Lastly, memory speed makes a big difference if you’re gaming with integrated graphics, whether it be an Intel or AMD processor (you can see how they stack up in our CPU Benchmark Hierarchy). But the number of extra frames you get with faster RAM will vary greatly from one title to another. In games, that means higher frame rates at mainstream resolutions like 1080p (1920 x 1080), as well as smoother performance at higher resolutions. Increased memory speeds on Ryzen-and Threadripper-based platforms often translate to real-world performance gains. The company’s 'Infinity Fabric' (the internal bits that link various blocks of logic inside of Ryzen CPUs) is tied to the speed of the memory bus. Some workloads will scale well with higher data rates, including some games and software like file compression programs, including 7-Zip or WinRAR.ĪMD’s Zen-powered processors, on the other hand, benefit a lot more from higher memory frequencies. If you’re running an Intel-powered PC with one of the best graphics cards, the majority of programs won’t respond in a meaningful way to faster or slower system memory. The hard part is understanding whether faster memory has a noticeable impact on your system when choosing the best RAM.
