Buying RAM modules is one thing, but buying the right size is another. You see, not all RAM modules have the same size, and we’re not talking about RAM speed or storage either. The physical size of RAM modules is something that needs to be considered when building PC, but more often than not, some people make the mistake of buying bigger RAM kits.
If you’re planning on building a mini ITX PC or installing a large CPU cooler, you’ll need to use low profile RAM kits.
A low profile RAM kit works and functions like your typical RAM modules. However, they’re a lot more compact. The reason why they’re referred to as low profile RAM kits is because they have a maximum height of 34mm.
Their height does not affect their RAM speed and overall performance. And in this article, we’ll be going over the best low profile RAM modules that will meet your needs and more.
What Are The Best Low Profile RAM Modules?
The following low profile RAM kits are highly recommended by PC builders and are praised heavily for their size, ability to meet a mini ITX‘s RAM clearance, and more.
This list is not arranged in any particular order. These are also listed as their individual low profile RAM kits as you would normally get from a store.
Corsair Vengeance LPX
- Height: 34mm
- Type: DDR4
- Capacity: 16GB (8GB x 2)
- Speed: 3600MHz
- CL: 18
Corsair is one of the most recognized brands in the world of computer paraphernalia. They’re known for making the best keyboards, mice, AIO coolers, and of course, RAM modules.
On this list, we have the Corsair Vengeance LPX. You get two 8GB RAM sticks for the module and is intended for overclocking. This low profile RAM comes in red, white, blue, and black, though you usually see black in a lot of stores. Aside from color configurations, you also get different capacity kits, spanning all the way to 256GB and speeds up to 4000MHz.
TEAMGROUP T Force Vulcan Z
- Height: 32mm
- Type: DDR4
- Capacity: 16GB (8GB x 2)
- Speed: 3200MHz
- CL: 16
TEAMGROUP T-FORCE is one of the newer brands breaking into the computer paraphernalia scene, but they are not to be trifled with.
For this list, they have the TEAMGROUP T Force Vulcan Z as their entry for low profile RAM kits. You get either a red or grey color scheme in stores, but there is an ASUS TUFF variant that you can acquire if you purchase a TUFF motherboard and GPU.
Unfortunately, the TEAMGROUP T Force Vulcan Z is not a low profile RGB RAM to give it a lower height clearance of about 32mm. Just like the Corsair Vengeance LPX, the TEAMGROUP T Force Vulcan Z is perfect for small PCs and can be overclocked too.
The lowest speed you get is 16GB of memory, but you can get configurations of up to 64GB and up to 3600MHz speed.
Kingston HyperX Fury
- Height: 34.1mm
- Type: DDR4
- Capacity: 32GB (16GB x 2)
- Speed: 3200MHz
- CL: 16
Kingston is an amazing brand when it comes to computer paraphernalia, and their lines of keyboards, mice, microphones, and RAM kits prove it.
The Kingston HyperX Fury is also one of the most recommended RAM modules in the PC building world too, so it’s no surprise that they made it to the list.
The Kingston HyperX Fury comes with 2 pieces of 16GB RAM sticks, giving you a whopping 32GB. If that does not convince you to get the Kingston HyperX Fury, we don’t know what will.
Undoubtedly, the Kingston HyperX Fury is a solid pick if you want to build a mini ITX PC for heavy duty gaming, video editing, and more.
And also, if the 32GB RAM modules are too slow for you, you can go for the 64GB variant.
Patriot Signature
- Height: 31.25mm
- Type: DDR4
- Capacity: 16GB (8GB x 2)
- Speed: 2666MHz
- CL: 18
The Patriot Signature RAM modules are pretty much standard memory DIMMs with no heatsinks, so you can’t overclock them. The kit will come in 16GB (2 x 8GB) at 2666MHz, which is decent enough. But if you want more, you’ll find 64GB capacity RAM modules with speeds up to 3200MHz.
It’s one of the best low profile RAM modules for small form factor builds.
Crucial Ballistix
- Height: 39mm
- Type: DDR4
- Capacity: 16GB (8GB x 2)
- Speed: 3600MHz
- CL: 16
Along with Corsair and Kingston, Crucial is another popular brand when it comes to memory kits. For their entry into the list of best low profile RAM kits, we have the Crucial Ballistix clocking in at 16GB with 3600MHz rated RAM speed. Other configurations will go up to 64GB and up to 5100MHz, which is probably one of the fastest low profile RAM modules in the market right now. This is also one of the more practical RAM kits if you decide to go for budget or affordable PC cases.
Crucial Ballistix dons a stealth black color palette, but you’ll also see other color variants such as red and white.
G.Skill Aegis
- Height: 31.2 mm
- Type: DDR4
- Capacity: 16GB (8GB x 2)
- Speed: 3200MHz
- CL: 16
Last but definitely not the least we have the G.Skill Aegis, a budget-friendly low profile RAM kit but still puts up a fight against other high performance RAM modules in the market right now.
What you’re getting is a 16GB RAM kit at 3200MHz rated speed. This RAM module doesn’t have a heat spreader, so overclocking this RAM module is out of the question. But due to its size, it should occupy RAM slots without being detrimental to bigger liquid coolers or small form factor PC builds.
What Do People Commonly Ask About Low Profile RAM Modules?
Why Do Some Builders Prefer Low Profile Memory Modules?
Most of the time, builders go for low profile memory modules because they want to use a big air cooler or liquid cooler but there’s not enough room on their PC cases. Lowered module heights are also intended for small form PC builds, which usually use ITX cases or smaller.
Are Low Profile RAM Kits Even Good?
There’s no difference between a low profile RAM and a standard RAM kit. Both have the same memory capacity, speed, and other specs. It’s only the memory height that’s the big and only difference between the two.
Can You Use Low Profile RAM Modules On a Laptop?
Laptop RAM modules are still relatively smaller than any of the low profile RAM modules on here. Laptop memory modules are different from desktop memory modules, but some laptops can use desktop RAMs.
How Much RAM Do you Really Need?
This is actually a two-part question because you also need to ask yourself if you need a faster RAM.
For video editing, gaming, and other heavy workloads, you’re probably going to need 16GB at the very least. You can go for more RAM capacity if you feel that gaming or work performance is sluggish.
