Best Budget DDR4 RAM for Ryzen
With the latest generation of Ryzen CPUs ripping apart the traditional clock speeds, you’ll need the best RAM for your Ryzen CPU to avoid any bottleneck. RAM modules come with different clock speeds and it’s hard to figure out which one would work best with your CPU.
Most DDR4 modules come with a clock speed between 3200 MHz to 4400 MHz. It’s not only the clock speed that would affect the performance but also the capacity of RAM that you have opted for.
Usually, 16GB is a good start these days if you are into multitasking and gaming. However, if you are a hardcore gamer or professional content creator, then 32GB or 64GB can make a great difference in performance.
Most of the time, you can pair any branded DDR4 memory with your Ryzen processor to get stable performance. However, some Ryzen CPUs show better performance if you pair them with the right type of RAM.
In this guide, we will focus on the best budget DDR4 Ram for different types of Ryzen CPUs. We’ll also list the reason why you should buy these modules and what type of performance you can expect from them.
Yes, there’s no need to spend an extra amount of cash on memory modules that are equipped with features that you really don’t need at all. Even a low-budget DDR4 memory could give you a decent amount of performance with Ryzen 3000 Series or Ryzen 5000 Series processors.
Quick Shopping Tips
Here are the most important factors to look at before choosing RAM for gaming or any other type of workload.
- Capacity
These days, 16GB is the sweet spot for smooth gaming or content creation. With the passage of time, programs and websites demand more physical memory. And if you are too heavy on multitasking, then it’s better to choose 32GB of RAM for your build.
However, still, gaming and content creation are possible if you have 16GB of RAM, assuming that you won’t be dealing with other heavy tasks like 4K video editing or 3D rendering.
- Clock Speed
The clock speed on your RAM works similarly to that of your CPU. Keep in mind that the XMP profiles that are advertised on the RAM sticks do not work with the AMD motherboards. This is a built-in option in BIOS set by your motherboard manufacturer.
So if you want to achieve the listed clock speeds that are claimed by the RAM manufacturer, then you have to look out for the XMP option in your motherboard BIOS. Some AMD motherboard manufacturers allow you to overclock your RAM up to advertised speeds.
- CPU Support
Before buying the RAM for your AMD CPU, it’s better to know what RAM frequencies does your CPU supports. For example, the AMD Ryzen 5000 Series processors are highly compatible with DDR4 3200 MHz modules.
Best Budget RAM for Ryzen Processors
Here are the top choices to consider:
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB – The Overall Best Budget DDR4 RAM for AMD CPUs
Type: DDR4 | Capacity: 16GB | Clock Speed: 3200 MHz | CAS: 16 | Configuration: 2 x 8GB
Reasons to Buy:
- Affordable price
- High performance
- Low CAS Latency
- Ideal for Ryzen 3000 Series CPUs
- Low profile design, easily fits in mini-ITX builds as well
The Corsair Vengeance LPX is one most popular RAM modules out there in the market. Not only this memory is cheaper but significantly delivers outstanding performance with Ryzen CPUs, especially the ones in the AMD Ryzen 3000 Series.
Picking Corsair Vengeance LPX would give you enough headroom for multitasking and gaming. You get x2 8 GB DDR4 memory modules in the box, each clocked at 3200 MHz.
If you are not too hardcore on gaming and content creation, then this 16GB combo would be ideal for you to deal with your everyday tasks.
Corsair Vengeance LPX is made up of high-quality aluminum heat spreaders to dissipate heat. This means you can also overclock this RAM to higher clock speeds when needed.
But even with 3200 MHz, you’ll easily pass through memory-intensive tasks without overclocking this RAM.
The 16GB DDR4 version of LPX costs around $60, which easily fits in the tight budget range of many users. There’s very little price difference between the 16GB and 32GB modules.
The 32GB version of Vengeance LPX costs around $95 at this time, so if your budget allows you to do that, get the 32GB version to make things future-proof.
Also switching between 3200 MHz and 3600 MHz might cost you an extra $10 to $15. If your budget allows you to spend a bit more cash on the table for the sake of performance, then it’s worth going for it.
Overall, the Corsair Vengeance LPX comes with a high clock speed (3200 MHz) that easily sits within the operational range of many Ryzen CPUs. So, if you have a Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, or Ryzen 7 CPU, this ram would deliver ideal performance with all of these chips.
Patriot Viper Steel – Best Value DDR4 RAM for Ryzen
Type: DDR4 | Capacity: 16GB | Clock Speed: 3600 MHz | CAS: 19 | Configuration: 2 x 8GB
Reasons to Buy:
- Inexpensive
- Ideal for Ryzen 7 5000 Series and Threadripper CPUs
- Best for content creators
- Low CAS Latency
The Patriot Viper Steel Series is famous among budget PC builders due to its price-to-performance ratio. Here we have the 16GB (2 x 8GB) module with an amazing clock speed of 3600 MHz and low CAS latency for exceptional performance with the latest-gen AMD chips.
This module is priced similarly to that of the Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB version on our list. However, in terms of performance, the Patriot Viper Steel memory delivers more juice due to its higher clock speed.
You’ll also find higher clock speed versions of Patriot Viper Steep Series up to 4400 MHz, but due we don’t recommend going with those unless you are using a high-end CPU in the Ryzen 5000 Series.
The safest DDR4 memory operational range for Ryzen chips is between 3200 MHz and 4000 MHz. At least within this clock speed range, most of the “Red Team’s” Ryzen CPUs won’t have any issues with your ram stick.
Again, the 16GB capacity would give you plenty of room for multitasking and gaming. But if you need more performance, you can go with the 32GB modules by paying a bit more cash.
The grey metal aluminum heat spreaders on Patriot Viper Steel easily blend with most of the PC builds out there in the market. It also tops the RAM benchmarking charts crafted by Tom’s Hardware when tested with AMD CPUs.
Overall, the Patriot Viper Steel is a tremendous RAM module for professional content creators who just have a motherboard with dual-ram slots and all they need is a solid performance.
The Patriot Viper Steel easily handles any type of workload that you throw on it. Sitting just under the $60 price tag, this 16GB DDR4 3600 MHz would suffice for any latest-generation Ryzen processor you pair it with.
G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series – Highly-Optimized RAM for AMD Chips
Type: DDR4 | Capacity: 16GB | Clock Speed: 3600 MHz | CAS: 18 | Configuration: 2 x 8GB
Reasons to Buy:
- RGB aesthetics
- Good data rate timings
- Cheaper as compared to most non-RGB kits
- Ideal to pair with high-end Ryzen CPUs
The G.Skill’s Trident Z RGB DDR4-3600 is readily tuned for Ryzen processors right out of the box. If you find this module available in stock on eBay, grab it without wasting your time.
No doubt, this module sits in the high-end performance section due to its higher frequency, great data timing, low CAS latency, stylish heat spreaders, and vibrant RGB bulbs.
Keep one thing in mind, this is a high-end RAM to pair with Ryzen processors, so you have to have hardware that supports a high data rate. If you have an older AM4 motherboard that cannot support RAM modules up to 3600 MHz, then you would be in chaos.
If you are planning to pair this RAM with Ryzen 5000 Series processors, then you’ll get the most benefit out of it.
It’s because the newer AM4 motherboard shows excellent support for higher clock speed RAM modules, and G.Skill Trident Z definitely needs you to have one of the latest gen motherboards to get benefit out of it.
As far as the RGB performance is concerned, the TridentZ RGB is supported by most motherboards from companies like ASRock, Asus, and Gigabyte. Also, you can download and install the free software from G.Skill to tune RGB lights on your TridentZ RAM.
With 16GB of memory and 3600 MHz clock speed, the G.Skill TridentZ would let you conquer the toughest of tasks without putting any stress on your Ryzen processor.
But unlike the Corsair Vengeance LPX and Patriot Viper Steel, you can barely overclock this RAM more than its advertised XMP values. So, if you are thinking to overclock this RAM, then stay away from it.
All in all, getting RGB RAM for a cheaper price is a win-win condition for PC builders who love vibrant lights spread all over their chassis. By spending around $75, you get a RAM kit that comes with controllable RGB lights, low CAS Latency, and high-quality heat spreaders.
HyperX Kingston Fury Beast – A High-End DDR4 RAM Module for AMD Ryzen Builds
Type: DDR4 | Capacity: 32GB | Clock Speed: 3600 MHz | CAS: 18 | Configuration: 2 x 16GB
Reasons to Buy:
- XMP-Ready
- High data rate timing
- Great value for budget Ryzen CPUs
- Huge memory capacity to tackle memory-intensive workloads
The Kingston Fury Beast is no doubt a true monster when it comes to heavy multitasking and content creation workloads. It’s the right sauce for anyone who has a high-end AMD CPU and needs RAM to crush complex workloads in a go.
Right out of the box, this RAM module catches your attention with its black aluminum heat spreaders and RGB lights at the top.
Moreover, the Kington gives you free hand to tune the RGB colors nevertheless of the motherboard that you have in your system.
If we talk about the quality of colors, then the RGB colors on the G.Skill TridentZ are more vibrant than the ones on Kingston Fury Beast. But you won’t be noticing much difference unless you put both of them side by side in a case.
But honestly, this is the most expensive DDR4 module on our list. For a price tag of $130, you get a 16GB DDR4 3600 MHz module with better heat spreaders and a nice touch of RGB aesthetics to it.
Kingston Fury Beast costs double the price tag that we have on the Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB module. But there’s more performance for the premium that you pay to get this module.
With high-quality heat spreaders, you can simply overclock this RAM module to higher speeds. To be honest, we are living in a time where DDR5 ram modules have already hit the market, and spending over $100 for a 16GB DDR4 module isn’t a wise decision.
But if you are more into overclocking and lovesick RGB aesthetics inside your PC case, you can throw more cash on the table to get Kingston Fury Beast.
It’s an XMP-Ready module, which means you can tweak the settings to get the most performance out of this DDR4 RAM when paired with reliable AMD Ryzen APUs.
But make sure your motherboard manufacturer allows you to take advantage of XMP profiles. XMP profiles work better with Intel-based motherboards and are not available on most AMD motherboards unless made available by the mobo manufacturer.
Overall, the Kingston Fury Beast 16GB 3200 MHz DDR4 module won’t be bottlenecking your Ryzen CPU even at stock clock speed. It’s a great RAM to pair with Ryzen 3000 or 5000 Series processors.
The only thing that might keep you away from this RAM module is the higher price, it’s meant for users that have a little more budget to spend on RAM. For budget users, the Corsair Vengeance LPX or Patriot Viper Steel still remain the cheapest options to pair with Ryzen chips.
TEAMGROUP T-Force Zeus – The Cheapest Option
Type: DDR4 | Capacity: 16GB | Clock Speed: 3200 MHz | CAS: 20 | Configuration: 2 x 8GB
Reasons to Consider:
- Cheapest DDR4 Kit to pair with Low Budget Ryzen Chips
- Higher clock frequency
- Durable build quality
- Lifetime warranty
TeamGroup is one of the most budget-friendly RAM brands out there. The T-Force Zeus RAM kit comes with a 16GB capacity and a clock frequency of 3200 MHz, making it the cheapest upgrade on our list for a price tag of $45.
Although the CAS Latency on this module (CL 20) is way higher than other performance-based DDR4 modules on our list, it still shows decent performance in multitasking and entry-level content creation workloads.
Well, we cannot compare this memory with its elder sibling, the TeamGroup Xtreem ARGB which has an impressive CAS Latency 14. But at least this module gives you the right price-to-performance ratio when compared with similar modules from other competing brands.
The thing is, if you have an entry-level Ryzen CPU on your desk, then this might be the cheapest RAM upgrade to save your hard-earned cash. It’s a pretty fast budget-friendly ram for any Ryzen chip that supports DDR4 memory.
Although this RAM kit lacks high-quality heat spreaders and fancy RGB lights, it doesn’t compromise on the performance that you expect out of wallet-friendly DDR4 RAM.
Yes, with a 3200 MHz clock speed and 16GB, you can crush heavy multitasking workloads without slowing down your PC.
The only thing to worry about is the limited supply of these modules, Newegg, and eBay. If you do get your hands on one of these kits, it would be a great bargain to have for your AMD CPU.
Also, Learn About: Can You Mix Two Different RAM Brands
Verdict
Finally, these were some of the best budget DDR4 RAM kits to pair with a Ryzen CPU. Always keep in mind that the DDR4 RAM modules between 3200 MHz and 3600 MHz work perfectly with the latest generation AMD chips.
If we had to pick from one of these kits, then it would definitely be the Corsair Vengeance LPX. It’s way more affordable as compared to other kits on the list. This RAM module has the right clock speed and CAS Latency to catch up with any Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, or Ryzen 9 CPU.
Moreover, the high-quality heat spreaders on the Corsair Vengeance LPX make it a great option for overclocking when needed.
Hi, this is Masab, the Founder of PC Building Lab. I’m a PC enthusiast who loves to share the prior knowledge and experience that I have with computers. Well, troubleshooting computers is in my DNA, what else I could say….
