Build Your Own PC: Patriot Viper RGB Series DDR4 RAM

This is part 6 of our PC Building series. 

You upgrade your computer because you want a PC that’s more powerful. It’s really as simple as that. Where things get more complicated is when it comes time to decide just how powerful you want your PC to be.

That may sound like a strange problem, but the truth is that most people who are interested in upgrading their PCs aren’t working with an unlimited budget. It’s easy enough to point to the absolute top-tier PC components on the market and say, “Go get those,” but what if that isn’t an option? More importantly, what if what you’re really interested in isn’t the top-to-bottom most powerful PC on the block but rather a computer that just makes your life easier?

Answering the questions requires understanding which parts of your computer are doing the most work across multiple applications in your day-to-day life. More often than not, the answer is a piece of advice that PC builders have been doling out for as long as anyone can remember: “Just buy more RAM.”

We did exactly that for our Den of Geek gaming PC, which boasts 16GB of Patriot’s excellent Viper RGB Series DDR4 RAM. Check out this video for a rundown of how to install this RAM:

RAM is sometimes described as your computer’s short-term memory, which is actually a pretty fantastic simplification of what this component does for your PC. Do you know that scene in movies where one person tells their companion to remember a series of numbers that will help them diffuse a bomb and save the world? Imagine if that companion immediately forgot those numbers. That’s basically what happens to your PC if you’re not running enough RAM — and the right kind of RAM. 

What that means in a practical sense is that your PC relies on RAM for common tasks like efficiently opening new browser tabs, switching applications, or even quickly loading the next enemy or area in your favorite game. You rely on your RAM more than you probably know. When you talk about your computer running slow, the odds are good that it’s a RAM deficiency that you’re referring to.

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We’re willing to bet that the first thing you’re going to notice when you upgrade to Patriot’s Viper RGB series is how much it improves the little things. For instance, if you’ve never really looked at the numbers before, you’ll be shocked by how much RAM your PC uses even when you’ve just got a few Google Chrome tabs open. The Viper RAM’s base frequency speed of roughly 2133MHz helps to virtually eliminate such common instances of computer lag that you probably decided to live with until you realized that there is a better way.

Of course, a simple upgrade in the amount of RAM in your PC can drastically improve day-to-day operations such as web-browsing. The reason that you turn to high-quality RAM such as this is because of what it can do once you really put it to the test.

Simply put, this model of RAM is one of the most impressive you’ll find in its price range when it comes to its overclocking capabilities. If you’re willing to dive into the RAM’s settings, you can (safely) push its limits beyond its default speed for when your rig demands more power. While you’re going to be surprised by how well this RAM operates even if you utilize its base settings, this model’s overclocking abilities are what makes it such an easy recommendation for anyone looking to fully explore the most demanding, high-end online games.

Performance is almost always the name of the game when you’re talking about RAM, but there’s certainly something to be said for this model’s wonderful visual design. The sleek basic design of this Viper RAM fits into just about any modern gaming PC, but it’s this model’s five customizable RGB zones that really sets it apart from an aesthetic standpoint. As more and more gaming PC designs utilize some form of built-in lighting, it’s nice to find capable RAM that not only blends in with your overall hardware design but is eye-catching at the same time. The incredible visuals of the Viper RGB series help sell just how exciting having the right RAM in your PC can be.

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If you’re looking to shop around a bit and explore your options, we also recommend taking a look at the XPG Spectrix D80 DD4 RGB and the HyperX Predator DDR4 RGB. The XPG Spectrix is quite simply one of the best models we’ve seen in regards to its cooling capabilities, and the HyperX brand is known for its sleek design, incredible speeds, and general craftsmanship. Both also boast those excellent RGB options which will help you turn one of your computer’s most essential components into one of its best-looking pieces as well.

Regardless of which model of RAM you ultimately go with, the fact remains that RAM stands right beside an SSD as one of those upgrades you turn to when you want to make your life a little easier. Patriot’s Viper RGB series just happens to be one of the best on the market in terms of performance, visual design, and price. Upgrading your RAM is one of the best things you can do for your PC, and this is one of the best RAM upgrades that you’ll find. 

To read the complete PC Building series, click the links below:

Part 1: The Case

Part 2: CPU Cooler

Part 3: Power Supply

Part 4: Motherboard

Part 5: CPU

Part 6: Memory

Part 7: Storage

Part 8: Graphics

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014.