Key Takeaways
- Check compatibility with your motherboard to determine the type of RAM needed.
- Consider both speed (MT/s) and CAS Latency timings when choosing RAM.
- Opt for at least 16GB of RAM for multitasking, but consider budget constraints and avoid unnecessary expenses like RGB if it isn’t important to you.
Choosing RAM for your PC can be quite a nerve-racking ordeal. There are so many types and brands to choose from that you may feel overwhelmed by the number of options. However, it isn’t as bad as it may seem initially. Once you know a couple of basic things, you can easily choose new RAM for your PC with confidence.
What is RAM? Well, RAM is essentially the short-term memory that stores the data your computer needs to run. Having the right RAM for your PC can deliver increased performance and even allow you to multitask with ease. If you understand some basic concepts, it becomes much easier to choose what RAM is best for your PC and your budget. Let’s take a look at some of the more important things to consider when looking for new RAM.
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Check what type of RAM you need
Make sure you have the right kit for your PC
The biggest thing to figure out is what type of RAM you need. Most PCs and laptops these days use some form of DDR4 or DDR5. There are a few ways to see if your motherboard will support DDR5 or DDR4. The easiest, in my opinion, is going to the motherboard manufacturer’s website and checking the memory specifications. This will tell you exactly what RAM your PC can handle.
If you are not sure what motherboard you have exactly, don’t worry as there are other ways to figure it out. One way is to download CPU-Z. Once you’ve downloaded it, run the program and click on the memory tab. From here, you will be able to see what type of memory you are using, what speed it is running at, and the total amount of RAM you are using.
Another easy method is to use Crucial’s System Scanner. This will scan your system and give you memory and storage upgrade options. While they will all be from Crucial’s lineup of products, you can see what type of memory and speeds they recommend. From there, you can easily browse around and find similar kits from other manufacturers.
Understanding speed and CAS latency
MT/s and CL timings matter, so get them right
When it comes to frequency or latency, most people mainly focus on the speed or MT/s of RAM. Of course, the higher the speed the better, but that isn’t all there is to it. The Column Address Strobe (CAS) latency or CL timings are equally important. When it comes to CL timings, the lower the number the better. For instance, if you are looking at two kits of 6000MHz DDR5 memory, one with a timing of CL14 would be better and offer more performance than one with a timing of CL16.
When it comes to your RAM specs, they do matter. Unfortunately, there are many different speeds and timings available so make sure to look into them thoroughly before buying. One of the great things about RAM is that if you are comfortable changing a few settings, you can generally optimize it and get better performance.
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RAM capacity
The more, the better, but you don’t have to overdo it
These days, most people will say 8GB of RAM is the bare minimum you should be getting for your system. However, most RAM comes in 8GB sticks nowadays, and it is better to buy two sticks so that they work in dual channel mode. I personally always suggest that everyone get 16GB as the minimum amount, especially if you want to multitask or do something other than word processing. If you are looking to do some video editing or video production work, it would be wise to look at 32GB as your minimum.
Just as an example, while I’ve been writing this article, the Microsoft Edge web browser is currently using 5.5GB on my system with about 10 tabs open. If I only had 8GB of RAM in my PC, it would not leave me room to do much of anything else. All programs these days are more resource-hungry than ever before – long gone are the days when 8GB of RAM was enough for most people.
RAM on a budget
The cost will come into consideration
The good news is, RAM isn’t as crazily expensive as it once was. In reality, most people don’t need and will not benefit from having RAM with the highest frequency or best CL timings. General users, and even a lot of gamers, can make use of more moderately rated memory.
Everyone wants the best, but sometimes what matters is finding the best from among what you can afford. It is always good to set a budget, then once you know what type of RAM you need, you can then see what fits in your budget range. As long as you are getting two sticks and preferably 16GB in total, then take a look to see what is the best speed and latency you can get for your budget.
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Think about the specs, not the looks
Whether you are planning on gaming, video editing, or just using it for web browsing, picking RAM for your PC can be easy. Once you know your use case and your budget, all you need to figure out is which RAM is compatible with your system. From there, you can look for something that will suit your needs.
One thing to remember if you’re on a tight budget: while RGB may look nice, you are paying a bit extra for something that offers no performance gain at all. RGB RAM pricing can be hit-or-miss. Sometimes it’s not too bad, other times it can add an extra $10-$20 (or more) to the price you pay. If your case doesn’t have a windowed side panel, you likely won’t even see the RAM, so just get something with better specifications. Or you can use the money you save elsewhere.
Lastly, once you have selected your RAM and installed it, you will want to check your RAM speed to make sure it is optimized in your system. While it is mostly plug-and-play, you may need to enter the BIOS and enable XMP or EXPO to customize the settings to fully utilize your new kit of memory.