Buying computer ram can get complicated, epically when it comes to buying new ram when building a gaming computer. The important thing to remember when purchasing anything for a gaming computer and in particular ram, is that just, because it says that it’s for gaming does not me it is and it doesn’t mean it’s the best ram your money could buy. The ram that you purchase will depend largely on the type of motherboard that you have, but I have a list of some of the best ram for gaming, each brand performing well regardless of the motherboard type, all for less than sixty dollars.
What is computer ram?
If you know what type of ram your motherboard can use and you know how much it supports, but you’re still confused about what ram is for, I am here to help. The best way to think of ram is as your computer’s memory. A computer is just like us, we don’t have to look up many things, because of our memory which allows us to store the things we learn and recall them quickly when needed. Your computer works the same way in that your CPU stores information into the ram so that it can quickly call on it rather than searching your hard drive. The more ram your computer has, the faster it will run and the less searching your processor will have to do.
Corsair xms3 4GB DDR3 dual channel: Corsair has produced great ram for many years and I have been very impressed with both the performance and timings for the price. There are very few ram companies that offer the type of performance and timings for the low price that Corsair does and better yet they have great customer service and warranties, which is great when it comes to ram. If you’re building a gaming computer on a budget I highly recommend purchasing this ram.
Additional features: Heat spreading technology which prevents ram overheating and slowdown and also allows for overclocking. A lifetime warranty for peace of mind and integrated Intel support.
Price: $34.99
G.Skill Ripjaws X series 8GB DDR3 1600 dual channel: When G.Skill arrived on the scene a few years ago I wasn’t too sure about them, but decided to try them and boy was I glad I did. Not only does G.Skill offer a lifetime warranty, but they also allow you to use advanced RMA which means you can ship your damaged ram to them after they ship you a new replacement. This ram raised my FPS is games like Call of Duty 4 and Battlefield 3 by more than twenty frames and made out of game operation a breeze. Like Corsair, G.Skill provides great ram timings for the price and performed better than the Corsair ram in many cases. You won’t have to worry about your motherboard supporting this ram as it is accepted by vertically all motherboards on the market today.
Ram timings: 8-8-8-24
Cas Latency: 8
Speed: 1600/PC3 12800
Voltage: 1.5v
Supports i5: Yes
Supports i7: Yes
Dual Channel: Yes
Additional features: Compatibility with all current Intel and AMD processors. Can also be clocked down to work effectively with older generation Intel processors.
Price: $54.99
Patriot Viper 3 8GB DDR3 1600 dual channel: When testing this ram the only downside I found was that the timings were slower than that of Corsair or G.Skill for the same price. Most games on the market today don’t make use of more than four gigs of ram, but it’s always nice to have the extra ram for when you need it and more is always better when it comes to ram. Like G.Skill and Corsair you will be hard pressed to find a motherboard on the market today that doesn’t support this brand. The larger heatsink on this ram allowed it to run much cooler than the Corsair or G.Skill ram and also allowed for more overclocking with greater stability.
Additional features: Compatibility with all current Intel and AMD processors. Can also be clocked down to work effectively with older generation Intel processors.
