Finding The Best DDR4 RAM For Gaming in 2022 : 8GB, 16GB & 32GB
The Best RAM On The Market Whatever Your Needs
We took some time to round up and find the best DDR4 RAM sticks we could, steadily escalating in price, capacity, frequency, and performance while doing so. Our end result presented us with five high-quality RAM sticks that you can pop into your new PC build or use to upgrade an old one. Furthermore, with the imminent release of DDR5 memory just around the corner, it’s also worth taking a look at how the current DDR4 matches up against it.
Before continuing, remember there are no bad choices here. We already filtered those out for you.
Instead, go with the RAM that suits your computing needs and falls within your budget. After we go over the individual products, we’ll tackle some popular RAM-related questions to help you decide which of these DDR4 RAM kits is right for you.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at our best RAM kits for gaming.
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Our Top Picks
The Best DDR4 RAM For Gaming In 2022
In-depth Review
Corsair Vengeance LPX
Corsair Vengeance LPX
Corsair design their Vengeance LPX range with 2 goals in mind, solid performance and overclocking potential. They achieve this by equipping their LPX RAM with a heat spreader which is comprised of pure aluminum providing faster more efficient heat dissipation. Furthermore, the either-layer PCB helps manage temperatures and allows for excellent overclocking headroom.
The Vengeance range is also extremely versatile, it’s been tested against all X99 motherboards for compatibility, not to mention the low profile heat spreader which makes their RAM much smaller than others in the list. It comes in a variety of different speeds and sizes ranging from 4GB of 2400MHz right up to 16GB of 4000MHz meaning you can find a RAM speed that is suitable for your needs. It also comes in a variety of colors to suit your exact RGB setup.
Touching on RGB briefly, the Vengeance series does have an RGB edition within its ranks. As you would expect with RGB, the price doesn’t really reflect the improvements, however, if RGB is what you’re into fear not, Corsair have you covered.
Right now Corsair’s Vengeance LPX is one of the best-selling RAM standards on the market and you can see why they have truly catered for everyone’s needs.
TEAMGROUP T-Force Xtreem ARGB
TEAMGROUP T-Force Xtreem ARGB
With a CAS latency of 14 and speeds of 3600Mhz, the TEAMGROUP T-Force Xtreem RAM kit is currently one of the best around. Not only does this offer some of the tightest timings at this speed but it does so with incredible aesthetics and value.
For gaming, there are fewer RAM kits that will enhance your experience as much as this one but because it comes with extra cost, it just misses out on our top spot. This kit features overclocking support from all your main motherboard manufacturers (Asus, ASRock, Gigabyte, MSI) and ships with a lifetime warranty. The RAM kit features ARGB, with full mirror light penetration, making any build sparkle.
This 2×8 16GB kit is ideal for any gaming PC but you can only take advantage of the tight timings on this model and the 3200Mhz kit, with the 4000Mhz option featuring a CAS latency of 18. The high performance is backed by an aluminum alloy heat sink, taking care of heat dissipation in an efficient manner.
For those that want the best performance with the added benefit of looking good too, there are fewer RAM kits out there that would be better for gaming, however, this extra performance comes with additional costs.
G.Skill Trident Z Royal
G.Skill Trident Z Royal
Here we have one of the most premium RAM kit-series on the market, G.Skill’s TridentZ Royal, that is literally bling-bling from end to end. While there are faster RAM kits out there, the CAS latency is also higher so we opted for this, with a balance of 4800MHz and CL18 timings, giving you all-round performance.
G.Skill’s pushed the boat out with the design and for many, it can be hit and miss. That being said, if you are looking to add extra flare alongside blistering speed, the TridentZ Royal kit is a great place to start.
This may not be the best kit for gaming but it is a solid option in its own right, just make sure your bank balance can handle it.
G.Skill TridentZ RGB
G.Skill TridentZ RGB
The G.Skill TridentZ RAM kit needs no introduction, it has fast become one of the most popular premium kits out there and for good reason to. This RGB series not only offers some of the best aesthetics in the RAM category but also features incredibly tight timings at a fairly fast speed. With a CAS latency of 14 and a speed of 3200MHz, this kit is going to easily boost your gaming performance but it is worth noting that it narrowly misses out on the TEAMGROUP kit.
G.Skill specifies this is specifically engineered for Intel-based systems but we can assure you it would work well in any gaming PC. What they are referring to is the 3200MHz speed, which is considered the sweet spot for Intel CPUs. This kit comes with a unique-looking heatsink that does a fantastic job of dealing with heat and combines with the vibrant RGB lighting to give you one of the most aesthetically pleasing RAM kits currently on the market.
The kit we recommend here is a 2×8 16GB model, giving you more than enough memory for gaming, without ever being bottlenecked. We consider 3200MHz to be a very good speed but we will always recommend you go for a 3600MHz option instead.
The aesthetics, performance, and build quality of G.Skill’s TridentZ series is unrivaled by most, this is truly an exceptional RAM kit.
Patriot Viper 4 Series
Patriot Viper 4 Series
Patriot’s Viper 4 Series falls under the lower end of the price spectrum in our list of best RAM for gaming. However, this doesn’t take anything away from the performance power they provide with Patriot saying the Viper 4 has been engineered and designed for intense gaming and the most demanding computer environments. All sounds good to us. In benchmarks, the Viper was slightly slower than the standout brands but we’re willing to let that slide considering the price is vastly cheaper.
The viper comes in a couple of different colors and does have an RGB iteration, be careful though as this adds a decent amount to your shopping bill total.
Ultimately the Viper caters to consumers looking to get affordable RAM which still operates at a fairly decent level. Just be aware that build quality and longevity have been comprised to accommodate the difference in price
Final Word
So there you have it. Although the big lesson when it comes to RAM is to just buy what you need and what fits your budget, for a seriously good RAM kit that will never let you down or empty your wallet we’d recommend Corsair’s Vengeance LPX RAM.
That being said, each of the recommendations we’ve dropped in this article could all be considered the best DDR4 RAM for gaming if they fit your needs.
Check out the recommended articles alongside this page for more pieces discussing RAM and other components, and leave a comment below if there’s anything specific, RAM-related or otherwise, that you’d like us to cover.