While not completely upgradeable like modular gaming desktop PCs, modern laptops still have certain components that users can upgrade, such as storage and memory. Both are required in modern games in copious amounts to handle higher texture detail, heavier game engines and assets as well as generally heavier applications, many of which work in concert with the game titles to provide an optimal experience.
This can range from third-party anti-cheat software to simple frame rate trackers and custom 3D wallpaper backgrounds, all of which are not only demanding in terms of processing power but also on memory requirements as a gamer and a content creator. Very slow or sluggish performance is the result if memory thresholds are exceeded as the PC attempts to compensate for the lack of extra RAM.
This has resulted in most laptops with 8GB of memory being restricted to more basic tasks, seeing them often overwhelmed by even a large amount of web browser tabs being opened up simultaneously on a PC. Sadly, quite a few laptops (especially at the lower end), continue to ship with 8GB of memory. Although RAM is user-upgradeable, shipping with less RAM is a part of the cost-cutting process of most laptop manufacturers. While most gaming laptops come with at least 16GB of RAM, some games are already pushing past this threshold for their memory needs, requiring as much as 24GB or higher to sustain their larger memory footprints.
The Best Gaming Laptops for 2024
The best gaming laptop for you will come down to budget, expected performance, and workload. Let's dive in and find your new gaming laptop.
Updated on April 22 2024 by Charlie Vin Tonny: DDR4 price tags are hitting historic lows, making high-capacity memories more accessible than ever. This is heaven-sent if you're looking to upgrade and looking to take advantage of the trend to enjoy the benefits of high-speed DDR4 memory without the steep price tags.
Picking The Best RAM For Gaming Laptops
Picking the best RAM for gaming laptops and work laptops that can game effectively comes down to the same factors as those for gaming PCs. Users should look at the following aspects to make a better, informed choice when buying a RAM upgrade for their increased memory needs for some of the latest gaming titles.
Clock Speeds: Clock speeds effectively dictate the speed of transfer on DDR4 and DDR5 RAM modules and are a crucial aspect of what drives a PC or laptop's data pipelines. This is particularly important for modern games that are very demanding and require fast-loading textures and house larger game engines than their predecessors. As a rule of thumb, aiming for at least 3200 MHz for DDR4 and 5600 MHz for DDR5 when it comes to gaming laptops should be adequate for most users.
Latency: Lower latency memory generally allows faster access to data that game engines need, allowing for better, smoother experiences for gamers looking to eke out extra performance. This is because modern game engines constantly need a stream of data. The latency to access this dictates how fast they can output the next frame, directly impacting maximum and minimum FPS on titles that are not otherwise CPU or GPU bottlenecked.
Capacity: Most gaming laptops come with at least 16GB of RAM under the hood. However, some entry-level units do push lower with 4GB or 8GB configurations, neither of which is enough for gaming in a majority of new titles in 2024. Game ZXC recommends upgrading to 32GB of DDR5 or DDR4 laptop memory, given the needs of future gaming titles, even as applications continue to get more memory-hungry. This is in part due to falling RAM prices, allowing for cheaper and easier upgrades for most users.
Best DDR5 RAM for Gaming Laptops In 2024
A stable RAM is among the prerequisites for a gaming laptop, and this guide includes the best of the best in the DDR5 class.
Game ZXC's Picks for the Best Gaming RAM for Laptops in 2024
Here are some of Game ZXC's handpicked DDR5 and DDR4 laptop RAM modules that offer a mix of value, performance, and stability while being backed by lifetime warranties wherever possible.
G.SKILL Ripjaws SO-DIMM 4800MHz DDR5 32GB (2 x 16GB) CL34
One Ram Kit To Rule Them All
- Brand
- G.Skill
- Size
- 32GB (2 x16GB) Kit
- Technology
- DDR5
- Speed
- 4800MHz
- Compatible Devices
- Intel 12th and 13th Gen Laptops, AMD 7000 Series Laptops
- RGB
- N/A
- Latency
- CL34-34-34-76
- Cost-effective upgrade
- Low latency compared to most of its competition
- 32GB of DDR5 memory seems to be the sweet spot for gaming
- Newer RAM kits offer 5600MHz XMP profiles
- As a 16GB x 2 kit, you might be forced to remove the memory your laptop arrives with given that most laptops only have 2 DIMM slots
The G.SKILL Ripjaws SO-DIMM 4800MHz DDR5 32GB Kit is Game ZXC's pick for the best DDR5 gaming memory for laptops. It offers lower latency (CL34-34-34-76) than most of its direct competitors, a comprehensive lifetime warranty, and a relatively better price than most of its peers, making it a logical purchase as a cost-effective upgrade. It is an easy plug-and-play upgrade for most laptop users who know how to DIY upgrade their laptop's memory, something that often requires just a single screwdriver.
The Best DDR5 RAM for Gaming PCs in 2024
DDR5 is all the rage of late, but not all RAM kits are made equal. Finding the right RAM can significantly help boost a PC's performance.
It does have its limitations, though. Unlike some other options, it is a 2 x 16GB kit, making it an upgrade that involves not being able to use the memory on one's laptop previously unless it has four DIMM slots. Most laptops only come with two DIMM slots, meaning users could end up with a spare RAM stick after the upgrade. There is also the fact that newer laptops come with 5600MHz memory support by default (Intel's 13th generation). While the jury is out on the value of performance gains users get on higher latency and higher clocked RAM on laptops, they do look to be slightly faster when they offer the same latency in laptop SODIMMs.
G.SKILL Ripjaws SODIMM 32GB 3200MHz DDR4 RAM CL22
The G.Skill Ripjaws 32GB RAM kit comes with 2 x 16GB RAM modules that clock in at the recommended 3200MT/S speeds that most modern DDR4-based gaming laptops exhibit, making them an inexpensive laptop memory upgrade for portable gaming PCs.
- Brand
- G.Skill
- Size
- 32GB
- Technology
- DDR5
- Speed
- 3200MHz
- Compatible Devices
- DDR4 Compatible AMD and Intel based Laptops
- RGB
- No
- Latency
- CL22 (22-22-22-52)
- Priced fairly for a 32GB laptop memory upgrade
- 32GB of laptop memory is more than enough for modern games and most productivity applications
- CL22 is slightly higher latency than we would like for gaming laptop memor
The G.SKILL Ripjaws SODIMM 32GB 3200MHz DDR4 laptop memory is Game ZXC's pick for the best overall DDR4 laptop RAM currently available, given its high capacity, fair pricing, and excellent warranty coverage. This makes it a relatively easy recommendation compared to its competition.
GSkill has better, lower latency memory, but it does tend to cost considerably more than the competition while offering limited benefits (if at all) to most users. For most users, 3200MHz will provide the sweet spot gaming performance without going too harsh on the wallet. With just a single RAM stick, the laptop will get 32GB of total memory size, leaving the other DIMM slot empty for future upgrades.
CORSAIR Vengeance SODIMM 4800MHz DDR5 RAM 32GB CL40
The no-nonsense budget upgrade
- Brand
- Corsair
- Size
- 32GB (32GB x 1)
- Technology
- DDR5
- Speed
- 4800MHz
- Compatible Devices
- Intel 12th and 13th Gen Laptops
- RGB
- N/A
- Latency
- CL40-40-40-77
- A relatively straightforward DDR5 memory upgrade for most laptops
- Limited lifetime warranty
- As a singular memory module, offers the ability to add more memory down the line
- Entry-level CL40 latency with competition doing significantly better in this price range
- Because it is not a kit, unless you plan to use it standalone, it can have some issues with existing laptop memory
The CORSAIR Vengeance SODIMM 4800MHz DDR5 RAM comes as a single 32GB RAM module. It offers a cost-effective memory upgrade that isn't the fastest or the lowest latency, but in a nutshell, it gets the job done. It normally matches or slightly exceeds most factory-spec RAM that gaming laptops come with (apart from the higher-end gaming units that use better memory modules). With historically high compatibility of the Vengeance brand for most gaming laptops, this should be a seamless upgrade for most, if not all, users.
Best RAM to Pair with RTX 4060/4060 Ti
The G.SKILL Trident Z5 DDR5 RGB Series seems to be the RAM to beat for RTX 4060/4060 Ti. Here are some of the best RAM options to pair with the GPU.
It does, however, have slightly higher latency than most of its competing RAM upgrade offerings. CL40 latency is close to, if not the standard, for most gaming laptop memory found in OEM laptop configurations. Since it is a single unit, buyers may also want to look at the memory their laptop already has. If they have vastly different latency, they might run slower than their rated speeds. With most 5600MHz memory only costing a fraction more, one might lean toward slightly more expensive but faster modules if their budget allows.
Corsair Vengeance Series 32GB(2x 16GB) DDR4 2666MHz CL18
With Corsair's Vengeance 32GB kit clocked at 2666MHz, users can look up to ideal gaming performance on a budget. The RAM kit comes with dual memory sticks, each boasting 16GB RAM capacity and CL18 as Cas latency. This RAM kit is perfect for upgrading DDR4 gaming laptops and doesn't complicate things when it comes to speed and latency.
- Brand
- Corsair
- Size
- 2x 16GB(32GB)
- Technology
- DDR4
- Speed
- 2666MHz
- Compatible Devices
- Intel and AMD DDR4 laptops
- RGB
- No
- Latency
- 18-19-19-39
- Good latency
- Affordable price
- Not suitable for high-performance gaming
Sometimes, all it takes is an affordable RAM kit like the Vengeance 32GB DDR4 memory that provides sufficient horsepower for satisfactory gaming performance. It's not overkill by any means but has little to no hassles in achieving the 2666MHz clock speed out of the box. The timings are also excellent, making sure that the RAM sticks are highly responsive in budget gaming laptops.
It doesn't need any tweaking from the BIOS and supports Auto Overclocking to reach the advertised speed at the same 18-19-19-39 latency as on the base clock frequency. It's cheaper than most DDR4 laptop RAM kits out there and should be sufficient for the next couple of years for any type of gaming or memory-intensive workload.
Kingston FURY Impact 32GB (2x16GB) 6400MT/s CL38
Kingston FURY Impact RAM kit boasts dual 16GB memory modules clocked at an impressively high frequency of 6400MT/s. This kit is significantly superior to the regular 4800MT/s RAM kits in performance and also provides low latency. Supporting Intel XMP 3.0 out of the box, overclocking it is a breeze.
- Brand
- Kingston
- Size
- 2x 16GB(32GB)
- Technology
- DDR5
- Speed
- 6400 MT/s
- Compatible Devices
- Intel and AMD DDR5 laptops
- RGB
- No
- Latency
- 38-40-40
- Intel XMP 3.0 ready
- High frequency of upto 6400MT/s
- Excellent cas latency
- Significantly costlier than standard DDR5 RAM kits
When all that matters is performance, then users shouldn't opt for anything other than this Kingston Fury Impact RAM kit that offers desktop-level speed for high performance. While Kingston has many DDR5 modules for laptops, which are up to the mark, this one is one step ahead through its Intel XMP 3.0 compatibility for running on great timings. This kit is ideal for fast gaming laptops that run on the latest high-end hardware for uncompromised gaming performance.
The Best DDR5 RAM for Gaming PCs in 2024
DDR5 is all the rage of late, but not all RAM kits are made equal. Finding the right RAM can significantly help boost a PC's performance.
The max speed users can achieve on the RAM modules is 6400MT/s, but the kit can also run it in various other configurations, including 4800, 5600, and 6000 MT/s. Unlike what users may expect, the RAM kit is actually pretty tight on timings at 6400MT/s. While the default CL timing at 4800 MT/s is 40-39-39, at 6000 MT/s, it's much better with CL38-38-38, and at 6400 MT/s, it's 38-40-40 at 1.35V. Definitely, a top-notch laptop RAM kit for enthusiasts.
Patriot Memory Viper Steel Series DDR4 16GB (1 x 16GB) 3200MHz CL18
The Viper Steel 16GB DDR4 RAM features a single 16GB stick for DDR4-based laptops, providing up to 3200MHz of clock speed with XMP 2.0 support. The timings are excellent and the RAM is suitable even for AMD platforms. With two of these, users can have plenty of RAM capacity for any workload.
- Brand
- Patriot
- Size
- 1x 16GB
- Technology
- DDR4
- Speed
- 3200MHz
- Compatible Devices
- Intel and AMD DDR4 laptops
- RGB
- No
- Latency
- 18-24-24-44
- Intel XMP 2.0 support
- Tight timings on higher speed
- Automatic overclocking
- A little expensive
- Llittle headroom for overclocking
High-performance DDR4 modules for laptops aren't as prevalent on the market as the DDR5 ones. As most users just go with the advertised RAM speed, the cache latency goes ignored most of the time. However, it is a critical property of both desktop and laptop RAM that can make a big difference. That's why Game ZXC recommends Patriot's Viper Steel Series 16GB DDR4 RAM that has tighter timings without sacrificing the clock speed.
This is a single 16GB RAM module running at 3200MHz with Intel XMP 2.0 support and has exceptional timings at full frequency. While the base timings are 22-22-22-52, with XMP turned on, users can achieve 18-24-24-44 at 3200MHz, which is pretty solid for any high-end gaming laptop. Thankfully, the RAM stick doesn't cost much over the budget-oriented DDR4 laptop RAM modules. However, although it features automatic overclocking, it isn't its strongest trait. Upping the DRAM voltage only increases its speed by a minimal margin.
G.SKILL Ripjaws DDR5 SO-DIMM Series DDR5 RAM 32GB
The G.SKILL Ripjaws DDR5 SO-DIMM is one of the fastest high-performance laptop DDR5 memory kits that money can buy right now. It has the best timings, thanks to the use of screened IC chips as well as G.SKILL's rigorous hand-tested highly selective binning process.
- Brand
- G.Skill
- Size
- 32GB
- Technology
- DDR5
- Speed
- 5600 MT/s
- Compatible Devices
- Notebook/Laptop
- RGB
- No
- Latency
- CL46-45-45-89
- High-speed performance
- Easy overclocking
- Energy-efficient design
- May not reach stated speeds on all setups
Gamers who fancy pushing their fast gaming laptops limits will love the G.SKILL Ripjaws DDR5 SO-DIMM Series DDR5 RAM. It has high overclocking capabilities, advanced power management, and a sleek design, delivering ultra-fast speeds even beyond the stated baseline.
The memory has a capacity of 32GB, and users can expect speeds of up to 5600 mt/s and timings of around CL46-45-45-89 1.10V. It has XMP profile support, allowing it to reach or even exceed the advertised overclock speed. Users can enable the feature through a simple BIOS setting that bypasses manual tuning.
This makes this RAM one of the best options for people who take overclocking seriously, such as professional gamers and content creators, as well as professional 3D rendering, where milliseconds count. However, note that for a rig to reach or exceed the stated overclock speed will depend on compatibility with the CPU and motherboard. The kits are also designed with an on-board power management integrated circuit chip for efficient power delivery and control, which is ideal for overclocking. This is also crucial for gaming laptops, where heat management and battery life are essential. The G.SKILL Ripjaws DDR5 SO-DIMM Series DDR5 RAM is a compelling option for users who prioritize performance over budget. It stands out for its balance of overclocking potential and speed, though it comes at a higher cost.
Kingston FURY Impact 32GB (2x16GB) 3200
This Kingston Fury impact 32GB kit is great for those looking to overclock laptops in a DDR4 setup. Its 3200MT/s memory speed, low latency timing of 20-22-22 at 1.2V, solid build quality, and XMP support make it a top contender in the class.
- Brand
- Kingston
- Size
- 32GB
- Technology
- DDR4
- Speed
- 3200 MHz
- Compatible Devices
- Laptop Memory Kit
- RGB
- NO
- Latency
- CL20
The FURY series is well known for reliability and solid performance and this unit does not deviate from the norm. It runs at DDR4-3200 and has a CAS latency of CL20-22-22 at 1.2V, which makes it a solid contender in the DDR4 world for people looking to overclock their laptops.
It is specifically designed for power users, creatives, and gamers looking for responsive and fast memory.
Also, its Plug-and-play design that overclocks automatically to the highest possible frequency makes it easy to boost its performance even for less tech-savvy users. Its pre-defined XMP 2.0 profiles are optimized for performance, allowing users to seamlessly overclock their units on compatible chipsets without manually adjusting the BIOS settings.
In general, this kit’s performance and ease of use are among the best in the DDR4 class. Although it may not feature the flashiest design or the lowest latency, its solid build, dependable operation, and user-friendly features make it a great choice for overclocking.
The Best G.Skill DDR5s for 2024
G.Skill is one of the leading brands in the memory market, offering the best memory kits based on various features, performance, and compatibility.
FAQ
Q: Can buyers use laptop memory of two different frequencies together?
Yes, but it is not recommended unless users know what they are doing. Most laptops will attempt to run the faster memory module to the specifications of the slower memory module. This could result in a loss of performance and stability in some cases. Ideally, RAM modules should be an identical pair or at least have support for the same frequency and latency at the time of operation to avoid issues down the line.
Q: Does DDR5 memory work in a DDR4 laptop?
No, DDR5 memory operates at a different voltage and a different pin layout, making it impossible to use DDR5 memory in DDR4 laptops and vice versa. Attempting to do so may damage the laptop or memory modules.