RAM Benchmark Hierarchy 2025: DDR5, DDR4 for AMD, Intel CPUs

Our RAM benchmark hierarchy assists you in locating the fastest DDR5 and DDR4 memory kits for your system. People frequently underestimate RAM (Random Access Memory), yet it is among the most vital hardware components. Choosing the appropriate or inappropriate memory kit can significantly influence your system's performance in gaming, productivity, and, if insufficient, overall sluggishness. Remember, consult our Best RAM list for the best memory deals.

Companies often introduce new memory kits with different speeds, timings, capacities, and ranks, making it tedious to compare numerous models. Our RAM benchmark hierarchy aims to provide a simple database that categorizes the best memory kits we've evaluated based on their raw performance.

To maintain objectivity in our rankings, we utilize the geometric mean of our memory benchmarking results, which helps eliminate subjective factors such as aesthetics and overclocking potential. Detailed insights are available in individual RAM reviews. We believe many of you prioritize performance above all else. However, the geometric means alone may not provide a complete picture: we suggest consulting the full review of the memory kit you’re considering for optimal performance in particular workloads or gaming scenarios.

The score results are derived from the geometric mean of our RAM benchmark suite, which comprises both scripted and real-world tests. This suite features applications such as Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, and Adobe Lightroom, as well as benchmarks like Cinebench 2024, Corona 12, Blender 4.0, V-Ray 6, 7-Zip for compression and decompression, HandBrake for x264 and x265 conversion, LuxMark v4, Windows AI inference, and Y-Cruncher.

For simplicity, we have organized the memory kits into distinct categories based on their densities. Next, we ranked the memory kits for each capacity from best to worst for both Intel and AMD systems. The score in our hierarchy may differ slightly from the geometric mean presented in the individual review. This variation occurs as we strive to provide results based on the most recent and relevant Intel and AMD platforms. We retest each memory kit to guarantee that the metrics in the table are as up-to-date as possible. We conduct retests whenever there are significant updates to either of our testing systems, including new processors, motherboards, graphics cards, or firmware revisions.

Memory pricing is highly volatile. We have refrained from providing a price-to-performance value because it only reflects the pricing at one static moment, and memory pricing varies significantly. Nonetheless, we try to provide the most current pricing in each table below; the performance measurements do not consider the price.

If you're stuck between two specific kits, you can easily compare your options by dividing the real-time pricing by the geometric mean. Ideally, you'll want to aim for the lowest value, as a smaller figure indicates better value for your money.

Update: Do not compare memory kits between different capacities. We are re-evaluating all memory kits using the Core Ultra 9 285K on the Z890 platform and the Ryzen 9 9900X on the AMD X870 platform.

Best DDR5 RAM For Intel CPUs

Best 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 Memory Kits for Intel CPUs

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Best 48GB (2x24GB) DDR5 Memory Kits for Intel CPUs

Best 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 Memory Kits for Intel CPUs

Best 96GB (2x48GB) DDR5 Memory Kits for Intel CPUs

Best 192GB (4x48GB) DDR5 Memory Kits for Intel CPUs

Best DDR5 RAM For AMD CPUs

Best 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 Memory Kits for AMD CPUs

Best 48GB (2x24GB) DDR5 Memory Kits for AMD CPUs

Best 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 Memory Kits for AMD CPUs

Best 96GB (2x48GB) DDR5 Memory Kits for AMD CPUs

Best 192GB (4x48GB) DDR5 Memory Kits for AMD CPUs

Best DDR4 RAM For Intel CPUs

Best 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 Memory Kits for Intel CPUs

Best 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 Memory Kits for Intel CPUs

Best 64GB (2x32GB) DDR4 Memory Kits for Intel CPUs

Best DDR4 RAM For AMD CPUs

Best 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 Memory Kits for AMD CPUs

Best 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 Memory Kits for AMD CPUs

Best 64GB (2x32GB) DDR4 Memory Kits for AMD CPUs

CPUs and Supported Memory Frequency

Once upon a time, the memory controller resided on the motherboard. As processors and motherboards evolved, chipmakers eventually moved the memory controller onto the chips. Therefore, Intel and AMD specify the official supported memory frequency on each generation of their processors. Unless you have an excellent sample, drifting far away from the supported frequency will require manual tweaking to get the memory to play nicely with your processor. For the best plug-and-play experience, you should pick up a memory kit that doesn't surpass the supported frequency.

There are two essential things to consider if you want to run memory faster than the official specification for your processor. For starters, the quality of your processor's IMC (integrated memory controller) determines if it can handle high-speed memory. Unfortunately, since no two processors are equal, and you can't judge a chip's IMC until you test it, you're at the mercy of the silicon lottery.

Next, verify that the motherboard is compatible with the frequency of your chosen memory kit. Quickly looking at your motherboard's user manual or product page will provide the needed information. Additionally, the motherboard's Qualified Vendors List (QVL) can be handy, as it indicates whether a particular memory kit has been tested and approved for use with the motherboard. However, remember that your chip's IMC remains a critical factor.

If you're unsure of the memory frequency your processor supports, we've provided the different standards for the last few generations of AMD and Intel processors.

AMD Desktop Processors

AMD has officially announced the Ryzen 9000 (Granite Ridge) processors powered by the chipmaker's latest Zen 5 execution cores. Similar to the company's previous Ryzen 7000 (Raphael) lineup, the latest Ryzen 9000 processors only support DDR5 memory. Native memory support on Zen 5 has improved, embracing DDR5-5600 right out of the box, a 4% improvement over Zen 4. The maximum memory supported on Ryzen 9000 processors is 128GB. We have been able to get up to 192GB working on the X870 platform, but your mileage may vary.

Zen 5 natively supports DDR5-5600 in a 1 DPC configuration regardless of whether the memory modules have a single- or dual-ranked design. However, in a 2-DPC structure, the official data rate drops to DDR5-3600.

AMD introduced EXPO (EXtended Profiles for Overclocking) profiles with Zen 4. AMD EXPO is equivalent to Intel's XMP 3.0 technology, allowing one-click overclocking to the predefined data rates. AMD didn't make any changes to EXPO; therefore, EXPO-certified memory kits that work on Zen 4 will also work flawlessly on Zen 5.

Intel Desktop Processors

Intel's Core Ultra 200S (Arrow Lake) processors natively support DDR5-6400 with the latest CUDIMMs. With regular UDIMMs, the native support remains at DDR5-5600, just like the 13th Generation Raptor Lake and 14th Generation Raptor Lake Refresh processors. However, you cannot combine CUDIMMs and UDIMMs on the same motherboard. One crucial change with Arrow Lake is that Intel has officially axed support for DDR4.

In a 1 DPC setup, Arrow Lake enables DDR5-5600 using single- and dual-rank memory modules. In contrast, the 2 DPC configuration officially supports DDR5-4800 for single-rank memory modules, while for dual-rank modules, it decreases to DDR5-4400.

Arrow Lake maintains the gear ratio system, which Intel introduced with Rocket Lake. Gear 1 has the processor's memory controller and memory speed in a 1:1 balance. At the same time, Gear 2 runs the memory controller at half speed (0.5:1). Gear 4 is helpful with memory kits that exceed DDR5-9600 at the expense of an even higher performance penalty than Gear 2.

Test Systems

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Our Intel DDR5 testbed includes the Core Ultra 9 285K (Arrow Lake) and the MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X. In contrast, the AMD DDR5 system features a Ryzen 9 9900X (Granite Ridge) and the MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi. The Corsair iCUE Link Titan 360 RX LCD CPU liquid cooler keeps our chips cool.

We utilize the MSI GeForce RTX 4080 16GB Gaming X Trio for our gaming benchmarks. With speeds reaching up to 7,400 MB/s, the TeamGroup A440 Lite 2TB stores our Windows 11 24H2 installation, benchmarking software, and games. A Corsair RM1000x Shift power supply delivers clean power and facilitates easy cable management for our DDR5 test platforms.

Our previous Intel DDR4 system featured the Core i9-10900K (Comet Lake) and the Asus ROG Maximus XII Apex. The AMD equivalent utilized the Ryzen 9 5900X (Vermeer) processor and the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero. For several years, the MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming Trio reliably provided us with its graphical capabilities. Crucial's MX500 500GB SSD served as our primary drive for Windows installation and benchmarking software, while the 2TB drive was dedicated to our more storage-intensive games. Meanwhile, the Corsair RM650X was selected to power our DDR4 systems.

No matter the testbed, the Streacom BC1 open-air test bench has been excellent, providing a comfortable space for all our hardware.

RAM Pricing Trends

The latest TrendForce report revealed that DDR5 prices are projected to rise between 3% and 8% in the year's fourth quarter. Meanwhile, DDR4 prices may increase by up to 5%. For instance, two 8GB DDR4 chips cost 10% more in November than in August. TrendForce attributed the price hikes to manufacturers who reportedly prefer to raise prices rather than reduce them. The only good news is that manufacturers have a healthy stock, so a shortage isn't imminent. Some vendors, such as Samsung, have cut production by as much as 30% to move older inventory first.

DDR4 shoppers should be careful, as there are reports of vendors desoldering DDR4 chips from server memory and recycling them into consumer memory kits. The reused chips are flooding the memory market and will influence the spot market pricing.

Whether you're shopping for a memory kit on our list of Best RAM or one that's not, you may find savings by checking out the latest Newegg promo codes, Best Buy promo codes, and Micro Center coupon codes.

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