RAM Advisor

32GB is the standard for gaming in 2026. Some newer titles like Star Citizen and modded games can use more, but 32GB (2x16GB) covers virtually every game. 16GB still works for esports and older titles, but new AAA games are starting to push past 16GB usage.

DDR5-6000 CL30 is the sweet spot for AMD AM5 (Ryzen 7000/9000). This speed keeps the Infinity Fabric at its optimal 1:1 ratio with 2000 MHz FCLK. Going above 6000 MHz forces a 1:2 desync that usually hurts performance. Pair it with a kit that supports AMD EXPO for one-click setup.

Intel doesn't have an Infinity Fabric wall, so faster DDR5 generally means better performance. For Arrow Lake (Z890/B860), DDR5-6400 CL32 offers the best price-to-performance. For Raptor Lake (Z790/B760), DDR5-6000-6400 is the sweet spot. Returns diminish significantly past DDR5-7200.

What matters is true latency, which combines both: (CL / Speed) x 2000 = nanoseconds. DDR5-6000 CL30 has 10.0ns true latency, while DDR5-5600 CL36 has 12.9ns. Lower is better. In general, a higher speed with slightly looser timings beats a lower speed with tight timings.

2 sticks (dual channel) is recommended for most builds. Two sticks put less stress on the memory controller, allowing higher stable speeds. Four sticks can reduce maximum overclocking headroom, especially on DDR5. Only use 4 sticks if you need more capacity than 2 sticks can provide (e.g., 128GB).

XMP (Intel Extreme Memory Profile) and EXPO (AMD Extended Profiles for Overclocking) are one-click overclock profiles stored on your RAM sticks. Without enabling XMP/EXPO in your BIOS, your DDR5-6000 kit will run at JEDEC speeds (DDR5-4800). It's free performance - always enable it.

Technically yes, but it's not recommended. Mixing kits can cause instability, boot failures, or force all sticks to run at the slowest kit's speed. Always buy a matched kit (e.g., 2x16GB from the same product) for guaranteed compatibility. If you need more capacity later, sell your old kit and buy a larger matched set.