Kingston ValueRAM 16GB DDR5-5600 CL46 Green

The Kingston ValueRAM KVR56U46BS8-16 runs at 5600 MT/s, good for the 78th percentile, but its CL46 latency drops to the 23rd percentile and drags gaming performance down to 61/100. Prices swing from USD 266 to USD 400 for the same stick, which is hard to swallow. You're better off with a faster CL30 or CL32 kit unless you catch this at the absolute bottom of the price range.

The headline number here is 5600 MT/s, which puts this stick in the 78th percentile for speed. That's genuinely respectable for a budget module. You're getting PC5-44800 bandwidth, and for most gaming and everyday tasks, that's plenty. The 1Rx8 single-rank layout means it's a straightforward, no-surprises DIMM.

But then you hit the timings: 46-45-45 at CL46. That's a latency score in the 23rd percentile, which is a real weak spot. DDR5 at 5600 MT/s with CL46 means the memory controller is waiting a while between requests. For gaming, the 61/100 score reflects that trade-off. You get decent bandwidth but sluggish response times compared to something like a CL30 or CL32 kit. The 1.10V operating voltage is standard for JEDEC DDR5, and it helps keep power draw and heat down, which is nice since there's no heat spreader to help with cooling.

Against the competition, this Kingston stick has a rough time. The G.Skill Trident Z5 Royal Neo and Corsair Vengeance RGB both run at 6000 MT/s with CL28 timings, which absolutely crushes the CL46 here. The Crucial Pro Overclocking kit and Team Group T-CREATE EXPERT both hit 6400 MT/s with CL32, again far tighter latency. Even the ADATA Lancer Blade RGB at 6000 MT/s CL30 leaves this ValueRAM in the dust. The only place Kingston wins is on price, and even that's debatable given the 43rd percentile affordability score. You're trading a lot of performance for a name-brand warranty.

Pricing on this stick is all over the place. In the US, you'll see it listed anywhere from USD 266 to USD 400 across three listings. That's a USD 134 spread for the exact same module, which is wild. Amazon tends to have the best deal on the low end, while Newegg and Best Buy listings drift higher. In Canada, the spread is CAD 150, from CAD 330 to CAD 480. The affordability percentile sits at 43rd, which means this isn't actually a budget-friendly price for what you get. A 16GB stick at these prices is hard to justify when dual-channel 32GB kits from competitors often cost less per gigabyte.

The Kingston ValueRAM KVR56U46BS8-16 is a single 16GB stick of DDR5 running at 5600 MT/s. That speed lands in the 78th percentile of our database, which is pretty solid for a budget kit. But the CL46 latency is where things get rough, sitting down in the 23rd percentile. That's a big gap between how fast the memory clock runs and how long it takes to actually respond.

Kingston calls this ValueRAM for a reason. It's a no-frills, non-ECC, unbuffered DIMM with no heat spreader and no RGB. You get a lifetime warranty and Intel XMP 3.0 support, but that's about it for extras. The feature score sits at the 57th percentile, and capacity at 45th, since 16GB is the entry point for DDR5 these days.

If you're building a gaming PC, skip this. The 61/100 gaming score and CL46 latency in the 23rd percentile mean you're leaving frames on the table compared to any CL30 or CL32 kit at a similar price. Workstation users should also pass, since the 59.9/100 workstation score and lack of ECC make it a poor fit for anything beyond light productivity. And if you're shopping in Canada, the CAD 330 to CAD 480 spread is brutal for a single 16GB stick. Only consider this if you find it at the very bottom of the US price range and you're building a basic office or web-browsing machine.

The Kingston ValueRAM KVR56U46BS8-16 is a hard sell in 2025. The 5600 MT/s speed is fine, but CL46 latency in the 23rd percentile means you're leaving real performance on the table, especially in games where the 61/100 score shows the gap. At USD 266 to USD 400 for a single 16GB stick, you're paying a premium for the Kingston name and lifetime warranty. If you're building a budget system and find this on sale at the low end of that range, it'll work. But most people should spend the same money on a faster dual-channel kit from G.Skill, Corsair, or Crucial.