

For Intel, that covers the Intel Core i7 line introduction in 2008 through to the 7 th generation Kaby Lake CPUs in 2016.ĭDR3 RAM has the same number of pins as DDR2. Why? Because it wasn't until 2016 (two years after DDR4 launched) that DDR4 capable systems really picked up steam.įurthermore, DDR3 RAM covers a huge range of CPU generations, stretching from Intel's LGA1366 socket through to LGA1151, as well as AMD's AM3/AM3+ and FM1/2/2+. Although DDR4 officially superseded it in 2014, you will still find many systems using the older RAM standard. Otherwise, DDR2 is obsolete.ĭDR3 was released way back in 2007. DDR2 has been well and truly superseded, but you can still buy it in limited quantities to upgrade older machines. Losing power is like wiping your desk clean of every document.ĭDR2 is the oldest kind of RAM you're likely to come across today. The contents of your system RAM are lost as soon as you turn the power off. Unlike an office desk, however, RAM cannot act as permanent storage. Just as having a bigger desk can hold more bits of paper on it without becoming messy and unwieldy (as well as requiring more trips back to the filing cabinet to reorganize). The more RAM you have, the more things you can have quick access to at any one time. The RAM is like an entire office workstation, while the CPU cache is like the actual working area where you actively work on a document. The hard drive is the filing cabinet in the corner. Your system uses RAM to store working parts of the operating system temporarily and the data your applications are using actively. It acts as a middle ground between the small, super-fast cache in your CPU and the large, super-slow storage of your hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD). Read on for explanations on the different kinds of RAM, how to read RAM specifications, and exactly how RAM works. What's the difference between DDR3 and DDR4? DIMM and SO-DIMM? Is there a difference between DRR3-1600 and PC3-12800? Is RAM latency and timing important? Shopping for RAM can be confusing, though. You probably already know that more RAM is better, but maybe you're looking to install more RAM now.

It's where your computer keeps track of the programs and data you're using right now. RAM is the short-term memory of your computer.
