Do you really need to optimize your RAM for gaming?
I have 6 games to benchmark here. All of these games will be tested in 1080p, with overall comparisons given at the end.
- DLSS is off
- CPU and GPU are stock, no overclock.
- REBar is off
- Games tested in Fullscreen
- Vsync is off
- Nvidia Low Latency is off, but if it’s turned on like in Valorant, I will let you know on the graph.
- Frame rate uncapped
- Ray Tracing is off
- All Games Benchmarked on a 3 Game Average (EXCEPT League of Legends 3600 Profile as I removed the CPU before I realized this)
Test system(my system):
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700x Stock
AIO: (OLD) EKWB 240 DRGB (Replaced now)
GPU: ZOTAC GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC 8GB LHR Stock
SSD: Samsung 990 Pro 2TB, 860 EVO 500gb
HDD: Seagate 500gb, 4x 1tb Samsung, 2tb Western Digital Green, 4tb Seagate IronWolf Nas
Ram: 32GB Patriot Viper CL18 DDR4 4000, 32GB GSkill Trident CL16 DDR4 3200
Ram Cooler xD: Jonsbo NF-1 (Only used with Patriot Viper Kit)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Aorus Master B550 PSU: Corsair RM750x Gold 750w
Case: Corsair 5000D Airflow
Fans: 3x Inwin Sirius Loop ASL120 120mm (Intake), 3x Fractal Design Prisma AL-12 120mm (Intake), 1x Silverstone Air Blazer 120R 120mm (Exhaust), 2x Random Corsair 120mm fans (Intake on bottom).
There are three profiles for the ram:
1. G.Skill DDR4 3200 XMP 32gb 16gb x2 CL16 @1.35v – G. SKill F4-3200C16D-16GTZRX Trident Z RGB – Hynix M-Die
2. G.Skill DDR4 3433 Overclocked CL16 @1.38v – G. SKill F4-3200C16D-16GTZRX Trident Z RGB – Hynix M-Die
- GDM on
- Command Rate 1T
- Subtimings Not Changed
3. Patriot Viper DDR4 Overclocked CL16 8gb x4 @1.42v – Patriot Viper Steel PVS416G400C9K – Samsung B-Die
- GDM on
- Command Rate 1T
Here is the video of Ram Benchmarks:
Graphs of the Games – Hover to see the Names of Games:
Graphics Settings in Game – Hover to see the Names of Games:
Some final Thoughts:
- So yes, having better RAM with a higher clock speed and, more importantly, a profile with tighter timings for overall lower latency can help for 1% lows and stutter in some games. Average FPS may go up depending on how CPU bound the game. Although its not something to worry too much about if you already have your ram installed in your PC.
- Also, overclocking RAM for the first time can be difficult and is a lot of information to learn. If you are going to OC, please make sure that you check the maximum voltage of your ram’s IC; otherwise, you can shorten or destroy the life of your ram.
- TestMem5 (TM5) with the Anta777 Extreme is what I use to test my RAM, and I make sure it’s on a separate bootdisk, not the one that has my main operating system.
- /r/Overclocking is worth a look as well as Buildzoid YouTube Channel. This Git Repo for MemTestHelper is pretty good as well.
Timestamps:
0:00 – 0:33 Intro
0:34 – 1:44 Test System
1:45 – 2:32 Ram Profiles
2:33 – 3:10 Assassins Creed Valhalla
3:11 – 3:52 Cyberpunk
3:52 – 4:47 Hogwarts Legacy
4:48 – 5:22 Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart
5:23 – 6:32 Valorant
6:33 – 7:41 League of Legends
7:42 – 8:16 3433 v 3200
8:17 – 9:48 3433 v 3600
9:49 Final Thoughts
YSTech: https://ystech.org
YSTech Article: https://ystech.org/does-ram-matter-for-gaming
-YS