Best RAM for AMD Zen 3 5600X, 5800X,5900X and 5950X

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The new Ryzen 5000 Series processors are finally out. We saw how Zen 3 snatched the single-thread performance crown, meaning pairing them with faster RAM will bring those performance gains to your gaming rig. We’ve selected the best RAM for AMD Zen 3 5600X, 5800X, 5900X, and 5950X processors to help you get the best out of the new Ryzen chips.

Zen 3 architecture brings significant improvements over Zen 2, including increased clock speeds, improved power efficiency, and better overall performance. These advancements significantly boost your gaming performance, allowing you to get those higher frame rates for a fast, immersive gaming experience. And for that, you need to pair your CPU with a faster and stable RAM.

AMD announced support for higher memory clock speeds over Zen 2. But more on that later, let’s first check how memory channels and ranks can impact your gaming performance.

Memory Channels and Ranks. Can They Impact Performance?

When building a computer, most people tend to focus on memory capacity and frequency. Well, that works great for most users, especially if building a PC for daily use and maybe some gaming. But for advanced gaming rigs, and if you want to maximize performance, you need to go deeper than that.

Memory channels is a great way to start. If you install one memory stick to your PC, you’ll be running in a single-channel configuration. If you install two memory sticks, then you have a dual-channel configuration. The difference here is that memory operates on a single 64-bit data channel (your data moves on a pipe that 64-bits wide). And doubling the number of channels doubles the effective channel width to a 128-bit channel. This means you have double the amount of data running on the memory bus, which improves the memory bandwidth.

Does dual-channel memory setup impact performance?

Yes, but the difference here isn’t significant. We’re talking of around 10% performance increase. In competitive gaming, a 10% performance difference can be critical. So, it is always recommended to run dual channel memory configurations than a single channel.

Another interesting factor to consider is memory ranks. Memory sticks have ranks: single rank, dual rank, and quad rank. Most consumer DDR4 memory is single ranked with larger capacity like 16GB sticks dual-ranked.

Actually Hardcore Overclocking has a detailed video on ranks.

The concept of having ranks is to allow more cycles to start while more are finishing. A controller can send write data to a rank while waiting for read data from another rank; this improves memory bandwidth and efficiency.

The sweet spot for optimal performance is four ranks. You can achieve four ranks by adding four single ranked memory sticks on your PC to maximize performance. Gamer Nexus affirms having four memory sticks instead of two yields 10% performance increase.

Just know you can also achieve four ranks with two dual-ranked memory sticks. Most 16GB RAM is dual-ranked.

Best RAM for Zen 3: The Sweet Spot

AMD and AGESA are working on new BIOS updates, which will bring optimizations for 1900-2000MHz fabric clocks. That means you will be able to achieve a 1:1 ratio with 4000MHz memory and 2000MHz Infinity Fabric (FCLK) for optimal performance. When the next AGESA release is out, 4000MHz (2000MHz FCLK) memory will become the new sweet spot for Zen 3.

At the moment, you can only hit 1800MHz on Zen 3 CPUs or 1900MHz with tighter timings. Therefore, buying a 3600MHz memory, for now, will yield almost the same performance as 4000MHz. The performance difference here is very little. You’re also getting a lot of overclocking headroom with these kits. You can easily overclock 3600MHz RAM to 3800MHz with 1900MHz FCLK for even better performance.

However, we still recommend 4000MHz memory kits since it is the future. But if you don’t want to spend a fortune on these kits, getting a 3600MHz memory with lower latency should do your setup justice.

Best RAM for AMD Zen 3 Available Now

Image	Product	Details	Check Price
	G.SKILL Trident Z Royal Series 32GB Kit	Capacity: 32GB (2x16GB) Frequency: DDR4 4000MHz CAS Latency: 17 RGB Lighting: Yes	Check on Newegg
	G.Skill Trident Z RGB DDR4-4000MHz	Capacity: 16GB (2x8GB) Frequency: DDR4 4000MHz CAS Latency: 18 RGB Lighting: Yes	Check on Amazon
	Crucial Ballistix MAX RGB 32GB Kit	Capacity: 32GB (2x16GB) Frequency: DDR4 4000MHz CAS Latency: 18 RGB Lighting: Yes	Check on Amazon
	Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO 32GB	Capacity: 32GB (2x16GB) Frequency: DDR4 3600MHz CAS Latency: 18 RGB Lighting: Yes	Check on Amazon
	Crucial Ballistix 16GB Kit	Capacity: 16GB (2x8GB) Frequency: DDR4 3600MHz CAS Latency: C16 RGB Lighting: No	Check on Amazon
	TEAMGROUP T-Force Delta RGB 16GB Kit	Capacity: 16GB (2x8GB) Frequency: DDR4 3200MHz CAS Latency: C16 RGB Lighting: Yes	Check on Amazon

1. G.SKILL Trident Z Royal Series 32GB Kit – Best RAM for Ryzen 5000 Series

The G.SKILL Trident Z Royal Series 32GB Kit is our best recommendation for all Ryzen 5000 Series builds. This RAM kit consists of two 16GB sticks running at 4000MHz, which should be the “sweet spot” once AMD works with AGESA to reach 2000MHz fabric clocks. The Trident Z Royal Series 32GB Kit is dual-ranked, so you get the benefits of quad rank operations with only two sticks.

Aesthetically, G.SKILL nailed it. The Trident Z Royal Series has the best looking RAM sticks that you will find in the market. This model features highly polished silver aluminum heat spreaders for efficient heat dissipation allowing for maximum performance and extreme overclocking at lower temperatures. On top of that, you get a unique crystalline RGB design to bring your gaming rig to life.

The Trident Z Royal Series 32GB Kit makes a good combo for the 5000 Series if you want to maximize performance. It has decent timings at 17-18-18-38 and CAS Latency of 17. You can tighten the timings in the BIOS, but so you know, you’ll be adding instability to your system with no significant performance gains. The Trident Z Royal Series 32GB Kit offers excellent performance without any extra tweaks and tuning.

Our Take

The G.SKILL Trident Z Royal Series 32GB Kit is a perfect memory for Ryzen 5000 Series, especially if you’re the “drop and game” type of a guy. This RAM kit provides excellent performance without extra tuning or overclocking. Sure, it is expensive but worth it. 4000MHz will soon become the sweet spot for the 5000 series, so it’s good to future proof yourself. Plus, the Trident Z Royal Series 32GB Kit offers dual-channel and four rank benefits.

2. G.Skill Trident Z RGB DDR4-4000MHz – Best Budget RAM For Ryzen 5000

G.Skill Trident Z RGB DDR4-4000MHz is the best budget alternative to our choice of best RAM for Ryzen 5000. It comes cheaper with the same recommended 4000MHz clock speeds. But it has a lower 16GB capacity, which should be fine for most gaming rigs. You still get the benefits of dual-channel memory and better overclocking headroom.

The Trident Z RGB DDR4-4000MHz is another memory kit that lights up your gaming with the best RGB lighting design. You can customize the RGB lights to match your gaming rig via downloadable software, such as ASUS Aura Sync, depending on your motherboard. Onboard it has efficient heat spreaders and a handy fin design to ensure higher performance at lower temperatures.

In terms of performance, the G.Skill Trident Z RGB DDR4-4000MHz boasts 4000MHz speeds and a CAS latency of 18. That’s enough to enjoy the performance improvements of the new 5000 series processors. However, you’re still losing some performance efficiency compared to the G.SKILL Trident Z Royal Series 32GB Kit since this memory is single ranked. To add four ranks, you’ll need four memory sticks, which may be costly.

Our Take

G.Skill Trident Z RGB DDR4-4000MHz is another great RAM kit for Ryzen 5000 processors. It comes at 16GB, which is enough for most games and multitasking operations. If you put four of these memory sticks, you will get the benefits of four ranks, which improves performance efficiency. It’s a good recommendation if you want to start slow and add more memory later.

3. Crucial Ballistix MAX RGB 32GB Kit – Best RAM for High-End Ryzen 5000 Builds

If you want the best memory for AMD Ryzen 5900X processor, look no further than the Crucial Ballistix MAX RGB 32GB Kit. This memory kit comes with 32GB (2×16 GB) of memory at 4000MHz, ensuring your 5900X operates at maximum potential.

One of the reasons we included this memory is because it is single ranked (most 16GB sticks are dual-ranked). You can add four (4×16 GB) sticks of the Crucial Ballistix MAX RGB, which gives you four ranks for that extra 10 percent performance boost. You also reap the benefits of having a higher 64GB memory capacity, making it the best configuration for any high-end gaming rig. Top speeds and top performance efficiency.

The Crucial Ballistix MAX RGB 32GB Kit is also a top contender for the best-designed memory. It provides a higher level of customizability that you won’t find in other RAM sticks. You can customize the RGB lights using compatible software, such as Aura Sync, or just replace the whole RGB lightbar with your own custom printed lightbar. The RAM also features high-performance heat spreaders for efficient heat dissipation.

On to performance, the RAM kit has 4000MHz clock frequency, excellent if you want to achieve the 2GHz infinity fabric in the future for optimal performance. It has a CAS latency of 18 with an option of manual timing if you want better timings. Only for the pros and benchmarkers anyway. For gaming, you won’t notice much of a difference.

Our Take

Crucial Ballistix MAX RGB 32GB Kit is the gold standard of consumer DDR4 memory. Four memory sticks give you 64GB memory, which is more than enough for high-end gaming and extreme productivity setups. Here you get the sweet spot for Zen 3, four ranks, and dual-channel memory benefits. However, if 64GB is expensive for you, the single 32GB kit is great for most users.

4. Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO 32GB – Best Mid-Range RAM for Ryzen Series

While 4000MHz is poised to become the sweet spot for Zen 3, 3600MHz memory still rules at the moment. That’s because until AMD and AGESA release the next BIOS update with 2000MHz fabric clocks, you can only hit 1800MHz FCLK at the moment. The Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO 32GB Kit with 3600MHz clock speeds and C18 latency makes an excellent option for 5800X and 5900X Ryzen builds.

The Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO 32GB provides good performance gains with only two sticks since it is dual ranked. You can also easily achieve a 1:1 ratio for your memory clock and the Infinity Fabric for optimum performance. Make sure your infinity fabric runs at 1800Mhz, and you will hit sweet performance scores. The C18 latency is not the fastest but should be great for most users.

For the design, Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO brings solid build quality and addressable RGB LEDs for higher customizability. Use CORSAIR iCUE to customize the RGB lighting or other controllers such as RGB Fusion and Aura Sync. It’s one of the best looking RAM sticks available. The memory also promises better performance and stability, thanks to its highly efficient aluminum heat spreaders.

Our Take

Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO 32GB is a nice RAM kit that will make justice to your mid-range and even high-end Ryzen build. It takes advantage of four ranks with only two sticks and a 1:1 ratio with a 1800MHz infinity fabric, which should be easily attainable. It’s our top recommendation if you don’t want to jump to the 4000MHz kits just yet.

5. Crucial Ballistix 16GB Kit – Best Value RAM for Ryzen 5000 Series

Okay, we agree our top recommendations may be costly for some users, so we included the Crucial Ballistix 16GB Kit. This the best cheap RAM kit in this roundup, and it comes at 3600MHz clock frequency, C16 latency, and 16GB (2×8 GB) capacity. This memory kit has a lot to offer to get the best of the Ryzen 5000 Series CPUs. Just make sure your FCLK is running at 1800MHz.

However, it is single ranked, so if you want the extra 10% performance boost of having four ranks, we recommend using four memory sticks.

The Crucial Ballistix 16GB Kit is not the best in terms of aesthetics. It lacks RGB lighting, which may be a deal-breaker for many enthusiasts. But, it is available in black, white, and red colors. You can choose which best suits your gaming rig. The overall build quality is great. It has aluminum heat spreaders for better thermals so you can overclock without issues.

Again, 3600MHz RAM is still a sweet spot for gaming at the moment. With your infinity fabric set to 1800MHz, the Crucial Ballistix 16GB Kit delivers excellent performance for gaming and productivity. Don’t forget you also have a lot of overclocking headroom here. You can OC the RAM to 3800Mhz (FCLK 1900) for even better performance. 3600MHz ram with C16 latency is currently the best value memory kit you can get for your Ryzen 5000 series builds.

Our Take

Crucial Ballistix 16GB Kit is an affordable 3600MHz RAM perfect for mid-range Zen 3 builds. 16GB should be enough for most gaming rigs, but if your budget allows, we recommend getting four memory sticks to take advantage of dual-rank operations. Until AMD can hit a 2GHz infinity fabric clock on the Ryzen 5000 processors, 3600MHz remains the best spot for now.

6. TEAMGROUP T-Force Delta RGB 16GB Kit – Best RAM for Low-End Ryzen 5000 Builds

TEAMGROUP T-Force Delta RGB 16GB Kit is the cheapest RAM in this roundup. It still makes an excellent buy for the Zen 3 processors at 3200MHz and C16 latency. If you’re planning for a 5600x or 5800x build, this RAM kit will offer excellent performance for the money. TEAMGROUP has another 3200MHz model with tighter timings and C14 latency, which is good, but it sells for almost double the price of this model.

We recommend this model for all Zen 3 low-end builds or if you’re on a tighter budget.

Despite its lower pricing, the T-Force Delta RGB 16GB Kit manages great aesthetics with beautiful RGB lighting and a sleek matte white finish. You can customize the RGB lighting using most RGB controllers in the market, including Asus Aura Sync, Razer Chroma, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and more. The RAM has aluminum heat spreaders onboard for efficient heat dissipation.

Is 3200MHz RAM still worth it for the Ryzen 5000 Series processors?

3200MHz may not be faster than 4000MHz memory kits, but they deliver a better value. In real-world gaming and daily use, you won’t notice a bigger difference moving from 3200MHz to 3600MHz. The T-Force Delta RGB 16GB Kit comes with a CAS latency of C16, which can also be tightened on the BIOS for even better performance. There is a lot of overclocking headroom, so you can get those higher refresh rates with a little tuning.

Our Take

TEAMGROUP T-Force Delta RGB 16GB Kit is a cheaper RAM for AMD Zen 3 processors. It features 3200MHz clock speeds and decent timings to offer excellent performance on the cheap. It may not be the best for high-end rigs and extreme overclocking setup, but it makes a perfect combo for budget and low-end Zen 3 builds.

Best RAM for AMD Zen 3 Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run one memory stick in dual channel?

No. You need two memory sticks to run dual channel configuration, even if your memory stick is dual-ranked.

What is the best memory for Zen 3?

If you want to future-proof yourself, get a 4000MHz memory kit since Zen 3 will soon support 2GHz fabric clocks, allowing you to run a 1:1 divider for optimum performance.

Is lower latency better than higher frequency?

No. Having a low latency RAM is excellent, but memory frequency always supersedes latency. But at the same clock frequency and timings, the RAM with the lowest latency wins.