Part III: Deciding the RAM

In the previous article, I talked about the motherboard I chose which was the MSI MAG X570 Tomahawk WiFi. AMD processors take advantage of the RAMs with higher clock-speed making the choice for RAM even more interesting. 

Both B550 as well as the X570 motherboards support RAM with clock-speed > 4000MHz which is great (B450 motherboard supports it too, but since Zen 3 CPUs are not directly supported by it... keeping it out of scope). But getting a RAM with such high clock-speed can be very expensive.

I decided to go for a clock-speed above 3000MHz for my build as they are comparatively less expensive than the 4000MHz ones.

When it comes to RAM, there is not much to look for apart from the capacity, clock-speed and the brand. I prefer Corsair but there are a lot of good RAMs from other manufacturers too. I considered the looks of the RAM as the criteria to shortlist the RAMs, so I went with RGB. Also I am going with 16GB (2 x 8GB) capacity.

Here is the list of RAMs I looked through before finally choosing the one I would be using in my gaming rig:

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1. G.SKILL Trident Z 16GB 3200MHz DDR4

   TridentZ RAMs look great with RGB at the top edge and metallic plate on both sides. Also it is priced very well. It comes with a really good heat spreader. It is one of the top rated RAMs currently available.

   
   

   If you can stretch your budget then you can go for the 3600MHz variant, but is quite pricey when compared to the 3200MHz variant.

2. G.Skill Trident Z Neo 16GB 3200MHz DDR4

   This TridentZ RAM is almost the same as the above with some design changes. It has a dual-tone finish with silver and black. It does have a ‘Optimized for Ryzen’ label which I am not sure makes any difference as both the Trident Z versions i.e. the Neo and the non-Neo work well on Ryzen platforms.
   
   This one is usually priced Rs. 1-2k higher than the non-Neo variant. The design is quite subjective, as some people would like the non-Neo variant more. I personally like the dual tone design of the Neo, but paying a grand more for the design is a bit too much when both provide equivalent performance. Also when installed on the motherboard, the design difference would be negligible.

3. G.Skill Trident Z Neo 16GB 3600MHz DDR4

   This is exactly the same RAM as the above but is the 3600MHz variant. I am adding it to the list just as an option, as some would prefer the 400MHz increase in clock speed. It is usually priced around 14-15k.
   
   When going for higher clocked RAM it is worth checking its CAS latency. The lower the CAS latency the better it is. CL16 is good, but CL14 is better but will be priced more. It is not recommended going beyond CL16.

4. CORSAIR Vengeance RGB PRO 16GB 3200MHz DDR4

   The Corsair Vengeance Pro is another well rated RAM. Corsair makes good quality PC components, and this one is no different. It has decent RGB and looks. It is priced well.

5. Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 16GB 3200MHz DDR4

   The Corsair Dominator Platinum is my personal favourite because of its looks. It has a great heat dissipation which Corsairs brands as DHX cooling technology.
   The RGB on this one might be the brightest currently available in the market. It comes with 12 LEDs which are individually addressable i.e. can be controlled through a software like Corsair iCue.
   
   It is priced quite high if you compare it with other RAMs in the list. It is usually priced around 15-16k.

6. TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 16GB 3200MHz DDR4

   At the time of writing this article, this RAM is available at just Rs. 6,299 which is a great deal. Compared to all the other RAMs in this list, this is the cheapest 3200MHz RAM available and has amazing ratings.It lacks RGB which isn't a big deal with that kind of performance and price. It also comes with a heat spreader to keep your RAMs cool under load. If you are on a budget, this is the one you should go for.

I wanted a RAM with decent looks and RGB. Initially I had planned to go with no RGB, but later changed my mind. I went for the G.SKILL Trident Z 16GB 3200MHz DDR4 which I got for around Rs. 10.5k. It looks great in person and has a good heft to it.

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