Hardware Guide

Understanding RAM Speeds

Memory isn't just about capacity. Speed and latency play a huge role in gaming performance.

1. DDR4 vs. DDR5

DDR4

Mature, affordable, and still great for budget to mid-range builds. Sweet spot: 3200MHz CL16.

DDR5

The new standard. Higher bandwidth and speeds. Essential for new high-end CPUs. Sweet spot: 6000MHz CL30.

2. Dual Channel

Always buy RAM in kits of 2 (e.g., 2x8GB or 2x16GB). Running in dual channel mode doubles the bandwidth available to your CPU, significantly improving FPS.

Installation Tip: Check your motherboard manual. Usually, you should install sticks in the 2nd and 4th slots from the CPU.

3. XMP / EXPO

Your RAM will run at a slow default speed (like 2133MHz or 4800MHz) out of the box. You MUST enable XMP (Intel) or EXPO (AMD) in your BIOS to get the advertised speeds.

Need more memory?

Check out our memory selection in the builder.

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