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How to choose the best DDR4 Gaming RAM in 2022

As a gamer, there is no doubt that you want to get the best experience from your gaming PC to make your games look more realistic, give great performance, playable FPS, and basically the best experience. But sometimes it also gets complex as to what are the best components we should use, of which brands and their compatibility with each other. We have created various guides to solve these compatibility issues one component at a time.

Here we are discussing which is the best Gaming RAM for my Pc? How much RAM do I need for gaming fluidly? What should be the frequency or Mhz of my Gaming RAM? What does a gaming RAM do that a normal RAM doesn’t? is it even worth getting one?

Although we consider these points to be of extreme importance when thinking about Gaming PC, you can use this as a blueprint for a normal RAM upgrade also.

Note the existing specifications of your Gaming RAM

WHY?
Let’s go over the reason to do so first. Most AAA titles today require 8GB RAM and preferably DDR4 for that matter. The reason is pretty simple DDR4 RAMs are faster and more efficient but what we are suggesting here is to look before you leap. We have met several customers in our retail outlet who took a DDR4 RAM and returned later only to inform us that they had DDR3 Slots.

Most motherboards will only support a certain frequency of RAM, depending on your motherboard, it might be 2666 MHz, 2933 MHz, or 3200 MHz and above. Most of the DDR3 Memory maxes out at 1600 MHz and anything above it is DDR4 Memory. We won’t suggest DDR3 RAM for gaming purposes at all. It might still support some of the older games but you have to look for an upgrade if you haven’t done it already.

WHAT?
Make sure to check what your Memory Slot is before going for an upgrade. A DDR4 RAM will not be compatible with a DDR3 RAM Slot and vice versa.
Also, we will check up to what speed will your motherboard support the RAM. (We discuss XMP below)

HOW?
The quickest way is to look at the website of your motherboard OEM but if you still have doubts you can drop your query here and we will get back to you about it.

Image showing dual channel RAM Slots on a motherboard

Check for dual channel RAM support on your Motherboard

WHY?
Dual-channel RAM configurations are what we suggest for every gaming PC . A dual-channel configuration performs calculations faster and increases your PC’s image rendering speed and thereby increasing your FPS in a game. We have seen a whopping 12-15 FPS increase in GTA V FPS from our own eyes and even more in RTS Games. Dual-channel is just better. If you want a more technical aspect of it we suggest you look here.
WHAT?
So suppose if you have an existing 8GB RAM Stick and want to upgrade to 16GB we suggest you try to buy the exact same 8GB Stick by the same manufacturer. By exact same we mean same size, speed series. This will just remove any compatibility issues you might face. For new users just get an 8GB*2 Kit. It will save you more money in the long run and give you better performance.
HOW?
Newer motherboards that have 4 RAM Slots usually support dual-channel RAM configuration out of box. If you have 2 slots sometimes they do sometimes they don’t. Just check on your motherboard’s manufacturer website if they do support it. So after you have made sure you have dual channel options available time to install them.
The RAM slots are color-coded to show which slots can be grouped together to be configured in dual-channel mode. For reference in the above image, you can see that black is one group and grey is another group. So either install both your RAM Stick in black slots or both of them in grey slots and your motherboard will automatically configure itself in the dual-channel configuration.

Check if your motherboard supports XMP Profiles or AMP Profiles

WHY?
Without getting into technicalities, XMP Profiles are small bits of codes stored in the RAM’s chip. Most RAMs are locked to run at a particular speed say 2666 MHz or 3000 MHz, but they have the capability of running at 3200 MHz or 3600 MHz They are locked in this way to offer compatibility to a wider range of systems that cannot support anything above their native Memory Speed. By enabling XMP Profile, we are unlocking this block and letting the RAM run at its full speed. You can activate this setting in your bios’ memory options.
XMP Profiles are for Intel chipsets and AMP Profiles are for AMD chipsets. A RAM that is XMP enabled will generally support AMP Profiles also
WHAT?
We need to check for a few things here. Firstly, RAM’s native support speeds for your processor and your motherboard. Secondly, the motherboard should also support XMP 2.0 Profiles. If XMP is not supported then there is no point getting an XMP-enabled RAM. You can check it from the user manual of your motherboard or the manufacturer’s website.
For Example – If you have 3000 MHz RAM and you install it on a motherboard with native support for 2666 MHz the speed of the RAM will default to 2666 MHz or sometimes your system might not even boot at all.
HOW?
To enable XMP or AMP, go to bios/UEFI in your system and find memory options under the tab. Enable it. You are good to go. Download CPUZ for verification.
Sometimes we bottleneck our PC by running a powerful RAM with a weak CPU, it will not allow your system to work at full capacity causing bottlenecks that result in screen tearing, fps drop issues, rendering issues, etc.

Finally, deciding on what Gaming memory and which kit to opt for

Short Answer, if you got the budget go for 16GB RAM in a two-module kit (2 x 8GB) but an 8GB will be fine as well as long as you take care of the things we discussed above. If you opt for an 8GB just get a single stick of 8GB RAM. For anything above 8GB, we follow either single sticks or dual-channel configuration. Personally, we suggest avoiding quad channels as the performance increase in lesser than the complications that arise. Also we suggest an aluminium based heat spreader at the least for a Gaming RAM to have

Here are a couple of Gaming RAM’s worth looking at for single stick or dual channel configurations

And if you want to give your PC a classy look

We hope this will help you make an informed buying decision and clear out some of the doubts or queries you might have had.

So in conclusion to all the questions regarding a Gaming RAM –

Here is another great article by Intel for this very problem – Check out
For any further questions do comment below or contact us. We would be happy to help!!