Corsair 32GB GB Dominator Platinum 2,400MHz 400MH $330

IT ISN’T A great time to upgrade memory right now. Not because there’s no benefit in giving your OS and apps more room, but because pricing is currently horrible. Memory pricing has almost doubled in the last 12 months, so while we’d love to recommend that everyone aims for at least 16GB in their systems, it’s a tough call to make when even a budget kit will set you back nearly $150.

Aim for 8GB as an absolute minimum for most normal use, although 32GB is nice for serious work. If you’ve got room to double up on what you’ve already got, do so, because hopefully pricing will calm down by the time you upgrade again. When it comes to what to buy, aim for capacity first and frequency after. Low latency kits are the way to go if you can afford them, although given the current inflated pricing, being picky will cost you. As an example, you can pick up DDR4 kits rated at up to 4,600MT/s (PC4 36800 with 1923-23-43 timings), although you will pay a lot for the privilege ($430-plus for 16GB).

It’s worth noting that Ryzen benefits from faster memory, because its infinity fabric operates at the speed of the memory, but be mindful of compatibility—check your mobo’s supported memory list for capacity and speed first.