Since the MHz and CAS do not create noticeable differences, how much different is a 1600MHz CAS9 RAM from a 2133MHz CAS11 RAM?

Or just find me the best deal on pcpartpicker for 16GB RAM around $120. Thanks.

Can I get cheaper recommendations? I'm thinking of spending more on the components that actually matter.

I've heard ASRock has some pretty affordable motherboards. I've seen lots of vids on YT that make budget builds and many of the authors use $80-120 motherboards. Anyone wants to weigh in on this?

@Old_Gooseberry Yeah, that's nice to know. But I've returned to Windows 7 until Windows 10 is out. Windows 8 was lagging a lot on my laptop's 4GB RAM and Windows 10 TP just had lots of bug.

Is a RAM with 2133MHz and 11 CAS better than a RAM with 1866MHz and 9 CAS?
What matters more, CAS or MHz?

Thanks a lot, guys. 16GB it is then.

I was on pcpartpicker an hour ago and I must say that I'm overwhelmed. There are just too many choices for motherboards and I know nothing about them. Really could use some help, maybe narrow it down? I need a motherboard that has most of the "useful" features of an expensive one. I can't imagine what I would be using half a dozen of USB ports for. I need USB ports for my mouse, keyboard, webcam, and maybe printer. But all these things can make do with a 2.0 port. Only a flash drive or an external drive would benefit from a 3.0 port.

What I need is a motherboard that has a couple of USB 3.0 ports, support for 2 full-sized graphics card (talking about EVGA GTX 970), support for at least 16 GB RAM, support for a good SSD or two (would be getting one later, that too a budget one, maybe $100) and support for at least two HDDs.

And the motherboard must be around $100.

I wouldn't be doing any heavy-ass video editing. Heck, I don't even know if I'll be doing editing. I've never done it before and I won't be getting into it too much. So I probably won't be needing an i7 since the main aim of the new PC would be gaming.

@Coseniath Same company, speed and CAS, but different model would work? And thanks for all the details. Really helpful.

13. For 16GB RAM, is it better to have 2x8GB or 4x4GB?

14. If I get 8GB now and 8GB later, how do I pull it off? Will 1x8GB now and 2x4GB later work? Or will 2x4GB now and 1x8GB work? Or should I go for 4x4GB?

Okay, so it's okay if I get 2x4=8GB of RAM now and 2x4=8GB later. What I have to look out for is that both the sets of RAMs must have the same CAS latency, same MHz and same voltage. Anything else?

11. And what is this CAS latency? What does it matter? And is lower CAS RAM better?

12. I like this Corsair 16GB RAM as it has 9 CAS latency and 1866MHz. What RAM should I look for if I get 8 GB instead of 16 GB?

Okay, so that was a lot of help. Now some more questions.

7. Why does video editing need so much RAM?

8. Won't future games need more than 8GB RAM? 6-8GB is currently the recommended standard. It's bound to change, isn't it?

9. If I buy 8GB now (2x4GB), and need to upgrade to 16GB later, how would I do it? Does the new 8GB RAM (1x8GB or 2x4GB) has to be exactly the same model as the first sticks? Or can it be different? What should be the same and what can be different for 2 different RAMs (4x4GB or 2x8GB or 2x4GB+1x8GB) in order for them to be compatible with each other?

10. Which is the best 16GB RAM for around $120? Is RipJaws better than Corsair or vice versa? What's the difference b/w different series of either RAMs?

Hey, guys.

I'm building a custom PC and I can't decided whether I need 8 GB of RAM or 16 GB. I'm currently on a laptop with 4 GB of RAM and I've never done any photo or video editing on it. But I'm planning of getting hooked with video-editing software and game development. So my new PC won't be for gaming alone.

1. So do I really need 16 GB RAM or will 8 GB suffice?

2. If 8 GB, then do I get 2x4GB or 1x8GB? If 16 GB, then 4x4GB or 2x8GB?

3. Which RAM (8GB and 16GB) is the best for the price (around $60 or $120)?

4. Is 1866MHz really an advantage over 1600MHz and is it worth the extra dollars?

5. Finally, I've seen that Corsair Vengeance Pro 1866MHz is only $5 more expensive than the Corsair Vengeance 1600Mhz RAM. Why is it so?

6. Another thing I noticed is that this Corsair Vengenace Pro is 1600MHz but it is more expensive than the Pro 1866MHz version. How's that possible?

Please try to answer each question separately. Thanks.