horns with relatively newer and more powerful DIMMs like the G.Skill Ripjaws V and the HyperX Predator RGB, and more. The Ripjaws and the Predator RGB DIMMs are more expensive kits, so it’s impressive how this Vengeance LPX memory is able to keep up big dogs on the market. The dual-rank configuration also truly holds up especially against the kits with the same CAS value.
This also means that the Vengeance LPX is a worthy alternative to some other non-RGB kits. It belongs to what we’d call a “low-profile” kit due to the lack of any striking design elements or a tall heat spreader blocking the way of gigantic CPU coolers on the market. These LPX DDR4 modules can happily go inside a PC case with no windows. In fact, it’ll work fine without a heat spreader too, since it isn’t necessarily a high-performance memory kit.
The Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 is available for as low as $75, making it one of the best RAM kits for entry-level users looking to dive into the world of PC build with a relatively low-end machine. Advanced users are still recommended to check other Corsair kits in the collection like the Dominator Platinum or the Vengeance Pro RGB, and more. You can check out the Vengeance LPX availability by following the link given below.
- The Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 memory is a great option for entry-level builds involving a relatively older CPU. It can also be used with older platforms that don't allow memory settings above DDR4-2666.
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Final Thoughts
Well, that concludes our list of the best DDR4 RAM kits on the market. The Team Xtreem ARGB DDR4-3600MHz is our pick for the best DDR4 kit you can buy right now. It topples the competition with high speeds and tight memory timings. It’s also one of the best-looking modules out there with a ton of RGB lights to create a light show inside the case. Corsair Dominator Platinum is also a worthy alternative if you’re looking to build a high-end gaming rig. We’ve also added some high-frequency kits like the G.Skill Trident Z Royal, which we think is the best-looking high-end memory module on the market right now. We’ve also included some budget options like the Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 modules for those looking to get started with an entry-level build.
RAM kits, just like many other core components of a PC, are evolving at a rapid pace, and we already have DDR5 modules in the market now. You might want to check out our collection of the best DDR5 RAM if you’re an early adopter. The DDR5 kits are relatively more expensive but they also offer faster speeds and better overall performance for the next-gen builds. It’s been an exciting time in the world of computing with back-to-back major announcements including Windows 11, Intel’s Alder Lake CPUs and more. There’s never been a better time to build a PC, so be sure to check out our collection of the best monitors, or even the best webcams, if you’re looking to set up a fully kitted workstation for the Holiday season.
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