Introduction

In early 2020, we published a video that compared DDR4-3200, 3600, and 4000 RAM on both Intel and AMD platforms. It was quite revealing, and one of the takeaways was that DDR4-3600 seemed like a real sweet spot for a modern system. But there was one issue that we couldn’t cover adequately in that shootout, how DRAM timings affect performance. So we went back the the drawing board, picked up a few more DDR4-3600 kits with a range of timings, and jumped into more in-depth testing. Without further ado, here’s another look at what impacts RAM speed, featuring three great DDR4 kits from Corsair and Patriot:

• Corsair 2x8GB Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4-3600, 18-19-19-39
• Corsair 4x8GB Dominator Platinum RGB DDR4-3600, 16-18-18-36
• Patriot 2x8GB Viper RGB DDR4-3600, 17-19-19-39

Because each of these kits also offers its own take on RGB lighting, we provide a look at them in action and share our thoughts on which is best.

Special thanks to Corsair and Patriot for providing these review samples!

TBG’s Video Review

Going forward, all of TBG’s reviews will be released exclusively on YouTube, as video provides far more opportunity to offer details and insight into production design and functionality than a written review ever could.

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Conclusion

Overall, we certainly found that if you dig deep enough, you’ll discover that timings definitely matter. It won’t impact every game or application, but on the margin, it does make sense to at least consider timings when buying RAM, especially if you can get tighter timings for a lower price. And that’s exactly what our overall Price/Performance Winner delivers: the Patriot 2x8GB Viper RGB DDR4-3600 (17-19-19-39) provides excellent performance at a very good price, plus RGB effects. If you don’t want the RGB, then pick up the sleek-looking Patriot Viper Steel version and save even more money!

With that said, Patriot has a ways to go before it can claim to have the best RGB effects – that award goes to the venerable Corsair 2x8GB Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4-3600 (18-19-19-39) kit, which in our opinion is the best-looking RAM kit on the market. No, it doesn’t have fancy milled heatsinks, but once the lights kick in, you’ll be blinded by their beauty!