Question I'm planning on upgrading the RAM on my MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 motherboard ?

[VERX]

These are the following options I have starting from the cheapest (32GB DDR4):

1. Kingston Fury BEAST RGB (2x16 and 4x8 for the same price) 3200MHz CL16
2. TEAMGROUP T-Force Delta RGB (2x16) 3600MHz CL18
3. CORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB PRO SL 32GB (2x16GB) 3200MHz CL16

Now I would prefer to get the cheapest but is there any gain if I was to say go for the second option (which is almost as expensive as the Corsair) the T-Force Delta RGB (2x16) 3600MHz that has a higher speeds than the rest? then is there any reason for the most expensive option the CORSAIR VENGEANCE?

If I went with the cheapest option the Kingston Fury BEAST should I go with the 4x8? for visuals I'm leaning more towards 4x8 but if I did is there anything I should be aware of? is it recommended to go with 4x8 over 2x16? or it doesn't matter in this case?

These are the prices:
$78 Kingston Fury BEAST RGB (2x16 and 4x8 for the same price) 3200MHz CL16
$99 TEAMGROUP T-Force Delta RGB (2x16) 3600MHz CL18
$113 CORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB PRO SL 32GB (2x16GB) 3200MHz CL16

PC Specs
Intel Core i5-14600KF
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360
MSI PRO Z690-A WIFI DDR4 (with latest BIOS)
G.SKILL TridentZ RGB Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 3000Mhz
SAMSUNG 860 EVO 500GB
Kingston KC600 1TB
GIGABYTE 4080 GAMING OC
Lian Li Edge EG0850G 850W Gold (ATX 3.1) PCIE 5.1 (12V-2×6) 80 Plus Gold
Huntkey S980 Tornado Full View
Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
ASUS VZ249 23.8 inch Full HD

 

[Lutfij]

I would go with the Kingston's since you mentioned wanting to be as cheap as possible. If you do go with a Kingston route, look for the 2x16GB ram kit as a 4x loadout will add stress to your processor's integrated memory controller. The sweet spot for Intel's DDR4 platform were at DDR4-3200MHz~DDR4-3600MHz with tight latencies. So if you were able to get a DDR4-3600MHz with CL16 timings (or tighter timings all around), that would net you the most out of your platform...assuming your platform is primarily used for gaming. CL timings don't matter that much with productivity app's.

As always, make sure you're on the latest BIOS version for your motherboard prior to performing your ram upgrade.

 

[VERX]

I would go with the Kingston's since you mentioned wanting to be as cheap as possible. If you do go with a Kingston route, look for the 2x16GB ram kit as a 4x loadout will add stress to your processor's integrated memory controller. The sweet spot for Intel's DDR4 platform were at DDR4-3200MHz~DDR4-3600MHz with tight latencies. So if you were able to get a DDR4-3600MHz with CL16 timings (or tighter timings all around), that would net you the most out of your platform...assuming your platform is primarily used for gaming. CL timings don't matter that much with productivity app's.

As always, make sure you're on the latest BIOS version for your motherboard prior to performing your ram upgrade.

I can go with the T-Force 3600MHz CL18 if it's worth it in terms of gaming and yes my PC is mainly just for gaming but the only options available where I live is what I mentioned which is either 3200Mhz CL16 or 3600MHz CL18, there are no 3600MHz CL16 at the moment.

That being said is there any difference in gaming between 3200MHz CL16 vs 3600MHz CL18?

 

[rebecca65bell]

Given your components and preferences:

• Kingston Fury BEAST RGB 3200MHz CL16 ($78) is the best value. The higher-priced 3600MHz CL18 and Corsair 3200MHz CL16 kits offer no significant performance gain for the extra cost due to similar true latencies.
• For the Kingston kit, 2x16GB is recommended over 4x8GB for better stability and future upgrade potential, although 4x8GB can work if visuals are your priority and you understand the minor potential for slightly harder XMP stability.

 

[geofelt]

Go with a 2 x 16gb kit.
4 stick kits are harder to manage.
As to speed vs. latency, divide the speed by the latency and you will get 200 for all of your options. In other words higher speed is somewhat negated by higher latencies.
Differences are negligible.
If you use your integrated graphics, it will perform better with the higher speed kit.

Don't overthink this, it all matters little.