Biting RAM on Amazon Prime Day? Recommendations and buying advice from PCGH [Update]

On By Garmin Philip
Crucial Ballistix BL2K16G36C16U4B & BL2K8G32C16U4B

If you’re on the hunt for new RAM, promotions like Amazon Prime Day are one way to snag a bargain. We also present interesting offers from time to time in the bargain guide. This article is intended to give you a brief overview of what you should look out for when buying RAM. Detailed advice and lots of background information can be found in the purchase advice for DDR4 and DDR5 RAM that was updated just a few days ago. To compare the offers of different retailers, we recommend you to use the PCGH price comparison. There you can do both DDR4 memory as well as DDR5 RAM Kits Filter by storage capacity and clock frequency, for example, and check prices and availability.

updated: We have added three offers where you can currently save money compared to all other products in the PCGH price comparison.

Buy RAM: storage capacity, DDR4 and DDR5

We recommend players as a minimum 16 GiB RAM, less memory is a clear disadvantage in many current games. 32 GiBytes are not yet a must, but they are more and more advantageous compared to 16 GiBytes. For the Flight Simulator 2020, for example, the use of 32 GiByte is already highly recommended, otherwise there is a risk of crashes. If you, as a power user, use complex multimedia software for image/video editing or RAM disks, operate virtualization, work with a large number of memory-hungry programs at the same time or simply do not want to make any compromises, more than 32 GiByte can also be worthwhile. With 64 GiByte, PC gamers are likely to have things taken care of for many years.

DDR4 SDRAM is the established memory standard that was first installed in desktop PCs in 2014. The maximum capacity per module is 32 GiByte. With the beginning of the generation change to DDR5 RAM, the range should first thin out significantly in the high-end segment. Something similar could already be observed in previous GDR generations. So if you want to equip your DDR4 system with a kit that is approved for particularly sharp timings at high clock rates, then you shouldn’t wait too long. In principle, however, DDR4 RAM will remain available for years to come, so there is no reason to switch too quickly to DDR5 memory.

You can currently only use DDR5 desktop RAM with an Intel Alder Lake processor, i.e. the 12th core generation. Since Core i9-12900K & Co. also work with DDR4 modules, the mainboard used, on which the RAM slots are located, effectively determines which memory type you can use. According to leaks, Intel’s next CPU generation Raptor Lake will also support DDR4 RAM in addition to DDR5 modules, but Ryzen 7000 for socket AM5 is expected to only work with DDR5 memory. The officially maximum supported clock rates in the overview:

  • Intel Alder Lake (12th Gen Core): DDR4-3200 & DDR5-4800
  • Intel Raptor Lake (13th Gen Core): DDR4-3200 & DDR5-5600 – pending official confirmation
  • Ryzen 5000: DDR4-3200
  • Ryzen 6000 (Mobile CPUs): DDR5-4800
  • Ryzen 7000: DDR5-5600 – pending official confirmation

Buy RAM: Offers on Amazon Prime Day

We have analyzed for you all the RAM offers known to us on Amazon Prime Day. Unfortunately, the selection isn’t all that great; primarily Crucial memory is offered at a discount by the e-commerce giant. In return, in addition to DDR4 and DDR5 RAM, SO-DIMMs are also available at a reduced price. These compact bars are primarily suitable for upgrading a laptop. In the following, we have pre-selected the offers for you with which you can save money compared to all other providers and with comparable key data. We have added PCGH price comparison links to every offer so that you can buy at the lowest price despite short-term price changes on Prime Day. You can see at a glance how much technically comparable modules cost from other retailers.





Crucial Ballistix BL2K16G36C16U4B & BL2K8G32C16U4B



Crucial Ballistix BL2K16G36C16U4B & BL2K8G32C16U4B

Source: Crucial




DDR4 RAM for desktop PCs:

  • Crucial Ballistix BL2K16G36C16U4B on Prime Day for 118.99 euros (€182.06)
    2× 16 GiByte DDR4-3600 (16-18-18-38) @ 1.35 volts
    There are slightly cheaper DDR4-3600 kits with 2× 16 GiByte in the PCGH price comparison, but these are only released for leisurely timings. The cheapest CL16 option however, is ~138 euros. So the Prime Day offer of 118.99 euros is a really good offer. Incidentally, we were able to operate the red color variant in the PCGH test with DDR4-4267 and 1.50 volts with the timings 16-19-19. We cannot guarantee the results, but the kit is definitely interesting for overclockers.




  • Crucial Ballistix BL2K16G36C16U4B & BL2K8G32C16U4B



    Crucial Ballistix BL2K16G36C16U4B & BL2K8G32C16U4B

    Source: Crucial




    Crucial Ballistix BL2K8G32C16U4B on Prime Day for 52.99 euros (€80.91)
    2× 8 GiByte DDR4-3200 (16-18-18-36) @ 1.35 volts
    The 52.99 euros called by Amazon on Prime Day is one of the cheapest offers currently available for a kit with 2× 8 GiByte capacity and DDR4-3200 release in the PCGH price comparison are. While there are other kits listed for ~$60, some don’t offer a heatsink and, in our opinion, leave less room for manual tuning than these Crucial modules, which should have high-speed Micron revision E devices.





  • PNY XLR8 Gaming Epic-X RGB MD16GK2D4400018XRGB



    PNY XLR8 Gaming Epic-X RGB MD16GK2D4400018XRGB

    Source: PNY




    PNY XLR8 Gaming Epic-X RGB MD16GK2D4400018XRGB at Prime Day for 79.32 euros (€118.95)
    2× 8 GiByte DDR4-4000 (18-22-22-42) @ 1.35 volts
    With an approval for DDR4-4000, this offer is primarily aimed at overclockers. The modules equipped with RGB LEDs are currently the cheapest option if you want a DDR4 kit with 2× 8 GiByte and a release for at least DDR4-4000 with a CAS latency of 18. Comparable offers are a few euros above the Prime Day offer. You can be sure of that in the PCGH price comparison convince. In the PCGH test, the bars passed our DDR4-4267 test at 1.35 volts, with 1.50 volts we achieved the timings 17-23-23. As always, we cannot guarantee such results.





  • Crucial CT16G4DFRA32A



    Crucial CT16G4DFRA32A

    Source: Crucial




    Crucial CT16G4DFRA32A on Prime Day for 44.99 euros (€52.13)
    1× 16 GiByte DDR4-3200 (22-22-22) @ 1.20 volts
    In order to be able to use Dual Channel to increase performance, at least two modules must be installed. Due to the slow timing, this RAM module is more for an office or HTPC, where not every percent of performance matters. But the price is right: the 44.99 euros called on Prime Day make the Crucial module the cheapest of all DDR4-3200 modules with 16 GiByte capacity. In the PCGH price comparison comparable products are only listed from ~49 euros.





Crucial CT2K8G4SFRA32A



Crucial CT2K8G4SFRA32A

Source: Crucial




DDR4 RAM for laptops (SO-DIMM construction):

  • Crucial CT2K8G4SFRA32A on Prime Day for €44.99 (€67.02)
    2× 8 GiByte DDR4-3200 (22-22-22) @ 1.20 volts
    Compact SO-DIMMs are common for retrofitting RAM in notebooks. Insight in the PCGH price comparison shows that 44.99 euros for 2 × 8 GiByte DDR4-3200 RAM is a lonely top. At least ~55 euros are due for competing products. It is common for SO-DIMMs that the timings are relatively high: Many notebooks operate RAM according to JEDEC specifications, faster XMP settings or overclocking are blocked for users.




  • Crucial CT8G4SFRA32A



    Crucial CT8G4SFRA32A

    Source: Crucial




    Crucial CT8G4SFRA32A on Prime Day for €22.99 (€27.86)
    1× 8 GiByte DDR4-3200 (22-22-22) @ 1.20 volts
    If you don’t need a kit, but a single 8 GiByte DDR4-3200 module for a notebook, then this offer might be interesting. For 22.99 euros there is currently no cheaper alternative, you can get comparable SO-DIMMs in the PCGH price comparison at other dealers only from about 26 euros.





Crucial CT32G48C40S5 & CT16G48C40S5



Crucial CT32G48C40S5 & CT16G48C40S5

Source: Crucial




DDR5 RAM for laptops (SO-DIMM construction):

  • Crucial CT32G48C40S5 on Prime Day for 139.99 euros (€180.99)
    1× 32 GiByte DDR5-4800 (40-39-39) @ 1.10 volts
    Here you get a single DDR5 module with a full capacity of 32 GiByte in the compact SO-DIMM design, as is usual for notebooks. A look into the PCGH price comparison shows that the 139.99 euros currently being called up by Amazon are very attractive. For other DDR5 SO-DIMMs with 32 GiByte you otherwise pay at least about 172 euros.




  • Crucial CT32G48C40S5 & CT16G48C40S5



    Crucial CT32G48C40S5 & CT16G48C40S5

    Source: Crucial




    Crucial CT16G48C40S5 on Prime Day for 71.99 euros (€90.99)
    1× 16 GiByte DDR5-4800 (40-39-39) @ 1.10 volts
    The latest notebooks with an Intel CPU or AMD’s Ryzen 6000 series already support DDR5 memory, which is content with just 1.10 volts. If RAM is already pre-installed/soldered on in the notebook, it may be that only one additional module can be installed or is required for dual-channel operation. DDR5 RAM is still more expensive than DDR4 memory, which is why the 71.99 euros for the 16 GiByte module from Crucial is a real bargain. In the PCGH price comparison other SO-DIMMs with the same capacity and DDR5 technology are only listed from ~93 euros.

Reference-www.pcgameshardware.de