Do you want to make an upgrade but are having trouble finding the best DDR4 RAM for laptop? Main memory is one of the crucial parts of the computer which are responsible for the performance of the system and it acts as a bridge between the processor and other components. No one wants their processor to be bottlenecked due to slow RAM (Random Access Memory). One of the most common parts of your computer which can slow you down is the RAM, whether it may be the speed/frequency of said RAM or just simply the capacity of it. You might have already picked the best DDR4 RAM for desktop using our guide, but this roundup is for laptop memory.
A RAM upgrade is a sure-fire way of boosting your notebook performance. But, It can be a daunting task to pick up and order the best RAM for your laptop when there are hundreds of options to choose from, fret not because this article is going to help you make the right purchase decision, whether you require outstanding performance from the high-end stuff or a decent kick for your laptop at a great price, this list will hopefully have something for you. We will look at all sorts of DDR4 Laptop Ram, these include Overclocking DDR4 RAMS, Budget DDR4 Rams, Cooled, Value, and basic ones as well. It all depends on your shopping and buying preference.
The Best DDR4 RAM for Laptops You Can Buy Today
| # | Preview | Product Name | Award | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Corsair Vengeance DDR4 | Best Value DDR4 RAM for Laptops | Check Price |
| 2 |  |
Kingston Hyper X Impact | Best Overclocking DDR4 RAM for Laptops | Check Price |
| 3 |  |
Patriot Viper 4 Series | Best Cooled DDR4 RAM for Laptops | Check Price |
| 4 |  |
TimeTec Hynix | Best Basic DDR4 RAM for Laptops | Check Price |
| 5 |  |
Patriot Memory Signature Line | Best Budget DDR4 RAM for Laptops | Check Price |
| # | 1 |
| Preview | |
| Product Name | Corsair Vengeance DDR4 |
| Award | Best Value DDR4 RAM for Laptops |
| Details | Check Price |
| # | 2 |
| Preview | |
| Product Name | Kingston Hyper X Impact |
| Award | Best Overclocking DDR4 RAM for Laptops |
| Details | Check Price |
| # | 3 |
| Preview | |
| Product Name | Patriot Viper 4 Series |
| Award | Best Cooled DDR4 RAM for Laptops |
| Details | Check Price |
| # | 4 |
| Preview | |
| Product Name | TimeTec Hynix |
| Award | Best Basic DDR4 RAM for Laptops |
| Details | Check Price |
| # | 5 |
| Preview | |
| Product Name | Patriot Memory Signature Line |
| Award | Best Budget DDR4 RAM for Laptops |
| Details | Check Price |
Last Update on 2021-10-24 at 08:02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
RAM being primary storage is one of the most important components of a computer. To maintain the performance and stability of a system, it is necessary to have sufficient RAM, whether it be 8GB or 16GB in total. Modern RAMs have lots of features and factors that decide which type of RAM is best for your usage. Not everyone is tech-savvy and for this reason, we have come up with a tier list for the best DDR4 RAM for laptops.
1. Corsair Vengeance DDR4
Best Value DDR4 RAM for Laptop
Pros
- Low Voltage At 1.2V
- Includes Heatspreader
- Works Well With Both Windows And Mac
- Good Frequency Offerings
- Competitive Price
Cons
- Higher Speed Kits Are Too Expensive
- 2400MHz Kit Has CL16 Latency
Frequency: 2400MHz | XMP Ready: No | CAS Latency: 16 | Auto Overclocking: Yes
Check PriceCorsair is at the pinnacle of RAM kits and there should be no surprise in seeing a Corsair product at top of this list. These Corsair Vengeance series DDR4 kits render better performance while providing faster speeds at the same time with their 2400MHz operating frequency. This specific model consists of 2x 8GB of RAM.
Corsair Vengeance DDR4 RAM for laptops were originally released for the 6th generation but they are very compatible with the newer generations, Ryzen laptop as well and offer great prices as well. No BIOS changes are needed to be able to take advantage of the overclocking, as it is auto-overclockable. As for the voltages are concerned, these kits run at 1.2V at the max speed. On a related note, we have a detailed guide on how to overclock your RAM for Ryzen systems if you’re running a modern desktop PC.
These particular kits run at a frequency of 2400 MHz, however, kits with up to 4000MHz are available, although your system must be fully compatible before running those high-frequency RAM kits and those kits are a lot pricier as well. However, they are not as fast as their desktop offerings such as the Corsair Vengeance LPX series. You can read our guide on how to overclock RAM using XMP to get the most out of this kit.
This is the best value DDR4 RAM for laptop that checks high speed, lifetime warranty along with a competitive price, which is why we are awarding this ram as the “sweet spot” for almost any type of laptop.
2. Kingston Hyper X Impact
Best Overclocking DDR4 RAM for Laptop
Pros
- Super Fast Speeds
- XMP Ready
- Automatically Overclockable
- Functional Heatspreader
- Low CAS Latency
Cons
- Quite Expensive
- Relatively Lower Compatibility
Frequency: 2400MHz | XMP Ready: Yes | CAS Latency: 14 | Auto Overclocking: Yes
Kingston is the biggest memory manufacturer in the world and definitely produces some of the fastest types of RAM modules. This is the best high-speed memory module that you can buy to speed up your gaming laptop or notebook. You can also check out our Kingston HyperX Fury RAM review, which is its bigger brother for desktop systems.
The Impact RAM modules come in different speeds and capacities, with the 16GB variants representing the best value. These are also auto-overclockable straight out of the box and run at a voltage of 1.2V. But beware, these modules won’t be able to reach 1.35V.
This is undeniably one of the fastest RAM kits out there and truly utilizes the capabilities of DDR4 to its fullest. The kits are available with a data rate frequency of up to 3200 MHz and are XMP ready, which means that you do not need to adjust memory timings for overclocking. All you have to do is select various predefined profiles to overclock these RAM kits. The only thing that might steer you away from this high-performance RAM is the cost. These are not such a great value when compared to other RAM kits due to this very reason.
Overall, the Kingston Hyper X Impact is the best overclocking DDR4 RAM for laptop on our list. These laptop RAM kits are recommended to any gamer looking for a boost in performance and not worried about the high price.
3. Patriot Viper 4 Series
Best Cooled DDR4 RAM for Laptop
Pros
- Nice Design
- XMP 2.0 Ready
- Good Speed Offerings
- Functional Heatspreader
Cons
- High CAS latency
- Quite Thick Modules
- Compatibility Issues
Frequency: 2666MHz | XMP Ready: Yes | CAS Latency: 18 | Auto Overclocking: Yes
Patriot Viper 4 Series is a performance series and is the best choice for gaming laptops or other high-end systems. They might not be very famous but undeniably the best in terms of value. It is a single stick of 16 GB RAM running at a high speed of 2666MHz. The RAM kits are XMP 2.0 ready and are automatically overclockable out of the box as well.
Moreover, the RAM kits come with heat-spreaders as well, which result in less wear and tear to the kits, as the heat is dissipated efficiently. However, due to this increased thickness, these RAM kits might not fit into your laptop or notebook, so make sure to check the physical compatibility thoroughly. Apart from the form factor compatibility, you should also check the specification compatibility, as there are a lot of reports being made about these kits being incompatible with many laptops.
Related Roundup: Best RAM Kits For Ryzen 5000 Series
Overall, ignoring the compatibility issues and somewhat high CAS latency, this RAM kit is a fine choice for high-end users. It is also the best cooled DDR4 RAM for laptops in our selection.
4. TimeTec Hynix
Best Basic DDR4 RAM for Laptops
Pros
- Variety Of Speeds
- Overclockable
- Extremely Low Voltage At 1.14V
- Good Value Kits
Cons
- High CAS Latency At 19
- Limited Compatibility
- Not XMP Ready
Frequency: 2666MHz | XMP Ready: No | CAS Latency: 19 | Auto Overclocking: Yes
Hynix is quite close to Kingston in the race of memory manufacturing and a lot of RAM kits use their memory as well. TimeTec Hynix is very popular among users who use their laptops for performing productivity tasks, i.e. these DDR4 memory kits are for the professionals out there.
The RAM kit is nothing flashy so it might be the best basic DDR4 RAM for laptops on our list. It runs at a high speed out of the box at DDR4 2666MHz. It will give you the performance boost that you needed with a reasonable price tag to match. Moreover, these RAM kits run at 1.14V instead of 1.2V, thus resulting in higher efficiency which in turn leads to better battery life.
More RAM Kits: Best DDR3 RAM
Like the Corsair RAM kits, these ones also come with a lifetime warranty. One thing that must be noted with this RAM kit is that they have a CAS latency of 19, which is quite much higher than most of the other DDR4 RAM kits for the laptops. If you’re wondering what the CAS Latency is, check out our guide to RAM timings. Another unfortunate thing is that it has very limited compatibility, so you will have to be completely sure that you are buying this for the right device.
Overall, these RAM kits are a decent choice to gain performance if your device is fully compatible with them as these modules offer lower power consumption as well, ultimately making them an eco-friendly choice.
5. Patriot Memory Signature Line
Best Budget DDR4 RAM for Laptop
Pros
- Extremely Affordable
- Good Compatibility
- Low Latency At 15
Cons
- Not Overclockable
- Low Frequency
- Not XMP Ready
- No Heatspreader
Frequency: 2133MHz | XMP Ready: No | CAS Latency: 15 | Auto Overclocking: No
Last up on our list is the one at the budget side of the market, the Patriot Memory Signature Line. This is a simple module with 8GB of capacity and it runs at 2133MHz, which is somewhat lower than the standard 2400MHz memory kits you would find in most laptops. Due to the lower frequency, the CAS latency of the RAM kits is quite low at only 15. Moreover, these kits are a lot cheaper than the previously mentioned kits.
Since it runs at a low frequency, the chances are that these RAM kits are very much compatible with most of the laptops. However, the downside of these kits is that they do not have any overclockable support or XMP profile but that can be forgiven, as they are available at such a low price. Incidentally, you should definitely check out our guide on how to improve RAM health in a PC or laptop, and notebook.
Overall, these RAM kits seem like a great option for those people who do not care much about the performance or those people whose RAM sticks are faulty and they are looking for a RAM kit that won’t hurt their wallet.
Lastly, you should check out our opinion piece if you are wondering how much ram do you need for your gaming PC. All in all, this RAM kit is for those who want an upgrade on a budget, as this is the best budget DDR4 RAM for laptop on our list.
Does RAM Speed Matter?
A lot of users have this question since the topic is quite complicated in nature. At the end of the day, we don’t want to give a vague and non-descriptive answer, but it definitely depends upon the user. If you want a more detailed analysis, check out our opinion piece on RAM Speed – does it matter?
We have to look at the different scenarios individually to gauge the effect of RAM speed. When it comes to gaming memory, a lot of games aren’t very particular about RAM frequency. In fact, it doesn’t have a drastic effect on the average framerate in a lot of games. However, some games are a bit more particular about this. PCs with higher capacity and higher clocked RAM perform better in a few particular games. In terms of productivity, RAM speed has been known to make a difference. Especially with video editing, systems with faster memory tend to render video quicker as well. Even in minute tasks such as transferring files, faster RAM is a bit more appreciated. You should also take a look at our opinion piece on 64 GB RAM – Is it worth it?
If you’re going all out with a high-end rig then sure go with 3600+ Mhz to get that slight increase in performance. But for most people with a more constricted budget, we recommend focusing on other areas of performance first such as the GPU and the gaming CPU. For most mainstream builds, 2666 Mhz or 3200 Mhz seem to be the sweet spot. The slight mileage you get in performance going beyond that is barely worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Currently and Unlike 4gb DDR4 RAM, 32GB of RAM can be classified as overkill for the regular user. If your daily use revolves around web browsing and word processing, then even16GB of RAM is way more than you could ever need. Even gamers should be content with 16GB of RAM as of right now. However, if your use includes video and photo editing and productivity tasks of that nature, then 32GB of RAM is recommended since those tasks do eat up quite a bit of memory. Any serious productivity-focused machine should be equipped with at least 32GB of RAM in 2021.
Technically, yes, you can mix RAM speeds without encountering any significant problems, although this is not recommended for a couple of reasons. Mismatched RAM speeds can sometimes cause stability issues and might even prevent your system from booting up. In theory, mismatched RAM speeds are automatically synchronized to the slower speed of the two, but sometimes this is not the case. Therefore, it is always recommended to buy RAM sticks of the same speed and latency.
Both RAM size and RAM speed are important in their own rights. As far as RAM size is concerned, the basic rule is that you should have more RAM in your system than you can use in any scenario that you encounter on a daily basis. For most people, 16GB of RAM is plenty and for productivity-focused machines, usually, 32GB is recommended. As far as speed is concerned, it is less important than the RAM size in terms of critical system stability, but it is still important if you want a little bit more performance in applications like games.
Generally speaking, higher MHz RAM is better due to the faster rate of transfers, but that is only one side of the story. There is a clear point of diminishing returns in RAM speed as well, so it does not make sense to spend a lot of money for minor increments in performance beyond a certain point. Moreover, you also have to take into account the CAS Latency (CL) of the memory modules, which acts as sort of a counterweight to RAM speed. Higher CAS Latency is detrimental to the module’s performance even if the MHz rating is high.
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