I'm building my first proper PC and I'm deciding between two memory kits: 64GB (2x32GB) Corsair Vengeance DDR5-5600, or 32GB (2x16GB) Kingston Fury Beast DDR5-6000. The 64GB kit costs around £60–£70 more. I'll mainly be gaming, but I'm also getting back into video editing and expect to use OBS, Photoshop, and similar programs. I'm considering an AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D processor. Is the extra capacity worth paying for, or would the faster 32GB kit be the better choice?
3 Answers
For only £60–£70 extra, I’d probably choose the 64GB kit. It’s a worthwhile upgrade for video editing, recording, Photoshop, and having lots of programs open at once. For a mostly gaming-focused build, 32GB at 6000MT/s is still perfectly reasonable, but 64GB gives you more headroom and avoids needing an upgrade later.
The processor choice matters too. An X3D chip should be excellent for gaming and can reduce the importance of small RAM-speed differences, especially for frame-time performance. I’d focus more on having enough capacity and sensible timings than chasing the highest memory frequency.
For gaming alone, I’d take the 32GB DDR5-6000 kit. The higher speed can help a little, although the real-world difference may be fairly small depending on the timings and processor. Since you’ll also be using OBS, Photoshop, and video-editing software, though, 64GB would give you more room for multitasking and larger projects.
Gaming will be the main use, but I do want to get back into video editing and learn how to use OBS properly. I’m upgrading from my dad’s roughly 15-year-old computer, so either option should feel like a huge improvement.
I’m currently looking at the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, so I’m leaning toward prioritizing capacity if the faster RAM won’t make a major difference.