Buying the best RAM for your PC build may not be as exciting as, say, picking the best CPU or the best graphics card. But it's important to make sure you've installed a sufficient amount at a fast enough speed to unlock the potential of your build. It's about getting the right combination of capacity, good memory speeds, low latency, and more. In this article, we're going to take a look at some of the best RAM for gaming you can buy in 2023.

We're at a point in time when both DDR4 and DDR5 RAM are relevant, depending on which CPU and motherboard combination you're using. However, while Intel’s latest generation of processors supports both, AMD's latest-gen CPUs (Ryzen 7000) only support DDR5. In this guide, you'll find recommendations for both types.

G.Skill DDR5-7200 Trident Z5 RGB
G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5 RAM
Best overall DDR5 RAM for gaming

Top-end DDR5

G.Skill’s Trident Z5 RGB kit offers plentiful performance, a fantastic design with tasteful RGB, and two color options that will look great in any rig.

Pros
  • One of the fastest kits out there
  • Excellent RGB implementation
  • Looks great in any build
Cons
  • Relatively higher price
  • The 6400MT/s kit is difficult to set up with Ryzen

If you’re looking for a high-performance DDR5 kit that looks great and provides excellent performance, get the G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB. There are two different versions of this kit: One that’s optimized for Intel and another that’s optimized for AMD. Either way, you should get the 32GB kit that offers transfer speeds of 6400MT/s, as that will give you the best performance for most builds.

G.Skill’s Trident Z series has largely been successful because of its fantastic design and RGB implementation. The overall appearance is even more refined this time around, and the new heatspreader combined with the tasteful RGB truly makes this kit stand out.

You can get it in two finishes — matte black and metallic silver — and both color options look great. The heat spreader is quite tall at 42mm, but it shouldn’t have a problem with most CPU coolers. Still, be sure to check for clearance as your mileage may vary.

We recommend the 6400MT/s kit here as it will offer excellent performance and a low CAS Latency of CL32. The 32 Gigabytes of capacity will be enough to handle the most demanding of games, while also providing great performance in serious productivity-related tasks such as video editing.

The only thing to keep in mind is that kits that are over 6000 MT/s can be a bit iffy to get working with AMD’s Ryzen processors. If you have a Ryzen processor, save yourself the money and grab the 6000MT/s kit. It’s cheaper, and will still deliver excellent performance while looking great.

Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 RAM
Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 RAM
Best overall DDR4 RAM for gaming

Super cheap and fast enough

Corsair's Vengeance LPX DDR4 memory is affordable, reliable, has one of the lowest profile designs around, and XMP has a one-click setup. There are two different versions: one optimized for AMD and another optimized for Intel.

Pros
  • One of the cheapest kits available
  • Frequency is high and latency is pretty low
  • Especially good for Ryzen, which struggles with memory faster than 3,600MHz
Cons
  • Intel CPUs could benefit from kits with higher frequencies

When it comes to DDR4 memory, there's one kit that basically everyone should buy: Corsair's Vengeance LPX. Not only is this one of the cheapest kits of DDR4 RAM on the market at $40 to $50 for 16GB, but it also has some good specs behind it. There are also two versions: one optimized for Intel and the other for AMD.

One of the few areas where this kit of RAM might let you down is the appearance. LPX memory isn't exactly ugly, but it's certainly not a looker. Still, the design is low-profile, which makes LPX RAM compatible with pretty much any CPU cooler; sticks of memory with taller heatsinks can cause problems for some CPU coolers, and not having to worry about that is a big plus.

The specific kit of Vengeance LPX we're recommending has a clock speed of 3,200MHz and a CAS latency of 16, which overall are very respectable. For a very long time, DDR4 with those specifications would have cost $100 at minimum, and today it costs half that. Ryzen CPUs on the AM4 platform are best paired with kits that have a frequency of 3,600MHz or less, making the LPX especially good for AMD CPUs. There are kits with higher frequencies, and those could be better for Intel chips since they don't have this frequency limitation, but they're much more expensive.

Honestly, Corsair's Vengeance LPX DDR4 means there are very few other kits worth buying unless you want RGB or much higher frequencies. The price of this RAM is just that good, and until another kit comes around with an even lower price and better specs, we'll be recommending the Vengeance LPX for some time (until it goes out of stock, anyway).

The G.Skill Flare X5 Series DDR5 memory.
G.Skill Flare X5 Series
Best DDR5 for gaming on Ryzen 7000

Optimized with low latency for Ryzen 7000

G.Skill's Flare X5 Series is DDR5 memory specifically made for Ryzen CPUs and comes with an EXPO memory profile. Various models are rated anywhere from 5200MHz to 6000MHZ.

Pros
  • A good deal for the specifications
  • 6,000MHz is the sweet spot for Ryzen
  • Low-profile
Cons
  • No RGB

Ryzen 7000, much like its predecessors, has limitations when it comes to RAM. For Ryzen on the AM4 platform, going over 3,600MHz would often result in lower performance without heavy tweaking, and for Ryzen 7000 the sweet spot is 6,000MHz. Consequently, you don't really see any DDR5 optimized for AMD that's rated for higher than 6,000MHz. That leaves timings as the major spec to consider for the high-end, and G.Skill's Flare X5 Series is one of the lowest latency kits you can buy, and for just $120.

Flare X5 RAM is available in only one theme, a two-tone combo of black and very dark gray. Some branding on the heatsink prevents this RAM from looking too boring, and overall, it looks nice despite being minimalist and subtle. Additionally, Flare X5 memory is low-profile, which means better CPU cooler compatibility than taller sticks of RAM.

There are lots of different Flare X5 memory kits, but the one we like the most comes with two 16GB sticks, each rated at 6,000MHz and CL32, which is one of the lowest CAS latencies possible on DDR5 thus far. There are kits with even lower latencies and better timings (which are great for Ryzen), but they're also way more expensive. $120 for 32GB of this kind of RAM is a pretty good deal.

For the time being, it's hard to not overwhelmingly recommend Flare X5 Series DDR5 for Ryzen 7000 users who can afford it. There are just not a ton of other memory kits out there that can offer better specs at a similar price, though if you care about RGB or just don't like how the Flare X5 looks, then you might want to choose something else.

two sticks of corsair dominator platinum rgb ddr5 ram
Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5
Best RGB DDR5 RAM for gaming

Unique design paired with excellent performance

The Corsair Dominator Platinum is for people who don’t mind paying more for a unique design. While expensive, this kit pairs incredible performance with an iconic style.

Pros
  • Superb design and RGB
  • Blazing fast out of the box
  • Stable and easy overclocking
Cons
  • Pricier than the competition
  • The Capellix LEDs won?t be for everyone

The Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB kit offers cutting-edge performance, an iconic design, and excellent overclocking abilities. This kit won’t be for everyone, as it is pricier than similarly specced modules. However, the Dominator Platinum is fast, reliable, and looks great. For those who want one of the more unique designs out there, that alone is enough reason to pull the trigger.

There are multiple versions of this kit, all of which offer high frequencies and tight memory timings. However, we recommend going with the 32GB 6000MT/s kit so you don’t end up overspending. Anything beyond that is overkill for most people, and 6000MT/s seems to be sweet spot for Ryzen 7000 CPUs anyway.

Despite that, there is a lot of room for overclocking. Bump up the voltage a little bit, and you’ll find that pushing this kit beyond its advertised speed isn’t all that hard. There are different versions out there that are tuned for Intel XMP and AMD Expo, so make sure you get the right kit.

The real highlight here is the addition of 12 individually addressable Capellix RGB LEDs. These LEDs have the shape of tiny squares, making the Dominator Platinum easy to spot from a mile away.

Of course, design is subjective, so this won’t be for everyone. If you prefer the look of a single RGB strip, there are faster kits out there available at a cheaper price. However, if you’re a fan of the look, this is a DDR5 kit that will wow you for years to come.

Oloy's Blade Black Hairline DDR5 RAM.
Oloy DDR5 Black Hairline Blade
Best budget DDR5 RAM for gaming

Decently fast and cheap enough

Oloy's DDR5 Black Hairline Blade is a budget-oriented kit of DDR5 memory that comes in as small as an 8GBx2 size, which is rated at 5,600MHz and CL40.

Pros
  • 5,600MHz frequency and CL40 timing is decent
  • Low-profile
  • Very cheap
Cons
  • Significantly more expensive than DDR4

DDR5 is still very new, and although prices have come down since it debuted in 2021, it's still much more expensive than DDR4. However, if you're building a Ryzen 7000 PC, you have no choice but to use DDR5 (Intel won't go DDR5 only until around 2025). One big issue for budget DDR5 is that few companies offer good 16GB kits, and the best deals are on the 32GB kits. The best DDR5 kit I could find is Oloy's Black Hairline Blade DDR5, which goes for just $60 for 16GB of memory.

The Blade DDR5 is primarily decorated with black heatsinks bearing a brushed metal texture that only sports the Oloy branding and product name. These sticks are also low-profile, making them compatible with virtually all CPU coolers. There is an RGB version in case you find the regular version too boring, but at the time of writing, it looks out of stock. Oloy also makes white DDR5 sticks but not for the 16GB kit sadly.

With respect to performance, Blade memory is kinda slow. Its 5,600MHz frequency isn't terrible, and neither is its CAS latency of CL40, but there are faster DDR5 gaming kits out there. However, those kits are exclusively 32GB kits that start at $100, so they're not very budget friendly even though they offer better value.

In the small market of 16GB DDR5 kits, there are other options like Patriot's Viper Venom, which is usually more expensive and is rated for 5,600MHz and CL36, but isn't low-profile and doesn't offer an RGB option. If you can afford to spend $100 on RAM as opposed to $60, I would definitely get a much faster 32GB kit instead; the 16GB kits really only exist for those who need to build a Ryzen 7000 PC for the lowest price possible.

Patriot Viper Steel RAM.
Patriot Viper Steel DDR4 RAM kit
Best high-frequency DDR4 RAM for gaming

Almost the same frequency as DDR5

The Patriot Viper Steel DDR4-4400 is among the fastest DDR4 kits on the market right now but you'll miss out on the RGB bling.

Pros
  • Super high frequency
  • Great timings
  • Relatively inexpensive
Cons
  • Could require manual tweaking on Ryzen CPUs

If you're after the fastest DDR4 RAM for gaming, then we think the Patriot Viper Steel is a great option to consider. This particular kit with DDR4-4400 speeds gets super close to even the newer DDR5 RAM modules on the market right now. The highlight of this kit is its superb timings at DDR4-4400 speeds and its sub-$100 price tag for the 16GB kit.

There's not much to talk about in terms of the overall design of the Viper Steel and its gray heatsinks; they're subtle and stylish, with no blinking RGB lights. However, the heatsinks are tall, which means poorer compatibility with CPU coolers. You're probably going to want an AIO liquid cooler to pair with this RAM just to be safe.

The frequency is the draw of this kit of RAM since it hits 4,400MHz. It also has a CAS latency rated at CL19, which is pretty good since higher frequencies tend to mean a higher (worse) CL. These specs are great for Intel CPUs but possibly not so much for Ryzen chips. It's actually very difficult to get better performance out of Ryzen CPUs past the 3,600MHz mark, meaning you may have to do some manual tweaking in order to get a real benefit out of the Viper Steel's high frequency.

If you're primarily interested in performance, Patriot's Viper Steel is a good option and doesn't cost too much. It should work out of the box for Intel builds but could require some work to get working optimally in an AMD system.

The Oloy Blade DDR4 RAM.
Oloy Blade Black Hairline 3600MHz CL14
Best high-speed DDR4 RAM for Ryzen

A high frequency combined with super tight timings

Oloy's Blade Black Hairline kit of RAM supports a frequency of 3,600MHz and a CAS Latency of 14, making it one of the best DDR4 memory kits for gaming.

Pros
  • 3,600MHz is the sweet spot for Ryzen on AM4
  • CL14 is super low latency
  • Low-profile
Cons
  • Fairly expensive

When it comes to gaming on Ryzen, RAM with a blend of low latency and high frequency is best, and Oloy's Blade memory kits fit the bill perfectly. These sticks of RAM use Samsung B-Die DDR4, and although we recommend them for Ryzen CPUs, they're also perfectly compatible with Intel chips too. At around $100 for a 16GB kit, Blade memory is a little pricey but makes up for it with great specifications.

There are quite a few different Blade-branded kits, but the one we're specifically recommending is the Black Hairline model. These RAM sticks come with a black, metallic heatspreader with a brushed finish sans RGB. There are other Blade kits out there with RGB, but they also have different tech specs. The heatspreader sticks out a little bit over the PCB for a maximum height of 39mm, which is relatively short and good for cooler compatibility since many are incompatible with RAM equipped with taller heatspreaders.

When XMP is enabled, the Black Hairline Blade sticks are capable of 3,600MHz and rated at CL14. The frequency isn't particularly high these days as there are DDR4 kits out there that can hit 4,800MHz, but those come with much higher timings and consequently higher latency, though the latency is usually worth it, except when it comes to Ryzen CPUs. Without getting too technical, going above the 3,600MHz mark on AM4 Ryzen chips tends to result in worse performance, which is why Black Hairline memory is particularly great for AMD since it offers the best frequency and latency combo.

The only real downside to this particular set of Oloy Blade RAM is that they only come in 8GB sticks, which means on mainstream PCs, you can only install four sticks for a total of 32GB. That's more than enough for gaming, but if you're also doing something on the side that requires lots of RAM, you might find 32GB quite restrictive, even if the performance is good.

The G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4 RAM.
G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4
Best RGB DDR4 RAM for gaming

RGB RAM that both looks good and performs well

The G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600 is one of the most reliable memory kits on the market that offers impressive performance and good looks.

Pros
  • Good looking implementation of RGB
  • Good combination of frequency and timings
  • Sweet spot for Ryzen
Cons
  • Not low-profile
  • Slightly expensive for the specs

When it comes to RGB DDR4 memory, G.Skill's Trident Z Neo is one of the most popular options thanks to its appealing design, good performance specifications, and relatively affordable price. The specific kit we recommend here is rated for 3,600MHz and a CAS latency (or CL) of CL16. It's a good choice for both Ryzen and Intel CPUs, and it only costs around $80.

The G.Skill Trident Z Neo features a tri-fin body with a dual-tone color scheme. One half of the aluminum heat-spreader comes with a brushed finish, while the other half comes in a shiny silver color. And instead of adding RGB lighting all over the modules, G.Skill limited it to the top of each module. The light passes through a diffuser, which makes up for subtle lighting instead of flashing bright colors. Unfortunately, all this RGB does come at the cost of not being low-profile, which could cause clearance issues with some CPU coolers.

The specifications for this particular kit of Trident Z Neo RAM are a frequency of 3,600MHz and timings at CL16, which are a good combo that provides good frequency and low latency. Additionally, 3,600MHz is the highest frequency for Ryzen CPUs without causing weird performance degradation issues.

If you care about RGB RAM, G.Skill's Trident Z Neo is probably your best bet. It looks good, performs well, and isn't prohibitively expensive, unlike some other options. It's not a value champion, though, nor is it the fastest RAM around, so if you really don't want RGB, it's best to look for a different kit, like Corsair's LPX Vengeance RAM or Patriot's Steel Viper memory.

The best RAM for gaming: Final thoughts

If you’re shopping around for DDR5 memory, the G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB kit is your best. It's reasonably priced, looks fantastic, and delivers excellent performance for almost any build. Just make sure to avoid the 6400MT/s kit if you’re on a Ryzen platform.

G.Skill DDR5-7200 Trident Z5 RGB
G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5 RAM
Best overall DDR5 RAM for gaming

G.Skill's Trident Z5 RGB range of DDR5 RAM is premium system memory with the ability to overclock on specific Intel systems. Capacities are available up to 48GB and speeds top out at an eye-watering 8,000 MT/s.

For those shopping around for a DDR4 kit, the Vengeance LPX DDR4 kit remains the best value proposition for mid-range and budget builds.

Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 RAM
Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 RAM
Best overall DDR4 RAM for gaming

Corsair's Vengeance LPX DDR4 memory is affordable, reliable, has one of the lowest profile designs around, and XMP has a one-click setup. There are two different versions: one optimized for AMD and another optimized for Intel.

Finally, if you’re on the Ryzen 7000 platform and are looking for a kit that offers a stealthy look and works reliably, get the G.Skill Flare X5 series. Furthermore, If you're building a new gaming PC from scratch, then you can also check out some of our other collection articles, including the best motherboards, best M.2 SSDs, and more. Alternatively, you can also join our XDA Computing Forums to discuss your build and get more product recommendations from the experts in our community.