DDR4 16GB 3200MHz

Only the specifications this product actually carries.

DDR4

DDR4 is the memory generation that dominated desktops and laptops from about 2015 until DDR5 arrived in late 2021. DDR4 kits typically run between 2133 and 3600 MT/s and use 288-pin desktop modules or 260-pin laptop modules. DDR4 is not compatible with DDR5 motherboards; the slots are keyed differently. For buyers on an existing DDR4 platform, the practical question is price against the kit's own history, since DDR4 pricing has moved independently of DDR5 during the 2025 to 2026 surge.

Speed (MT/s and MHz)

Memory speed is quoted in megatransfers per second (MT/s), though retailers and manufacturers often label the same number as MHz. A DDR5-6000 kit transfers data 6000 million times per second. Higher speed generally helps in memory-sensitive workloads and on AMD Ryzen systems up to the platform's sweet spot, beyond which gains shrink. Kits at the same capacity but different speeds are different products with separate price histories, which is why MemRadar tracks them on separate pages.

CAS latency (CL)

CAS latency, written CL followed by a number such as CL30 or CL36, is the number of clock cycles between a memory request and the start of data delivery. Lower is faster at the same speed. Because faster kits run more cycles per second, a CL36 kit at 6000 MT/s can have similar real latency to a CL30 kit at 5200 MT/s. CL is one of the specs that most often separates two kits that otherwise look identical, and it usually carries a price premium at the low end.

XMP

XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) is Intel's standard for storing a kit's rated speed and timings on the module so a motherboard can apply them with one BIOS setting. Without an XMP or equivalent profile enabled, memory runs at the platform's default speed, often well below the kit's rating. XMP profiles also work on most AMD boards. A kit advertised at 6000 MT/s is only 6000 MT/s once its profile is enabled.

Kit configuration and dual channel

A memory kit's configuration, such as 2x16GB or 1x32GB, is the number of modules and the capacity of each. Two matched modules run in dual-channel mode, which roughly doubles available memory bandwidth compared with a single module of the same total capacity. A 1x16GB module and a 2x8GB kit both provide 16GB but perform differently and cost differently, so MemRadar treats them as separate products.

Heatsink

Some NVMe drives ship with an attached heatsink to keep the controller from throttling under sustained load; others ship bare. Most motherboards include their own M.2 heatsinks, and a drive with a built-in heatsink may not fit under them or in a laptop. Gen5 drives are the ones that most often need cooling. The heatsink version of a drive is a separate product with its own price, which is why MemRadar lists it on its own page.