5 Of The Best DDR5 RAM Kits For Gaming In 2024

Are you assembling a new gaming PC or upgrading an older one? DDR5 RAM prices in 2024 are the lowest they have been compared with the past year or more, so it appears to be a good time to buy. There are, however, several things to look for when buying RAM, and the decision can get a little more complicated compared to other PC components. Apart from keeping in mind the RAM size, speed, and latency, you also have to look at things like overclocking profiles and motherboard, CPU, and cooler compatibility.

To make things simpler for you, the five DDR5 RAM kits we've selected in this list clearly indicate if they are meant for Intel XMP or AMD EXPO. We've also chosen RAM kits that have some of the lowest latencies so that you can be assured of buying something that delivers a good price-to-performance ratio. To help future-proof your gaming PC, we have selected kits with a 32GB capacity, specifically, a pair of 16GB modules. We've detailed our methodology at the end of this article.

While all this should be sufficient to ensure you're getting a good DDR5 RAM kit for your PC, it's recommended to doublecheck a couple of things before buying: the maximum frequency and size supported by your CPU and motherboard and the QVL (qualified vendor list) for each kit and motherboard to ensure compatibility.

The G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32GB DDR5-7200 kit supports the latest Intel XMP 3.0 overclocking profile, and as the name suggests, offers a memory transfer rate of up to 7,200 megatransfers per second (MT/s). It has a latency of CL34, or specifically, a 34-45-45-115 timing, which is quite low (lower is better) for DDR5 RAM.

Considering its speed and latency, as well as the brand's reputation, it's unreasonably affordable at the moment — $129.99 on Amazon. It has a tested voltage of up to 1.40 volts, though by default, at the non-overclocked 4,800 MT/s, it runs at 1.10 volts. Like most RAM, the dual-channel kit comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

From a visual standpoint, the G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32GB DDR5-7200 is thought to be a great-looking kit(according to PC Gamer),  with a well-implemented RGB lighting scheme that can be controlled via the company's own G.Skill Lighting Control app as well as common motherboard apps.

The RAM kit is tested to perform especially well in apps and games that are memory intensive, but as with other top-end RAM, it's advised to couple it with a high-end CPU, graphics card, and motherboard for the best performance. Due to its high overclock frequency, it isn't advised to use the Intel XMP profile to get the maximum benefits; instead, manually overclocking is recommended. So, if you're looking for something that requires the minimum work to set up, you should probably get lower frequency RAM.

The Teamgroup T-Force Vulcan DDR5-5200 32GB kit is a budget offering — there's no hiding that fact. However, if you're looking to invest your money in a higher-end CPU and graphics card for real-world performance benefits while saving money on RAM, this is the way to go.

It's not completely barebones either, like the Samsung DDR5-4800 C40 kit, as it comes with an aluminum heatsink that would look modestly good in your gaming PC. It also has support for Intel XMP 3.0 overclocking profiles, with a frequency of up to 5,200 MT/s at 1.25 volts. It has decently low latencies as well at CL40, with a timing of 40-40-40-76.

Priced at just $84.99 on Newegg at the time of writing, the RAM kit works well with both AMD and Intel motherboards (as per PC Gamer). It even supports error correction code (ECC) if you're looking for that feature at this price range.

The T-Force Vulcan DDR5-5200 has slightly taller dimensions (32.7 mm) than some kits, which should be fine in most setups. If you're using a large air cooler for your CPU, however, it wouldn't hurt to check the clearances on the cooler maker's site.

The kit can be overlocked up to 5,600 MHz with ease, and even 6,000 MHz with some effort. Even without additional overclocking you will barely feel the difference compared to faster (and more expensive RAM) on the market, unless you've got a top-end CPU and graphics card –- unlikely if you're investing in a budget RAM kit.

The G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 32GB kit is one of the few AMD EXPO overclocking profile-ready RAM kits on the list and has a memory transfer speed of 6,000 MT/s at 1.35 volts. With a CL30 latency (30-38-38-96 timing), the kit is no slouch, and as you can tell by the name, it also features RGB lighting with support for both first-party and third-party customization apps.

Its default memory transfer speed with no overclocking is 4,800 MT/s at 1.10 volts. As with most other RAM kits, it has a limited lifetime warranty. For its speed, latency, and premium looks, the Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 32GB is currently quite modestly priced at $109.99 on Amazon.

Considered one of the best performance gaming 32GB DDR5 RAM kits you can buy today (as per Tom's Hardware), along with a great look, the G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 uses SK Hynix M-die ICs (integrated circuits) and can be expected to provide decent overclocking above the EXPO profile. However, since AMD has said 6,000 MHz is a great fit for its series of Ryzen 7000 Zen 4 CPUs, there's no real reason to go above that, thus delivering great performance with little to no need for tweaking. It can be overclocked up to DDR5-6,200 without issues.

The Corsair Dominator Titanium First Edition DDR5-7200 32GB kit is slightly more expensive than the regular RGB edition, priced at $234.99 on Corsair's site compared to $219.99, respectively. The First Edition brings the ability to change the heat spreader along with the bundled toolkit, but not much else is different between the two.

With a memory transfer speed of 7,200 MT/s (at 1.45 volts) and a CL34 latency (34-44-44-96 timing), the RAM kit is quite similar to the G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32GB DDR5-7200 on the list. The premium price that Corsair is charging compared to the G.Skill offering is probably just for the fancy design and build quality of the Dominator Titanium First Edition.

The 32GB kit of the Corsair Dominator Titanium First Edition was found to be easily overclockable up to 7,600 MT/s with a CL34 latency and also found to run at low temperatures thanks to the effective heat spreaders (according to Guru3D). While you're paying a premium for the design and build quality, you also get solid performance. The design gets props for making it easier to add a fan and change heat spreaders (according to TweakTown), increasing the modding potential on high-end builds. Unfortunately, the RGB is only controllable via Corsair's own iCUE app.

The final kit on the list is the Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-7000 CL34. It offers a memory transfer speed of 7,000 MT/s with a latency of CL34 and a timing of 34-42-42-96 at 1.45 volts with the Intel XMP 3.0 overclocking profile. By default, it runs at 1.1 volts at 4,800 MHz.

Apart from RGB lighting, which is unfortunately only controllable by the first-party iCUE app, it features a brushed-aluminum heat spreader with a triangular pattern etched on. The kit features SK Hynix A-die ICs in a single-rank design.

The Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-7000 CL34 was found to outperform faster-specced competitors, including the G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32GB DDR5-7200 CL34, as per Tom's Hardware. It can be overclockable to DDR5-7,500 without too much trouble, at 1.5 volts. Testers were also able to drop the latency at the DDR5-7000 frequency to CL32, while keeping the rest of the timing the same.

While the Corsair offering is technically a bit more expensive than the G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32GB DDR5-7200 CL34 at $154.99 on Amazon, buyers also get the bragging rights of perhaps the most premium RAM brand on the market, as well as extremely good build quality.

For this list, we chose RAM kits that offer some of the lowest latencies in the market, while also delivering good price-to-performance ratios. While in the past, 16GB RAM kits were more than enough, we chose 32GB RAM kits, as that has become the gold standard for the minimum amount of RAM required for gaming PCs, thanks to the requirements of modern AAA titles, as well as to prevent throttling during intense multitasking (such as having multiple browser tabs open while gaming).

We also decided to limit the list to 32GB kits to keep the costs low, as anything more than 32GB is usually meant for power users who work on content creation. Also, employing matching pairs of memory modules for dual-channel memory is better for performance than a single module for most memory-intensive operations, such as gaming. We also only chose kits from the top RAM brands in the market.

Of course, while the best way to determine the top DDR5 RAM kits would have been to thoroughly test them, this isn't always possible, and we sometimes rely on expert reviews from third-party sites that have experience with comparing multiple offerings across competitors to give the proper context. Thus, while we weren't able to test the RAM kits on the list ourselves, we relied on well-established and trusted hardware review sites, such as PC Gamer, Tom's Hardware, Guru3D, and TweakTown for their insightful reviews.