Kingston FURY Beast Black 16GB DDR5-5600 CL36

The Kingston FURY Beast Black KF556C36BBE-16 is a single 16GB DDR5 stick running at 5600 MT/s with CL36 timings. It's faster than most DDR5 in our database and supports both XMP 3.0 and EXPO, making it a solid pick for budget builds. Pricing varies widely, from CAD 313 to CAD 404 in Canada and EUR 280 to EUR 368 in Europe, so shop around. It's a good everyday stick, but gamers wanting top frame rates should look at faster CL28 or CL30 kits instead.

At 5600 MT/s, this stick is faster than the vast majority of DDR5 in our database. The 78th percentile speed ranking puts it ahead of most 4800 and 5200 MT/s kits, which are still common in budget builds. For real-world use, that translates to solid bandwidth for gaming and general productivity. DDR5's double bank count and dual 32-bit subchannels mean it handles data-heavy tasks better than DDR4, and Kingston's marketing claim of 50% faster than DDR4 isn't just hype when you're comparing against older 3200 MT/s kits.

The CL36 latency is where things get a bit less exciting. It sits in the 71st percentile, which is fine but not great. Lower latency kits like CL30 or CL32 will feel snappier in latency-sensitive workloads, though for most gaming and everyday use you won't notice a huge difference. The 1.25V voltage is efficient, and the on-die ECC helps maintain data integrity when you push things. Just don't expect this to be an overclocking monster. It'll run its rated speed reliably, but the headroom beyond that is modest.

The G.Skill Trident Z5 Royal Neo RGB is the flashy alternative here. It runs at 6000 MT/s with CL28 timings, which is meaningfully faster and tighter than the Kingston's 5600 CL36. But you're paying for that speed and the RGB lighting. The Corsair Vengeance RGB CMH32GX5M2B6000C28 is another 6000 MT/s CL28 kit, and it comes as a 32GB dual-channel set, which means you get better bandwidth out of the box compared to running a single Kingston stick. If you're building a gaming rig and care about frame rates, those faster kits are worth the extra money.

On the budget side, the Crucial Pro Overclocking CP2K16G64C32U5B is a 32GB kit that might actually undercut the Kingston on price per gigabyte. The Team Group T-CREATE EXPERT and KLEVV CRAS V are also in the mix, with the KLEVV running at 6000 MT/s. The Kingston's main advantage is its low-profile design and dual XMP/EXPO certification. If you're using a compact case or a massive air cooler, the Kingston's shorter heat spreader is genuinely useful. But if clearance isn't a concern, you can get faster memory for similar money.

Pricing on this stick is all over the place depending on where you shop. In Canada, you'll see it listed anywhere from CAD 313 to CAD 404 across two retailers, which is a CAD 91 spread. That's a big enough gap that you'd be silly not to shop around. The best CAD deal comes from the lower end of that range, so check both listings before you commit. In Europe, the story is similar with prices ranging from EUR 280 to EUR 368, an EUR 88 difference across Spanish and Italian retailers. Again, the lower end of that range is where you want to be.

Here's the thing though. The affordability score sits at just the 39th percentile, which means this stick is priced above average for what it offers. A single 16GB module at these prices isn't exactly a bargain when you consider that some dual-channel 32GB kits from competitors aren't dramatically more expensive. If you're building a budget system, you might find better value in a 2x8GB kit or waiting for a sale. But if you specifically want a single 16GB stick with EXPO support and a low-profile design, the Kingston does deliver on those fronts.

The Kingston FURY Beast Black KF556C36BBE-16 is a single 16GB stick of DDR5 running at 5600 MT/s with CL36 timings. It's the kind of memory you grab when you're building a budget-friendly DDR5 system and want something reliable without paying for RGB light shows or aggressive overclocking headroom. Kingston's FURY Beast line has always been about keeping things simple, and this stick follows that playbook with a low-profile black heat spreader and support for both Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO.

Who's this for? Mostly budget builders and gamers who want to get onto DDR5 without spending a fortune. Our database scores it at 74.5 for budget use and 72.5 for gaming, which tells you it's a sensible pick for everyday systems. It's not trying to be the fastest thing on the shelf, and that's fine. The 5600 MT/s speed lands in the 78th percentile overall, so it's actually quicker than most DDR5 kits out there, even if the CL36 latency is nothing special.

What makes it interesting is the price-to-capacity story. A single 16GB stick means you can start with one module and add another later, which is handy if you're building on a tight budget. The low-profile heat spreader also means it'll fit under chunky air coolers without clearance drama. And the fact that it's EXPO certified matters if you're on an AMD AM5 board, since you can enable the profile and actually hit those rated speeds without manual tweaking.

If you're building a gaming PC and want the best possible frame rates, skip this stick. The CL36 latency and single-channel limitation mean you're leaving performance on the table compared to 6000 MT/s CL28 or CL30 kits from G.Skill, Corsair, or KLEVV. Those kits cost more, but the difference in CPU-bound gaming scenarios is real. Buy a dual-channel kit instead of a single stick if gaming is your priority.

Server and workstation builders should also look elsewhere. This stick scores 28 out of 100 for server use in our database, which is one of the weakest results we've seen. It lacks ECC support (the on-die ECC is not the same as full ECC), and the single-stick capacity of 16GB is limiting for server workloads. If you need memory for a server or heavy workstation, look at registered ECC DDR5 modules from Crucial or Samsung instead.

For a budget builder who wants to get onto DDR5 with minimal fuss, the Kingston FURY Beast Black is a reasonable choice. The 5600 MT/s speed is genuinely quick, the EXPO certification means it'll work properly on AMD boards, and the low-profile design solves real clearance problems. Buy it if you're building a compact system or using a large air cooler and want a single 16GB stick that just works.

But if you're a gamer chasing maximum frame rates, look elsewhere. The CL36 latency and single-channel limitation hold it back compared to 6000 MT/s CL28 or CL30 kits from G.Skill and Corsair. And if you're building a server or workstation, this stick scores a dismal 28 out of 100 in our database, so it's not even worth considering for that use case. The Kingston is a solid everyday memory stick, but it's not a performance champion.