The best gaming RAM can make a substantial difference to the experience of using your PC, and without making a planet-sized dent in your bank balance either. We’ve seen surprisingly large variations in gaming frame rates when using different memory on the same test gear, and adding more RAM to your machine also makes it much quicker to flick between apps.

While picking out new RAM for gaming might not give you the same adrenalin rush as picking out the best graphics card or best gaming CPU, making sure you have the right system memory is essential if you want to build a gaming PC that will stand the test of time. Plus, let’s face it, a lot of the latest RGB modules also look pretty fine too, adding several lighting strips to the otherwise uninspiring motherboard area next to your CPU.

If you like to keep lots of browser tabs open, and still be able to go straight to your photo editor without being held up, then a RAM upgrade is a great investment. If you’re still struggling along with just 16GB of RAM, or worse, 8GB, then now is a great time to give your system some room to breathe.

With AMD and Intel’s latest processors supporting ever higher memory frequencies, you’ll need to pick your RAM carefully if you’re building a brand new rig. As we found in our recent DDR4 vs DDR5 investigation, it’s definitely worth making the jump to DDR5 now if you’re building a new system, and you can get higher frame rates with faster clock speeds too.

To find our best recommendations, we’ve been trying and testing many of the best gaming RAM modules at a range of prices for both AMD and Intel platforms. We cover both DDR4 and DDR5 DIMMs, and we examine kits with and without RGB lighting as well.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming