We all know that fast RAM will help to boost the performance of any gaming PC. The longer your CPU has to wait for data, the more it will affect the overall frame rate, especially the minimum rates.
However, once you're above a certain speed, higher clocks produce diminishing returns and you're actually better off looking for RAM with lower latencies—the number of cycles it takes to carry out an instruction. The lower these timings are, the snappier your PC will be.
Fortunately, you don't have to spend a lot of money to get some seriously speedy RAM and I've found two DDR5-RAM picks I know will suit any AMD Ryzen 7000/9000-series or Intel Core 12th Gen or newer processor.
Quick links
- DDR5-6000 CL28: Klevv CRAS V | $104 @ Amazon
- DDR5-6000 CL30: TeamGroup T-Create Expert | $87 @ Amazon
Klevv CRAS V DDR5-6000 CL28
Klevv might not be a RAM name you've come across, but the company makes some really good memory sticks, working closely with SK Hynix to use the best DRAM chips. Best of all, it typically doesn't slap a massive price tag onto its RAM kits.
This 32 GB DDR5-6000 set is a prime example. At first glance, it might seem to be more expensive than others you can buy—including the TeamGroup set below—but it has three features that make it worth the price.
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The most important of which is its CAS latency of 28 cycles (aka CL28). That's super low, and having used several CL28 kits over the past 18 months, I can assure you that it makes a noticeable difference to your gaming PC's snappiness and minimum performance in games.
You can spend a small fortune on ultra-fast DDR5-8000 kits, for example, but none of them will feel as perky as a decent CL28 set. DDR5-6000 is the sweet spot for all AM5 Ryzen processors, and it's plenty fast enough for Intel chips, too.
As to the other features that make this Klevv worth buying, it's got RGB lighting that's genuinely classy-looking, and the DRAM modules are kept cool by thick, low-profile heatsinks. So not only will it improve the performance of your gaming PC, it will make it look better and run a bit cooler, as well.
TeamGroup DDR5-6000 CL28
Coming in at only two cycles slower on the CAS (column address strobe) timing, this TeamGroup T-Create Expert kit is a great alternative to Klevv's speedy set. You're not getting RGB lighting or heavy-duty heatsinks, but what you are getting is lots of performance for not a lot of money.
It honestly wasn't long ago that DDR5-6000 CL30 was an expensive choice for PC gamers, so the fact that this costs just $87 is quite remarkable. And TeamGroup should be congratulated for not giving its white version a higher price tag, as that's also $87 at Amazon.
Just as with the Klevv set, you can buy DDR5 with higher clock speeds or fancier looks, but the former isn't really worth it, and both will cost you more money. I've yet to test a processor or motherboard that doesn't run stably with DDR5-6000 CL30, so if the CRAS V set is a little too pricey for you, then just grab a 32 GB kit of pure value-for-money.
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1. Best CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
2. Best motherboard: MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
3. Best RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32 GB DDR5-7200
4. Best SSD: WD_Black SN7100
5. Best graphics card: RTX 5070 Ti or RX 9070 XT (whichever is cheaper)
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