BASIC AMD GAMING
Ballistix Tactical 16GB
(4x 4GB) @ 3,000MT/s $85
QThere’s nothing much to
write home about here, but
this Ballistix kit will do the
job and do it well. Memory
speed is less of a factor when
you’re looking at RAM for
Intel systems, so you can
save yourself a few dollars
by opting for a slightly more
conservative frequency.
The Ballistix Sport series is
Crucial’s more affordable
memory, but that doesn’t
make it any less effective.
It also runs at just 1.2 volts,
meaning it has some of the
lowest power draws found
within the DDR4 standard.
It also has a CAS latency of
16, which means it keeps
your real memory latency
at 13.3ns.BASIC INTEL GAMING
Ballistix Sport LT 16GB
(2x 8GB) @ 2,400MT/s $70
QOnce again, we don’t need
to push to boat out too much
when it comes to memory
speed in an Intel machine.
Unlike the Dominator
Platinum RGB kit, this set
comes with two 16GB modules
instead of 4x 8GB ones, so
if you’re running a system
with more than two DIMM
slots, make sure you’re usingthe prioritized connectors
for maximum speed. This is
G.Skill’s own RGB offering,
and they’re pretty sweet to
look at. A CAS latency of 16
means this might not be the
fastest RAM around, but it’s
an extremely good price for
32GB. The extra capacity can
come in handy for streaming
memory-intensive games.HIGH-END INTEL GAMING
G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32GB
(2x 16GB) @ 3,000MT/s $165
QThe Ballistix Tactical
memory isn’t particularly
exciting to look at (perhaps
check out Corsair’s Dominator
line if you’re looking for some
more eye-candy-worthy
modules), but it provides
excellent performance for
a sensible price. With a high
frequency and a CAS latency
of 16, this kit will pair nicely
with a mid-range GPU for
some straightforward 1080p
or even 1440p gaming. It
won’t necessarily be able
to hit maximum settings in
every game you play, but
well-optimized titles will
give you no problems. Should
you decide to upgrade your
GPU, a memory upgrade
is worthwhile, too, and the
Tactical or Elite series are
good ones to stick with.QThis is where it starts to get
expensive. We’re cranking up
the speed to make sure your
AMD system’s latency stays
low, and paying the extra
price for 32GB ensures your
build is future-proofed. Most
games don’t use 32GB—16GB
is usually recommended—but
with GPU improvements, thatcould change. With this much
capacity, there won’t be any
danger of running low on
available memory, even when
you’re bashing your system
with ultra 4K graphics. The
Dominator Platinum RGB is
a lovely looking kit, too, with
fully addressable LEDs on
every module.maximumpc.com SEP 2019 MAXIMUMPC 31
HIGH-END AMD GAMING
Corsair Dominator Platinum
RGB 32GB (4x 8GB)
@ 3,600MT/s $330