G.Skill Ripjaws V 16GB DDR4-3200 CL16 Black

The G.Skill Ripjaws V is a solid single 16GB DDR4 stick with great latency for its class. It scores 52.5 overall, which is average, but it's a decent budget pick for older systems. Just don't expect it to compete with DDR5 kits.

The latency story is actually pretty good. CL16 at 3200 MT/s lands in the 88th percentile, which means this stick is snappier than most DDR4 out there. The speed itself is more average, sitting around the 54th percentile. Capacity is the weak spot at 45th percentile, and that's because it's a single 16GB stick. You're leaving dual-channel bandwidth on the table unless you buy a second one. For gaming, it scores 59.9, which is fine but not exciting. Budget use is where it shines at 66.2.

Against the Kingston Fury Renegade KF564C32RWAK2-32, this Ripjaws V is a different animal entirely. The Kingston is a 32GB dual-channel DDR5 kit, so it's faster and more future-proof, but it also costs more and won't fit in DDR4 boards. The Corsair Vengeance RGB CMH32GX5M2B6000C28 is another DDR5 option with RGB and higher clocks, but again, wrong socket for DDR4 systems. The Crucial Pro Overclocking CP2K16G64C32U5B is a 32GB DDR5 kit too. Honestly, most of the top competitors here are DDR5, which tells you where the market has gone. If you need DDR4 specifically, this G.Skill stick is a reasonable choice, but it's not competing with the DDR5 crowd on raw speed.

Pricing is a bit odd here. The only listing we found is CAD 238 in Canada, which feels steep for a single 16GB DDR4 stick. You can often find 32GB dual-channel kits for not much more. But if you're stuck on an older Intel or AMD platform and just need to add capacity, this stick gets the job done. The value really depends on what you're upgrading from and what your local market looks like.

The G.Skill Ripjaws V F4-3200C16S-16GVKS is a single 16GB stick of DDR4 running at 3200 MT/s with CL16 timings. It's a no-frills workhorse aimed at budget builders who need capacity without spending much. No RGB, no fancy heat spreader design, just a black stick that does its job.

Our database puts it at 52.5 out of 100 overall. That's middle of the pack, which makes sense. It's a single-channel kit in a world that's moved on to DDR5, but for older platforms or cheap upgrades, it still has a place.

Skip this if you're building a new system. DDR5 is the standard now, and spending money on DDR4 in 2024 is a short-term fix at best. Also skip it if you need server-grade memory, the 22.4 server score is a red flag for any kind of workstation or homelab use. And if you're after RGB or high-speed overclocking, look elsewhere.

This is a stick for people with older DDR4 systems who need more RAM without rebuilding their whole rig. If you've got a B450 or Z390 board and you're running low on memory, this is a straightforward fix. Just remember you'll want two sticks for dual-channel performance. Buy one now, add another later, or grab a matched pair if you can find one.