There are many questions you need to inquire before you put together your most wanted computer setup. You cannot disregard the importance of RAM in your computer, whether you are a professional or a gamer. Many questions may arise when buying RAM. It may be about the difference in RAM generations. Is the latest generation more facilitating or not? What is RAM, and why it is important for the computer? We will answer all the common questions that may pop up in your mind.
What is RAM?
You may have heard about RAM in computer basics. But here, we will give you its abstract.
RAM is the abbreviation for Random-Access Memory. It is used to store the machine code and working data on your computer. RAM allows the read and writes of data in equal time regardless of its physical location. Simply, RAM is referred to as the temporary memory of the computer. It means the data is stored for the short term. For example, if you are working on your computer, the data will be temporarily stored on RAM, but if your computer turns off before you have saved your work, the data will have vanished. RAM provides you with a fast activity, whether you are loading applications or working on them.
All the computing devices contain RAM, whether it is your PC, smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
What is DDR?
You may have heard of the term DDR with RAM. DDR is the Double Data Rate. It has a precise clock and electrical signal timings that make it transfer data at faster rates.
Earlier, there was SDR (Single Data Rate), which was improved to the first Double-data rate as DDR1. With time, the DDRs were enhanced with better features. The new generations were introduced with time as the DDR2, DDR3 and DDR4. They were newer efficient and speedy than the previous ones.
The modern computer equipment is compatible with the new generation RAMs. It means there are certain motherboards that cannot be used with the older versions of RAM as DDR3 or DDR2. You will need to change an entire motherboard if you have bought the older version of RAM.
To provide you with an easy understanding, we have provided you with a table of RAM features in numbers.
| RAM | Prefetch | Voltage | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|
| DDR1 | 2n | 2.5/2.6V | 3.2 GB/s |
| DDR2 | 4n | 1.8V | 8.5 GB/s |
| DDR3 | 8n | 1.3/1.5V | 17 GB/s |
| DDR4 | 8n | 1.2V | 25.6 GB/s |
| DDR5 | 8/16n | 1.1V | 32 GB/s |
We will be providing you with information about DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5. Besides, we will tell you about their performance and functionalities.
All of them are found in the market, but the most commonly used is the DDR4, as it has more compatible devices. But many computers are using DDR3 for normal functionalities.
What are the differences between DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5?
The table above provides you with information about the features of DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5. By observing, you can simply see the increase in the performance of RAM generations in past years. The newer, the efficient. All the features play a different part in the computer. We will explain these features more clearly to you in this article.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the rate at which your data can be stored or read by your processor. It is expressed in terms of bytes per second. Many features affect the bandwidth of your computer. The faster your RAM will be, it will be easier for you to store data and run different applications at a time. But still, the main purpose of your RAM s to store data.
The more the RAM will be, the more data can be stored on your computer at a time. The RAM requirements depend upon the kind of work you do on your computer. Whether you are playing or using your computer for professional purposes, RAM’s amount depends on how many applications you use and how tetchy you are.
The larger storage is directly proportional to the speed of your computer. If you have larger storage, you can store more data irrespective of the speed of your RAM. In comparison, DDR4 Ram has a much larger bandwidth than DDR3 Ram. Hence the DDR5 Ram has the most storage but cannot be reached by everyone.
Voltage
Generally, the more the voltage will be, the better the performance of your RAM will be. The voltage increases greater performance and an increased speed of your computer. But it does not mean that you will need to prefer the RAM with high voltage as a priority. The increased voltage has certain negative effects too.
The more RAM’s voltage will be, the more energy it will consume and cause the system to heat up. The high voltage RAM can be used with its voltage-compatible and quality motherboards. The motherboards come with the limit of voltage mentioned on them. If the heat increases, the motherboards can damage too. You can choose DDR4 for a precise and better voltage. As it has an average voltage rate, that will provide the better performance along with less energy consumption and heat up.
Also, you can notice that the voltage change between previous generations was more than the newer ones. DDR3 and DDR4 have a slight change as compared to DDR1, DDR2, and DDR3.
Prefetch
You may not have heard about this term. Prefetch is the data read in one pass. It is a computer term and refers to the “Prefetch Architecture.” The RAM having more n size will read more data in one pass than 1n. It all depends upon the prefetch buffer of your RAM.
The perfect buffer of previous generation RAMs was much less. With better improvements in new generations, the prefetch buffer size was increased from 2n to 16n. It means that the operation of DDR4 will be much faster than that of DDR1. Also, the DDR5 reads the data sixteen times faster. DDR3 and DDR4 have the same prefetch operation, but DDR5 is twice as faster as these two.
Size
From the size of the RAM, we don’t refer to its storage size. It is the size of RAM originally. As RAM is the component of a computer, you will need to consider the size of RAM according to your motherboard. The sizes of motherboards vary from different generations. You cannot use the DDR4 compatible RAM with DDR3 motherboards.
The size and shape of the RAMs are designed differently. It is done to prevent the wrong installment of RAM with a specific motherboard. Also, you will need to check the compatibility of the RAM if you already have a motherboard. Besides, the newer motherboards are compatible with DDR4. So, in terms of compatibility, you should get DDR4.
Latency
Latency is another feature of the RAM. It is used for the calculation bandwidth of the RAM chip. There is a slight difference in latency between DDR3 and DDR4. Besides, there are most DDR4 chips with slightly higher latencies. It means that the DDR4 chips with high latency are better.
What to Choose?
It would help if you kept in mind many things before getting the best between DDR3, DDR4, or DDR5. It is because you cannot change the RAM of your computer continuously. It stays on your computer for a long time. Your motherboard is the primary factor you need to consider before buying RAM. For the older motherboard, you are bound to get the DDR3. You will need to check the specifications of your motherboard. It is because the motherboards are designed differently according to the RAM.
Besides, you will need to check the amount of RAM your computer’s operating system allows. The storage amounts vary with operating systems. Also, you should consider the type of work you do on your computer. If you are using it for graphic and video editing or simple computer work, you can go for 8GB. But for professional use, using different and heavy applications, you will need a 16GB deal. Also, do not go for the fastest one. You should prefer the one having a balanced amount of storage and speed. So, you can relish both the features.
Final Thoughts
Choosing a RAM does not independently depend on you. You need to follow certain limitations, compatibility, and requirements. You cannot choose totally according to your choice. All of the RAMs provide you with different speeds and performances. You must need to keep the balance and get the one that suits your motherboard and provide you with efficient and long-term use.
