Which type of memory is right for my system?

While there are various types of memory available, the vast majority of PCs sold in the last few years support a couple of types of memory – DDR4 and DDR5. This stands for Double Data Rate, with the ‘4’ and ‘5’ meaning this is the fourth or fifth generation of DDR memory. Don’t panic though, if you have an older system that isn’t compatible with DDR4 or DDR5, Scan still stocks a wide range of DDR, DDR2 and DDR3 memory.

Also keep an eye out for DDR5 CUDIMMs. These Clocked Unbuffered Dual In-line Memory Modules are capable of running at higher frequencies than standard DDR5 DIMMs, but are only supported by select Intel processors and motherboards.

CPU DDR4 DDR5
Intel Core Ultra 200-series ✖ ✔
Intel 14th gen Core ✔ ✔
Intel 13th gen Core ✔ ✔
Intel 12th gen Core ✔ ✔
Intel 11th gen Core ✔ ✖
Intel 10th gen Core ✔ ✖
AMD Ryzen 9000 ✖ ✔
AMD Ryzen 7000 ✖ ✔
AMD Ryzen 5000 ✔ ✖
AMD Ryzen 3000 ✔ ✖
AMD Ryzen 1000 ✔ ✖

The handy table above summaries which type of memory is best for the most popular platforms, but it’s best to check the specs of your CPU and motherboard as whether they support DDR4 or DDR5 as this can vary from system to system.

Things to Consider with Memory

Once you’ve ensured system compatibility, there are a few other considerations when choosing your perfect system memory, as detailed in the tabs below.

Size

Size

The next thing to consider is what size memory you should be looking at. Most desktop PCs require memory sticks, known as DIMMs, each with 288-pins on them. However, if you’re trying to upgrade a laptop it will require SODIMMs, these are a bit stubbier than standard DIMMs, and have 240-pins.

Channels

Channels

The second decision you need to make is selecting a pack of memory with the optimum number of channels. All modern CPUs are capable of running multiple DIMMs together to boost performance. Most CPUs support dual-channel memory, so will perform best when you install the memory in pairs; however, some high-end CPUs support quad-channel memory, so will perform best when you install the memory in multiples of four. Although you can buy multiple individual DIMMs, it is better to buy a dual-channel or quad-channel kit, as the individual DIMMs in the pack will have been tested together by Corsair.

Speed

Speed

The final consideration is the speed of the memory. While there are a number of factors that determine memory performance the most important spec to look out is the speed, which is displayed as the frequency in MHz. A word of caution, you won’t get the full benefit of high frequency RAM unless you go into the motherboard BIOS and do some tweaking. This is because not all CPUs support super-fast memory, so MOTHERBOARDS set the memory to run at a safe neutral speed out of the box.

Aesthetics

Aesthetics

To enhance the look of memory DIMMs, RGB modules are available. The LED lights may continuously rotate through many colours or they can be programmed for specific colours. These modules are often found in gaming PCs, which have transparent cases to show off their internals.

How much memory do I need?

Installing more memory in your PC or laptop is an easy way to boost its performance, however, not all applications and games will benefit from having lots of memory. The following tabs shows several examples of different use cases, giving examples of how much memory will give you the best bang per buck. You can of course install more memory, but the aim of this guide is to show you the minimum configuration so you have a good user experience.

Home & Office

Home & Office

8GB

performance

Web browsing, email, Youtube etc

Entry Level

16GB

performance

Run several applications at once

Mid Range

32GB

performance

Edit photos in Adobe Photshop

High End

Gaming

Gaming

8GB

performance

Games like Minecraft and DOTA 2

Entry Level

16GB

performance

Games like Call of Duty and GTA V

Mid Range

32GB+

performance

Live streaming games

High End

View all Gaming Memory Options

Graphics Workstations

Graphics Workstations

16GB

performance

Design applications

Entry Level

32GB

performance

Visualisation applications

Mid Range

64GB+

performance

Simulations, visualisation with large models and textures

High End

Audio Workstations

Audio Workstations

8GB

performance

Small sound libraries

Entry Level

16GB

performance

Mid-size sound libraries

Mid Range

32GB

performance

Large sound libraries

High End

Video Workstations

Video Workstations

16GB

performance

Working with FullHD video

Entry Level

32GB

performance

Working with 4K video

Mid Range

64GB+

performance

Working with 4K or higher video

High End

Server Memory

When it comes to servers, the best approach is to use fewer, larger capacity DIMMs, as they will use less power and you still have room for expansion in the future. There are a number of DIMM types available - the best choice will be dependent on your workloads.

Server Memory

UDIMM

UDIMM

UDIMM or Unbuffered DIMM acts so the address and control signals can directly reach the DRAM chip on the server DIMM without going through a buffer and without any timing adjustment. UDIMMs are lower in capacity and frequency and cannot maximise server performance because they only operate in unbuffered mode and thus cannot support the maximum RAM capacity.

RDIMM

RDIMM

RDIMM or Registered DIMMs deploy a register between the CPU and the DRAM chip for data transmission, which reduces the distance of parallel transmission and improves efficiency. RDIMMs are easier to increase in capacity and frequency than UDIMMs and they support buffered and high-performance registered mode, making it more stable than UDIMM. This gives it the highest-capacity server RAM performance and a wide range of applications in the server RAM market.

LRDIMM

LRDIMM

LRDIMM or Load Reduced DIMMs do not use registers but are simply buffered. The buffering reduces the power load on the underlying motherboard but has little effect on memory performance. The direct benefit is to reduce the load and power consumption of the memory bus but also provides the maximum supported capacity of server RAM.

MRDIMM

ECC DIMM

MRDIMM or Multi-Capacity Rank DIMMs improve performance and efficiency by leveraging multiple ranks within a single module. An MRCD (multiplexed registering clock driver) addresses two ranks of DRAMs on alternate clock cycles, as well as MDBs (multiplexed data buffers) to direct the data stream to and from the correct DRAM devices.

Ready to buy?

Ready to buy?

Browse our range of RAM

CUDIMM DDR5 DDR5 DDR4 Laptop RAM Server DDR5 Server DDR4

Alternatively, if you have any further questions you’d like answering about system memory, don’t hesitate to call one of our friendly advisors on 01204 474747.