How to choose RAM for a computer or laptop?

The same RAM is suitable for a desktop PC and a laptop, as long as the generation matches?

The generation of DDR memory (the oldest of the still common), DDR2, DDR3 and DDR4 (the newest) is really a priority issue when buying. But the memory format is no less important: long desktop DIMMs or shortened laptop SO-DIMMs. Moreover, some motherboards for desktop PCs (see the article "TOP 5 compact motherboards Mini-ITX and Mini-STX") support laptop memory format.

In addition, there are specific subspecies of RAM that are out of the general classification. Of the modern ones, this is primarily a low-voltage DDR3L, which operates at a frequency of 1.35 V instead of the typical 1.5 V for DDR3 and is used mainly in netbooks and ultrabooks.

Will a computer with DDR4-2400 MHz memory work 50 percent faster than with DDR3-1600 MHz?

Unfortunately, with an increase in the frequency of RAM, its latency also increases, that is, delays between read and write operations. And considering that the computer has to process many small files much more often than one large one, the increased delays offset the effect of increasing the frequency. Therefore, the real increase in performance is at most 10 percent, which is clearly demonstrated by Intel Kaby Lake processors that support both the latest DDR4 memory and the previous DDR3 (see the article "Intel Kaby Lake processors: from Celeron to Core i7").

Memory without radiators can overheat and burn out?

Metal radiators of RAM modules perform a decorative rather than a cooling function. Of course, they reduce the temperature by several degrees, but even without them, the memory will work smoothly for many years. Confirmation of this is the server memory devoid of radiators, working twenty–four hours, seven days a week.

Radiators become at least as useful as possible only with manual or automatic overclocking (XMP technology) of RAM with a concomitant increase in supply voltage. That's just by itself, increasing the memory frequency is practically useless (see the paragraph above). At the same time, we do not dissuade you from buying memory with radiators at all – design is important, especially if you are assembling a PC in a case with a transparent side wall (see the article "TOP 5 best computer cases of 2017"). The main thing is not to overdo it with the height of the radiators, otherwise the memory may interfere with the installation of a tower processor cooler.

The operating system and applications issue error messages about reading and writing RAM, so it's broken?

RAM is one of the most rarely broken computer components. Of course, no one excludes the possibility of factory defects, but in this case the problem will manifest itself in the first days after purchase. If everything was in order initially, then the memory will certainly survive the disks, the power supply and the graphics card. The memory format is more likely to become obsolete than it is physically broken. It is not for nothing that RAM manufacturing companies often give a lifetime warranty on their products (until the model is discontinued).

Software errors of reading and writing memory are most often caused by incorrectly installed device drivers, broken sectors on the surface of the hard disk, a broken graphics card (if we are talking about games) or the banal "dampness" of applications. The last thing to blame for them is RAM. Moreover, the special server buffered and ECC memory is able to correct programme errors that would lead to a failure if normal memory were used.

Is it better to buy memory modules in pairs than individually?

The dual-channel RAM mode speeds up the processor by only 5 percent and the integrated graphics accelerator by 30 percent. Therefore, if you buy a low-cost motherboard with only two memory slots, it is more reasonable to buy one large module instead of two small ones, so that there is an opportunity for future upgrades.

In addition, if you buy a lot of RAM at once, then a ready-made set of two or four slats still looks preferable. The memory chips that came off the assembly line at about the same time have similar characteristics (frequency potential, current leakage), so that modules from the same set work better with each other. This is especially true for Intel LGA 2011-v3 processors with support for four-channel memory mode (see the article"How to choose a processor for a computer?").

Which memory manufacturer is the best?

Only three companies currently produce memory chips directly: Samsung, Hynix and Micron (the owner of the Crucial brand). Other manufacturers of RAM modules buy chips from someone from the aforementioned trio. So, the cheapest memory without radiators is produced by Crucial, Patriot and Goodram. If the soul wants something more beautiful, with radiators and lighting, then choose between the Kingston, Corsair and GeiL brands. The most high-frequency memory (over 4000 MHz) is produced by G.Skill.

What amount of memory is needed for a modern PC?

Now the mandatory minimum, even for an office PC, is 4 GB of RAM, and then only if an SSD is used as a system disk (see the article "Any PC will be accelerated: the five best SSD drives of 2017"). Windows OS alone, paired with the Chrome web browser, loads more than 3 GB of memory. If only 4 GB is installed in the PC, part of which is also consumed by the integrated graphics accelerator, applications begin to actively use the swap file on the disk. In the case of a fast SSD, this does not affect the speed of the PC in any way, whereas in the case of a slow HDD, everything starts to slow down noticeably.

For today's demanding games, such as The Witcher 3, Fallout 4 and Battlefield 1, at least 8 GB of RAM is recommended (see the article "Building a gaming computer for $500 for 2017"). But if you are building a gaming PC with a reserve for the future, it is better to fork out for 16 GB right away (see the article "Advanced gaming computer for $ 800 (summer 2016)"). For users of professional software, such as photo, video and audio editors, the purchase of 16 GB is mandatory, and if finances allow, 32 GB will not be superfluous. Moreover, there is a clear trend in the market with an increase in prices for RAM and devices where it is used (for example, smartphones).