RGB memory stick: cool appearance or a waste of money?

For many gamers, RGB lighting is a must-have configuration for every piece of hardware. While components such as graphics cards, fans and CPU heatsinks are very reasonable to use RGB lighting, the RGB memory stick is not worth buying—no matter how cool it looks. Unless, you are also using a liquid-cooled radiator to dissipate heat for the CPU.

Under the air-cooled radiator, RGB memory stick is "invisible"

In recent years, the size of CPU air-cooled radiators has increased significantly. Dual fan models now go far beyond the CPU slot and usually cover memory sticks. This size increase is for better heat dissipation performance. Larger radiator provides greater heat capacity and a wider surface area, which allows heat dissipation from the CPU more efficiently.

However, with a large CPU cooler, your memory stick may be completely blocked. Depending on the model, you may only see one or two slots, so choosing an RGB memory stick, you are actually paying extra for something you can't see. While you may see some faint glow, there are better ways to add RGB lighting effects to your system, such as LED strips or RGB fans.

Another feature of large radiators is that they reduce the gaps in the memory stick. If you are not familiar with this term, memory stick gap refers to the maximum height of the memory stick module that the CPU cooler can physically accommodate. You can usually find the memory stick gap by looking at the CPU cooler's specification sheet or marketing materials.

RGB memory stick modules tend to have a slightly higher heatsink than average, which limits their CPU heatsink compatibility. If your heatsink cannot completely clear the height of the memory stick, you can't put the components together. I almost bought an RGB memory stick until I realized that I couldn't install it, and even if I installed it, I could only see one memory stick. So, I chose a Crucial Pro DDR5 memory stick 32GB set that is excellent in performance, affordable and low-key.

###### Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5 Memory Sticker 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz CL36

$83 $105 Save $22 The Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5 Memory Sticker Set is an affordable, feature-free option that delivers superior performance across all tasks. Compatible with Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO, this memory stick can run at its rated speed in any modern system.

$83 Amazon View New Egg View Best Buy Insufficient Inventory, Small or Low Specifications Radiators Cannot Be Paired with RGB Memory Stickers

The only way to make RGB memory sticks visible is to choose a thinner or lower CPU cooler. However, doing so comes at the expense of thermal performance. In my opinion, a high-performance gaming PC with RGB memory stick and a small CPU cooler is less visually effective than a PC with a large air-cooled radiator (even without RGB memory stick). It's like having a car that looks strong but only has 100 horsepower.

Original radiators are the worst case scenario because they have poor performance and poor aesthetics. Instead of spending $15 to $20 to add RGB lighting effects on the memory stick, invest more and buy affordable after-sales radiators, such as the ID-COOLING FROZN A410. Even if you don't overclock, you can still get better performance from reducing thermal limits, along with slightly improved CPU stability and service life.

Invest in better memory sticks, not just RGB memory sticks

The memory stick module with RGB lighting doesn't mean it's a top-notch product. I'm not saying you shouldn't spend more money on aesthetics - you should definitely do that if you like - but you should invest in high-quality memory sticks.

If you want good performance, look for memory sticks with the highest clock speed, the lowest CAS latency and the right one for your budget. You will get more FPS and, more importantly, reduce micro-stuttering. Differences in memory stick performance are especially important for AMD Ryzen CPUs.

Computers with an integrated water-cooled radiator deserve all their efforts

I won't go into the debate between an all-in-one water-cooled radiator versus an air-cooled radiator, but I'll say: If you have a powerful CPU, investing in an all-in-one water-cooled radiator is not a bad idea. They tend to perform slightly better than air-cooled radiators, especially in the high-end sector. If you are going to make your best efforts to build a high-end liquid cooling system, you won't mind spending more money on the RGB memory stick.

Because the liquid-cooled radiator uses a small CPU cooler head and pump (usually with its own RGB lighting effect or display), you can enjoy the full picture of the RGB memory stick. You can even use a virtual memory stick to fill empty slots to maximize RGB lighting.

###### NZXT Kraken 240mm integrated water-cooled CPU radiator

The NZXT Kraken 240mm All-in-One Water Cooled Radiator is a high-end all-in-one water-cooled radiator equipped with a quiet but powerful pump and fan. It also has a 1.54-inch LCD screen that can display your CPU temperature, GIF or image.

$140 Amazon---

Unless you use a liquid-cooled radiator, an RGB memory stick makes no sense visually or financially. You pay extra for something you can't see because it's blocked by your CPU cooler. If you are still assembling your system, check out some pictures of the finished computer using the CPU cooler you intend to purchase.

That is, because memory stick prices fluctuate, you may find situations where the RGB memory stick set is the same price or even cheaper than the non-RGB version. In this case, you can continue to buy RGB memory sticks, provided that your CPU cooler has enough gap.

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