Best Ram For Ryzen: Best Zen 2 & Zen 3 Ram
Are you looking for the best RAM for Ryzen 5000 or Ryzen 3000 CPUs? Then we have just the thing for you!
One of the big improvements when comparing Zen 3 with Zen 2 (aside from the increased clock speed and improved architecture) is the performance gains you can get with faster RAM. That’s why it makes perfect sense to find out which is the really best RAM for the Ryzen 5000 processors. Otherwise, you will not optimize the performance of your Ryzen CPU properly!
But Ryzen 3000 CPUs also scale very well with fast RAM and are still extremely relevant and inexpensive. That is why we are also giving you recommendations for good RAM components for Ryzen processors of the previous generation.
If the whole thing confuses you or you are not even sure why Ryzen RAM is getting separate purchase advice, then read on. We’ll explain everything you need to know about Ryzen RAM and help you choose the right RAM kit.
Best RAM for Ryzen 5000 & Ryzen 3000 at a Glance
AMD announced an increase in RAM speed compatibility for the latest Zen 3 architecture to improve on the last generation 3600 MHz optimum point. According to AMD, 4000 MHz is ideal for Zen 3, which means even faster processing time and more overclocking latitude. For Zen 2, the ideal RAM speed is between 3200-3733 MHz.
Accordingly, we give you adapted recommendations for Ryzen 5000 and Ryzen 3000 RAM to bring you the best setup. We’ll start with the latest generation of RAM and finish with buying tips for Zen 2. We generally recommend 16GB (2×8) kits.
Best RAM for Ryzen 5000 (Zen 3) – 5950X, 5900X, 5800X, 5600X
- Patriot Viper Steel| Best cheap RAM for Ryzen 5000
- Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB| Best value for money
- Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO| Best RAM for Ryzen 5600X
- G.Skill Trident Z RGB| Best RAM for Ryzen 5000
- G.Skill Trident Z Royal| For enthusiasts
- Corsair Vengeance LPX| Best Ram For ryzen
- Kingston HyperX Predator Black| Best RAM for Ryzen 3000
- G.Skill Trident Z Neo| High-end tip for Ryzen 3000
Not found the right RAM for your Ryzen? Then take a look at our general purchase advice on the subject of the best DDR4 RAM.
1. Patriot Viper Steel
While this is the cheapest DDR4 Ryzen memory in this buying guide, it offers great performance for gaming and productivity tasks. With a clock frequency of 4000 MHz (these bars are already available with 3000 MHz) and rather modest timings of 19-19-19-39, the Viper Steel from Patriot is not quite in the top league. Nevertheless, you have the opportunity to get a little more out of it by slightly adjusting the timings. However, you will definitely need a high-end mainboard for overclocking this Ryzen RAM, but according to Guru3d, speeds between 4300-4400 MHz are also possible.
In contrast to the other RAM modules in this list of the best, the Patriot Viper Steel set does not offer any RGB. However, the design of these RAM kits is by no means ugly. The heat sink has a casual iron look that can be seen in any case. It’s also good to see that not every manufacturer sees RGB as necessary. So if you are looking for decent RAM modules for your Ryzen build, then youâll be fine with this.
Definitely, the biggest reason to buy this RAM kit is its price. So if you need a decent RAM set that won’t make you poor, then you don’t have to look any further.
2. Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB
Where the previous kit is reluctant to look, you get a lot with these bars from Thermaltake. There are transparent RGB strips with two large notches on each module that have been replaced by chrome-plated sections. The RGB lighting is compatible with all common suspects: MSI Mystic Light Sync, ASUS Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0, and ASRock Polychrome RGB. However, Razer Chroma, Amazon Alexa, and even Thermaltake’s own bespoke software are also supported.
But apart from the aesthetics, this 4000 MHz Ryzen RAM is also convincing. First of all, the 19-23-23-42 timings are disappointing, especially when compared to similar kits in this price range. Nevertheless, the Toughram brings enough performance for every high-end Ryzen PC on the floor, at least for gaming systems. For absolute high-end workstations, you might want to look at bars with better timings.
Thermaltake has also given this RAM kit an extremely efficient heat sink, which guarantees you low temperatures during the entire period of use. You won’t experience miracles when overclocking, but you can still squeeze out some performance with it.
In terms of price performance, however, you will hardly find anything better. Despite the timing, the performance is comparable to other top kits, and we think there is one of the coolest looks combined with a fair price.
3. Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO
Corsair is not new to the RAM market and has been offering excellent RAM for several years. The Vengeance RGB Pro series is also part of it and is a clear upgrade compared to the very popular Vengeance LPX series with higher clock frequencies and better heat dissipation.
With this 4000 MHz kit consisting of two 8 GB modules, you get to see a lovely RGB bar. These 1.35 V-Sticks offer you dynamic multi-zone lighting with Corsair iCUE support, with which you can synchronize all of your iCUE-compatible products (including memory, fans, RGB-LED light strips, keyboards and mice, and more – all without Electric wire). So perfect for Corsair fans.
The 19-23-23-45 timings don’t knock us off our feet here either, but thanks to Samsung B-Dies, you can adjust them relatively easily in the BIOS. However, these are overclocking modules, and these timings are just a starting point for these sticks to be that powerful in the first place. A very efficient heat sink that emits the heat excellently and feels very robust will also help you.
However, these modules’ main focus is definitely the excellent iCUE integration, which will give you a lot of pleasure. These bars are an excellent alternative to the Thermaltake kit for a small extra charge for Corsair fans.
4. G.Skill Trident Z RGB
This is one of the best Ryzen-optimized RAM kits, and it’s almost guaranteed to get a Samsung B-Die here. This G.Skill TridentZ-RAM is optimized for operation with up to 4000 MHz and a CAS latency of 17. Thanks to the B-Die, we know that it will almost certainly run very well with Ryzen CPUs.
For many, the TridentZ bars are the perfect mix of appearance, performance, and price. But what really impresses you here is the good timing with the CL17-17-17-37. This is sensational for a 4000MHz RAM. Due to the combination of good timing and high speed, you get excellent performance with this RAM kit.
Also, the things look great, and you can adjust the RGB according to your wishes (animations and colors) – with the in-house software from G.Skill or simply with your ASUS, MSI, or Gigabyte software.
What else can you say about these ingenious bars? It’s a G. Skill. In recent years the guys have become one of the most reliable and well-known DIMM memory manufacturers globally. They offer solid and properly tested DIMMs that will work with pretty much any DDR4 capable PC and are optimized.
The only real problem is the availability and the somewhat high price. But if you have the budget and want a very high-quality RAM set for your Ryzen, go for it!
5. G.Skill Trident Z Royal
If you really want to know, then we can only recommend the TridentZ Royal from G.Skill. Because these things really offer you everything you could be looking for for your Ryzen. While the normal Trident Z range and even the RGB versions are positioned more as “standard,” the Trident Z Royal RAM is geared towards high-end users or enthusiasts.
Although we recommend the 2x8GB kit with 4000 MHz and CL17-17-17-37, you can buy these bars with up to 4800 MHz. In the Tweaktown test, the things ran without problems at 4380MHz and could even keep up with 4600 modules in terms of performance.
Most of the time, you will be looking at this kit from above, where this fantastic crystalline bar of light is located. Here the eight LED zones reflect the light everywhere and react differently to the eye depending on the angle. Then, there is also the reflection of light from the silver coating to reflect even more light inside the pc. While we have no problem with the silver heat spreader, there is also the option for gold (for the same price). So things look good too.
With the Trident Z Royal DDR4 RAM, G.Skill really offers a premium product for your Ryzen – whether for gaming or workloads (or both). Quasi the ultimate storage for anyone looking for the best combination of performance and ease of use. And all without the compatibility issues that can occur with faster kits.
6.Corsair Vengeance LPX
Corsair’s Vengeance LPX RAM is the most reliable on the market, especially for Ryzen 3000 CPUs. Its lower price makes it an attractive option for those who don’t care about RGB lighting on the memory modules.
Despite the low price, the performance is excellent, and you have solid overclocking potential. In terms of overclocking, the kit is perfect, and 3800 MHz at just 1.4V is definitely in it.
This performance level is achieved by the heat spreader (which is very low – perfect for large air coolers) made of pure aluminum, which can distribute heat efficiently. Unfortunately, the single stick capacity seems to be 8GB, but that’s more than enough for the average gaming build. The timings are also quite acceptable with CL 18-19-19-39, but there are also modules with better values with this timing.
If you look at the RAM, you immediately notice the subtle and inconspicuous design without RGB lighting. This not only makes it one of the most technically compatible RAMs on the market but also one of the most aesthetically compatible. If you don’t like black, you can choose from the color variants red, white and blue.
So if you don’t mind the simple appearance of these solid RAM modules, you will get a good price-performance ratio here.
7. Kingston HyperX Predator Black
The Corsair LPX components are not chic enough for you, and you want better timings (17-19-19-35) and slightly better performance for your Ryzen 3000 build for a small surcharge? Then the HyperX Predator Black could be just your thing. Oh yes: For around ⬠13 more, the Predators are also available with RGB *.
The Kingston HyperX Predators also offer great overclocking potential with their efficient heat spreader design – and they also look cool. They are also convinced in terms of performance in Tom hardware tests across the board (there the 2x16GB bars were tested with the same key figures) and even keep up with more expensive kits.
Although we recommend the 3600 MHz kits (which AMD also recommends for Ryzen 3000), you can also get the Predators with a clock rate of up to 4600 MHz. Less interesting for Ryzen 3000, more so for Ryzen 5000.
The bottom line is that Kingston’s Hyper X Predator DDR4 3600 2x8GB kit is a pretty good all-rounder RAM. It offers solid and comparable performance at nominal XMP speeds, but performance is not optimal at lower frequencies, such as DDR 3200.
8. G.Skill Trident Z Neo
The TridentZ Neo range is definitely the best RAM for Ryzen. We particularly recommend the 3600MHz kit with heavy CL14-15-15-35 timings, which is perfectly optimized for a Ryzen 3000 build. Here we are dealing with the latest version of the Trident series from G.Skill, which has already become a household name among enthusiasts.
Instead of a single color, the Trident Z Neo comes in a two-tone combination, in which half of the heat spreader is dipped in silver to contrast the black part. With a height of 44 mm, the bars also fit under most CPU coolers, and an RGB LED diffuser with adjustable lighting gives the Trident Z Neo modules a little shine.
According to Tomshardware’s analysis, the Trident Z Neo is among the fastest DDR4-3600 16 GB (2×8 GB) memory kits on the market. Whether you like the design or not, its performance should easily fuel the most demanding Ryzen builds. The Trident Z Neo is certainly not among the cheapest RAM bars and is at the upper end of the price range of the DDR4-3600 kits. Nevertheless, they offer you one of the best RAM works without any problems and without fumbling around.
Ryzen RAM Buyer’s Guide: All Issues clarified
Now that we know which is the best RAM for Ryzen, we want to answer some burning questions (which we repeatedly read in connection with this topic). This way, you know what is important and how to make the right choice. Because with an Intel build, you can essentially be satisfied with the best RAM kit you can afford. You should take a closer look at AMD CPUs.
To make a few basic things clear in advance:
- Capacity: More is better, but 16 GB is perfect for general use and modern gaming scenarios. Larger capacities are best for Ryzen’s APUs or more intense tasks like video editing.
- RAM generation: Currently, when using Ryzen CPUs, DDR4 RAM is used, at least until DDR5 and compatible mainboards are launched.
- Speed: higher is better, especially for Ryzen. More on this below.
- CAS latency: Lower is better, but it inevitably increases with speed.
Why does RAM play such an important role at Ryzen?
Ryzen CPUs have some design features that set them apart from Intel CPUs. Several tests have shown that Ryzen CPUs have a more significant increase in performance than Intel CPUs due to a higher RAM speed. This makes RAM an essential purchase for a Ryzen build – even more so if it is a Ryzen, APU build.
According to AMD, DDR4 3600 CL16 RAM is ideal in terms of price performance for Ryzen 3000
What are the best RAM speeds for Ryzen?
You can overclock your RAM at any time, regardless of which kit you buy.
However, for Zen-2 chips (Ryzen 3000), AMD recommends using DDR4-3600MHz CL16 for the best results in terms of value for money. However, AMD recommends using 3733 MHz if you have the budget, as this is viewed as a “sweet spot.” See also the explanations from GamersNexus.
For Ryzen 5000 CPUs (Zen 3), AMD officially considers 4000 MHz kits to be the best choice – at least in terms of price performance. Of course, with the new Ryzen CPUs, you have even more power reserves, but you will only get minimal performance upgrades (if any).
AMD itself sees DDR4-4000MHz RAM as ideal for the Ryzen 5000 series
Why do Ryzen APUs need fast dual-channel RAM?
Ryzen APUs, like the Ryzen 5 3400G, contains both Ryzen CPU cores and Vega GPU cores. However, the CPU and the integrated GPU must share resources, including the RAM installed in your system.
Dedicated GPUs have the advantage of having their own VRAM, usually in the GDDR5 class or better. In addition to being faster, this memory is specifically tailored to be used with graphics processors, whereas non-GDDR memory is not. To achieve optimal performance with a Ryzen APU, you need at least a two-channel configuration (so it runs at full DDR4 speed instead of half speed) and 3200 MHz speed.
Is Ryzen RAM Compatibility Different?
Not really, but since Ryzen CPUs are more RAM-dependent than Intel CPUs, they benefit from higher speeds and lower latency. This makes them particularly “sensitive” to low-speed, high-latency RAM kits, usually not a problem with Intel processors.
Among other things, enthusiasts choose Ryzen RAM by choosing kits that use Samsung B modules, as these are of consistently high quality. Often, it can be difficult to get RAM that meets this criterion. Because it is now unpredictable whether your desired RAM bar actually uses Samsung B-Dies or not – apparently, Samsung no longer produces this chip. Whether the successor A-Die chip is similarly good remains to be seen (but it is to be assumed). However, RAM kits with these chips are still in circulation (see picture below).
Of course, this isn’t strictly necessary, but it makes G.Skill and Corsair great brands for Ryzen RAM, especially since Samsung chips are mostly used here.
The popular Samsung B-Die chips are in demand for Ryzen RAM (Image: Via Reddit User Kulind )
Of course, it is up to you to ensure that your motherboard is compatible and supports the desired RAM speed. Beware of older B450 mainboards.
If you want to use a B450 mainboard with your Ryzen, pay attention to the supported RAM speed. Because many B450 mainboards only support maximum clocks of up to 3466 MHz.
Why is RAM speed important in general?
By and large, RAM speed doesn’t do much to improve the average FPS. Even with Intel CPUs, the real benefits are in minimum and low FPS values ââthat increase with higher RAM speeds.
There is an occasional FPS loss in any game, sometimes minor, sometimes severe. With a faster RAM speed, these drops can be better mitigated to the point where they are less or no longer noticeable. Since Ryzen CPUs are more prone to slower RAM, these points are even more important to AMD users.
CL14 vs CL16 for Ryzen?
If you have to choose between CL14 and CL16 memory for a Ryzen PC, we recommend choosing modules with C14. These are optimized for closer timings, mostly use the well-known B-Die memory from Samsung, and have better compatibility with the integrated Ryzen memory controller.
Don’t forget your requirements and budget
Although RAM plays a bigger role for Ryzen PCs than for Intel systems, you should not lose sight of your overall budget and the PC’s purpose. Because, as mentioned, RAM brings you far less for gaming performance, even with Ryzen processors, than the graphics card or the CPU itself.
So remember to think about what you are going to use the pc for. This allows you to decide whether your requirements justify buying a faster RAM kit or whether a slower set does not.
Yes, 4000 MHz and more are perfect for the Ryzen 5000 series. However, if you have to save money after buying a new AMD CPU, then one of the cheaper sets with a slightly lower clock rate and higher latencies is usually sufficient. Essentially, all of the RAM kits presented here work great with Ryzen CPUs.