Which DDR5 kit should you buy?
Pick the capacity first, then the speed. Two 16GB sticks (32GB) is the size most new builds aim for, and the cheapest one this week costs $389.99 at Newegg. If you only need 16GB, kits start at $228.99. For editing, virtual machines or local AI models, 64GB kits start at $791.07. Buy a matched kit of two modules, not two separate sticks.
On an AMD Ryzen 7000 or 9000 build, DDR5 6000 CL30 is the commonly recommended kit. It sits above AMD's guaranteed memory speed, so it depends on the EXPO profile. Our page on DDR5 6000 CL30 kits lists them separately. On Intel Core Ultra 200S, which officially supports up to DDR5 6400, kits from 6000 to 6400 are the usual choice.
How to compare speed and latency
DDR5 starts at 4800 MT/s, where official DDR4 tops out at 3200. The CL number on the label looks worse on DDR5, but the clock is faster, so compare true latency in nanoseconds: CL times 2000, divided by the data rate. DDR5 6000 CL30 works out at 10 ns, the same as DDR4 3200 CL16. At the same latency, the faster kit wins on bandwidth, and you can see both numbers in the table.
Do not buy speed your platform cannot use. A kit rated far above what the board runs stable is money spent on a number on the box.
A new DDR5 kit usually boots at a slow default speed. Turn on XMP (Intel) or EXPO (AMD) in the BIOS to reach the rated speed. Both are overclocking profiles, and both vendors treat overclocking as outside the official spec.