page, we ran a series of tests at
different speeds to represent what is
considered generic (DDR4-2400 C15), to
high performance (DDR4-3200 C14)
and overclocked (DDR4-4000 C16)
memory. When compared to our
reviewed kits, some interesting results
become apparent. Synthetic results
including latency and raw bandwidth
steadily improve, but the
improvements in the benchmarks that
show gains with memory bandwidth
start to show diminished returns at
higher speeds. The X.264 and gaming
results in particular show decent gains
when moving from DDR4-2400 to 3200,
but significantly smaller gains when
moving from 3200MHz to 4000MHz.
The results show that an affordable
DDR4-3200 kit is currently the sweet
spot for value and performance. You’ll
gain a decent chunk of performance
over a generic DDR4 kit without
spending a whole lot more. The high
performance and overclocking kits at
DDR4-4000+ are usually a lot more
expensive, while not providing a lot in
the way of performance gain. They’re
useful only for point chasing
competitive overclockers or those who
really want the best without
compromise.
XMP
XMP stands for Extreme Memory
Profile. It was developed by Intel to
simplify the way to set the speeds and
timings of a memory kit without
having set everything manually. Most
AMD motherboards also support XMP,
but some also support AMD’s AMP. It’s
essentially the same thing. XMP tends
to work very well, but once you get into
the higher speed tiers, it can be
problematic. AMD’s Ryzen 1st and 2nd
genstruggledwithhighR AMspeeds,
and Intel CPUs can also get finicky at
high speeds. If you’re looking to buy a
very high speed kit, be prepared to do
some manual tweaking in order to
have it run properly. Some high speed
XMP kits may simply be beyond the
capabilities of your CPU’s memory
controller.RGB IS EVERYWHERE
R AM manufacturers have extensive
ranges of RGB equipped kits. A couple
of years ago we’d have said that users
seeking value or performance should
stay away from RGB R AM. This is
because RGB kits tended to be
significantly more expensive. The gap
is closing though.
The second reason is that RGB
lighting tends to add electrical
interference to sensitive R AM
modules. You almost never saw high
speed kits equipped with RGB for this
reason. That’s all changing now with
most manufacturers comfortable with
offering high end RGB R AM.
So if you want to bling up your
system, you can combine looks and
performance for not much more that
the cost of the equivalent non-RGB kit.PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
As you can see from looking at our
benchmark results, DDR4-3200 is thebestchoicerightnow.Itoffersthe
best combination of performance and
value. The cost of R AM is continuing
to fall and compared to where we
were a year ago, 2x8GB of good
quality DDR4-3200 is an absolute
bargain. At 3200 MHz, performance
is well ahead of generic R AM, but
doesn’t lose out much to high speed
enthusiast and overclocking kits.
RGB memory is a subjective topic.
Do you want to show off your high
performance PC or put it under the
desk out of sight and out of mind?
The choice is yours. Will we look back
in 20 years with nostalgia? Or will we
be cringing?
Whether you want to look at your
R AM or not, prices are continuing to
fall. It’s as good a time as any to
upgrade your PC with 16GB or more
of memory. If you’re coming from
8GB, you can look forward to more
responsiveness, fewer page file
accesses and the ability to multi task
much more. If you’re building a new
PC, then 16GB at DDR4-3200 is where
you’ll want to be. Paying more for
faster R AM means diminishing
performance returns, while going for
cheaper R AM will bottleneck your
system. Just a few extra dollars over
something like 2666MHz R AM will
be well worth it.“RGB memory is a subjective topic.
Do you want to show off your high
performance PC or put it under the
desk out of sight and out of mind?”