Computers with large RAM. Amount of RAM. Selecting RAM

Random Access Memory (RAM) is one of the main parts of a computer. This is a volatile component that stores machine code, incoming/outgoing and intermediate data while the computer is running. The process of choosing RAM seems clear at first glance, but it contains many nuances that need to be taken into account in order to purchase quality components.

The easiest way to choose a RAM stick is to use the list of recommended modules on the website of the manufacturer of the motherboard installed on the computer. Since these parts of the PC are inextricably linked with each other (including the processor), it makes sense to pay attention to the manufacturer’s advice. The recommended RAM modules listed on his website will definitely work on your PC.

Another tip to follow when purchasing RAM sticks is matching with other hardware. When buying an inexpensive motherboard and a budget processor, do not choose expensive RAM, because it will not reveal its potential during operation. But it is very important to pay attention to specifications RAM.

Main settings

When purchasing new RAM, pay attention to the main parameters that will help you make the right choice.

First, determine what type of RAM is suitable for your motherboard. This parameter is indicated in its description. Today there are four types: SDRAM, DDR (DDR1), DDR2, DDR3 and DDR4.

The most common type of RAM today is DDR3. Unlike previous generation modules, it works with clock frequency up to 2400 MHz and consumes 30-40% less electricity compared to its predecessor. In addition, it has a lower supply voltage, so it generates less heat.

All types of RAM are incompatible with each other in terms of electrical (supply voltage differs) and physical parameters (control holes are located in different places). The photo shows why a DDR3 RAM module cannot be installed in the DDR2 socket.

Healthy! Now the DDR4 standard is gaining popularity. It features lower power consumption and higher operating frequencies (prospect for growth up to 3200 MHz).

The form factor characterizes the size of the RAM sticks. There are two types:

  • DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Module) – installed on desktop PCs;
  • SO-DIMM – for installation in laptops or monoblocks.

Bus frequency and bandwidth

The performance of RAM depends on these two parameters. The bus frequency characterizes the amount of information transmitted per unit of time. The higher it is, the more information will pass through the bus in the same time period. There is a directly proportional relationship between bus frequency and bandwidth: if the RAM frequency is 1800 MHz, theoretically it has a bandwidth of 14400 MB/sec.

Do not chase high RAM frequencies on the basis of “the more, the better.” For the average user, the difference between 1333 MHz or 1600 MHz is invisible. It is important only for professional users who are engaged in video rendering, or for overclockers trying to “overclock” the RAM.

When choosing a frequency, take into account the tasks you set for the computer and its configuration. It is desirable that the operating frequency of the RAM modules coincide with the frequency at which it operates motherboard. If you connect a DDR3-1800 stick to a motherboard that supports the DDR3-1333 standard, the RAM will run at 1333 MHz.

In this case, the more, the better - this is the optimal description of the parameter. Today, the minimum allowable amount of RAM that should be installed on a computer or laptop is 4 GB. Depending on the tasks performed on the device, the amount of RAM can be 8, 32 or even 128 GB. For an ordinary user, 8 GB will be enough; for a specialist working with video processing programs, or for a gamer, 16-64 GB of RAM will be needed.

RAM timings are characterized by delays in operation. They are calculated in nanoseconds, and in the description they are indicated by a sequential set of numbers: 9-9-9-27, where the first three parameters are: CAS Latency, RAS to CAS Delay, RAS Precharge Time and DRAM Cycle Time Tras/Trc. They characterize the performance in the “memory-processor” segment, which directly affects the efficiency of the computer. The lower these values, the lower the delay and the faster the PC will perform.

Some companies indicate only one number in the description of RAM modules - CL9. It characterizes CAS Latency. Basically it is equal to or lower than other parameters.

Good to know! The higher the RAM frequency, the higher the timings, so you need to choose the optimal ratio for yourself.

RAM sticks are sold with the designation “Low Latency”. This means that when high frequencies they have low timings. But their cost is higher than that of conventional models.

Modes

To increase computer performance, special operating modes of RAM strips are used: one-, two-, three-channel and Flex-Mode. In this case, the speed of the system theoretically increases two, three or more times.

Important! The motherboard must support these operating modes. The description for it indicates which slots you need to install the brackets in to enable the desired mode.

  • Single channel mode starts when one RAM module is used or all the sticks have different parameters. In this case, the system operates at bar speed with the lowest frequency.
  • Dual channel mode turns on when two RAM modules with the same characteristics (frequency, timings, volume) are installed in the connectors. The performance increase is 10-20% in games and 20-70% when working with graphics.
  • Three channel mode activated when three identical RAM sticks are connected. In reality, it does not always outperform dual-channel mode.
  • Flex-Mode (flexible)– increases PC performance when using two RAM sticks of the same frequency, but different in volume.

Important! It is advisable that the memory sticks be from the same delivery batch. There are kits on sale consisting of two to four modules that are completely compatible with each other in operation.

When buying digital equipment, pay attention to the manufacturer. Among the companies producing RAM modules, the most popular are: Corsair, Kingston, GoodRam, Hynix, Samsung and others.

It is interesting that the market for the production of memory chips for RAM modules is almost completely divided between three large companies: Samsung, Hynix, Micron. And large manufacturers use their chips to produce their own models.

Modern RAM sticks operate at low power consumption, so they generate little heat. In view of this, there is no need to buy models with installed radiators. But if you are a fan of overclocking hardware, then take care of purchasing RAM modules with heatsinks. They will prevent them from burning out during overclocking.

If necessary, the user can purchase a cooling system for RAM, consisting of radiators and fans. It is also intended for use by overclockers.

Selecting an existing plank

When purchasing a new RAM module to add to one already installed in your PC, remember that often such combinations do not work together. But if you decide to buy, make sure that the timings and bus frequencies are the same. In addition, choose RAM sticks from the same manufacturer.

Video

If you don't fully understand how to choose RAM, watch this video.

RAM capacity

Next, let's take a closer look at the following important characteristic RAM – its volume. First of all, it should be noted that it most directly affects the amount of simultaneous running programs, processes and applications and their smooth operation. Today, the most popular modules are sticks with a capacity of 4 GB and 8 GB (we are talking about the DDR3 standard).

Based on what operating system installed, as well as for what purposes the computer is used, you should choose and select the right amount of RAM. In most cases, if the computer is used to access world wide web and for working with various applications, and Windows XP is installed, then 2 GB is quite enough.

For those who like to try out a recently released game and people who work with graphics, you should install at least 4 GB. And if you plan to install Windows 7, you will need even more.

The most in a simple way To find out how much memory your system needs is to launch the Task Manager (by pressing the keyboard combination ctrl+alt+del) and launch the most resource-consuming program or application. After this, you need to analyze the information in the “Memory Allocation” - “Peak” group.

In this way, you can determine the maximum allocated volume and find out to what volume it needs to be increased so that our highest indicator fits in RAM. This will give you maximum system performance. There will be no need to increase further.

Selecting RAM

Now let's move on to the question of choosing the RAM that is most suitable for you. From the very beginning, you should determine exactly the type of RAM that your computer's motherboard supports. For modules different types There are different connectors accordingly. Therefore, to avoid damage to the motherboard or the modules themselves, the modules themselves have different sizes.

The optimal amounts of RAM were discussed above. When choosing RAM, you should focus on its bandwidth. For system performance, the most optimal option is when throughput module matches the same processor characteristic.

That is, if the computer has a processor with a 1333 MHz bus, the bandwidth of which is 10600 MB/s, then to ensure the most favorable conditions for performance, you can install 2 sticks, the bandwidth of which is 5300 MB/s, and which in total will give us 10600 Mb/s

However, it should be remembered that for this mode of operation, the RAM modules must be identical in both volume and frequency. In addition, they must be manufactured by the same manufacturer. Here is a short list of well-proven manufacturers: Samsung, OCZ, Transcend, Kingston, Corsair, Patriot.

Finally, it is worth summarizing the main points:

  • Based on the definition: RAM or RAM is component computer, necessary for temporary storage of data, which in turn is necessary for the processor to operate.
  • After completing any operations (closing programs, applications), all associated data is deleted from the chip. And when you launch new tasks into it with hard drive the data that the processor needs is loaded into this moment time.
  • The speed of access to data located in RAM is several hundred times higher than the speed of access to information located on the hard drive. This allows the processor to use necessary information, gaining instant access to it.
  • Today, the most common 2 types are: DDR3 (with a frequency from 800 to 2400 MHz) and DDR4 (from 2133 to 4266 MHz). The higher the frequency, the faster the system operates.

If you have difficulty choosing RAM, if you cannot determine what type of RAM your motherboard supports and what volume will best suit your needs, then you can always contact the service website. We are this computer help at home in Moscow and the Moscow region. Our specialists will help with selection, replacement and installation in a computer or laptop.

This question, posed in the title of today’s post, has probably been asked by every computer user. At least once - but I asked...

Let's finally answer it!

RAM plays one of the most important roles in a computer. Processor + memory + video card are the three most high-performance components of a computer that determine its overall performance.

Memory performance, in turn, is determined by its characteristics: standard, frequency, latency...

Today there are two memory standards: DDR2 and DRR3. There is practically no noticeable difference between them when it comes to performance.

If we consider each standard separately, for example, DDR2 memory can operate on different frequencies– 533, 667 and 800 MHz (we do not consider 1066 MHz and higher - not all motherboards support such memory, and it is practically no different from 800 MHz). DDR3 also operates at different frequencies - 1066, 1333, 1600. These are the most popular today. And also - there is no particular difference between them.

As for parameters such as latency, I would say that this does not affect performance at all.

Therefore, a much more important memory parameter is not its standard or speed mode, but its capacity.

Volume is practically the most important memory parameter today. The overall performance of the computer largely depends on the amount of memory. So let's consider most popular desktop configurations for today:

2 GB

This volume will be enough for simple office work under Windows XP and 7: text, spreadsheets, Internet, viewing photos and videos. If you want to switch to Windows 7, you will have to add more memory. Two gigabytes for serious work under Windows control 7 is not enough.

The system itself will work very well, it will also work without difficulty Microsoft Office, your favorite communication programs, players, etc. You can even edit photos and DVD videos.

But I mean heavy loads: try opening 3-4 high-resolution photos in Photoshop and working with them at the same time. But this is exactly what designers working via the Internet have to do, for example.

The same applies to those who work professionally with video, or amateurs: who regularly edit and process video from their video camera.

You will immediately notice that there is not enough memory: the system will respond sluggishly to commands, “think” from time to time... This can be annoying and interfere with your work, especially if you are used to doing everything quickly on the computer.

Another thing worth mentioning is that if there is insufficient physical memory, the system will turn to the paging file on the hard drive. It will send everything that does not fit into physical memory to this file. Here lies the reason for possible “braking”.

If we talk about a laptop, then the lack of memory will also be expressed in a reduction in battery life. The reason is the same - the system will often access the page file, therefore HDD will work more often and waste energy.

4 GB

We can say that this is the optimal amount of memory for today. Office work and some resource-intensive tasks: games, viewing and editing photos/videos, simultaneous work with several programs, incl. and under Windows 7... For all this, 4 GB is enough.

But even in this case, the system will still access the page file, although significantly less than if the computer had 2 GB of memory installed. We can say that they are reduced to a minimum.

For a laptop, 4GB of memory is almost an ideal option: a minimum of calls to the page file (only if some very resource-intensive program is running), and, therefore, a minimum of energy consumption by the hard drive.

Even if 2 GB is enough for you in your laptop, I would still recommend installing 4. In this case, the laptop will have a little more battery life. And if you don’t run any resource-intensive programs on your laptop, you can disable the page file altogether, and thereby make your laptop more playful.

As for the price, 4 GB of memory will cost an average of 3500-4000 rubles.

8 GB

An ideal option and a must if you have to work with resource-intensive programs, edit HD video from your video camera and work with several applications in parallel.

In this case, the system does not access the paging file on the disk at all (just in case, you can even turn it off - there will be enough memory in any case).

However, such a large volume makes sense if your computer has a high-performance Core processor i7 or Phenom II X4. With 8 GB of memory you can use its full potential. He won't be held back by a slow hard drive with a page file. It is with 8 GB of RAM that the performance of such a computer will be maximum.

And if your PC has a mid-range or budget processor, then there is no point in installing 8 GB, because... Here another factor comes into force: if a high-performance processor needs such a volume in order to fully use all its resources, then a budget processor simply does not need such a volume, because its power reserve is small, and it will be exhausted by, say, 4 GB of memory (of course, it all depends on specific model) and the extra four GB won't add much speed. Even if you want to speed up, say, HD video processing on a computer, in this case everything will depend on a slow processor, and not on a lack of memory.

Not everything is so smooth with laptops. Not all models support increasing memory to this amount. As a rule, in laptops the matter is limited to 4 GB. However, laptops by their nature are not designed for ultra-resource-intensive tasks such as editing and encoding HD video and modern games. Therefore, 4 GB in a laptop is quite enough.

Currently, almost all modern motherboards support 8 GB of DDR2 or DDR3 memory. If you're pushing your PC to the max, if you're running low on performance all the time, and if you have the opportunity to upgrade your memory subsystem to 8GB, then I highly recommend you do so.

8 GB of memory will cost approximately 7000-8000 rubles.

The other day I convinced myself that 8 GB of memory significantly adds responsiveness to a computer. My PC had 4 GB of DDR3-1333 memory installed, and I decided to install the same amount.

The choice fell on the PATRIOT DDR3-1333 memory kit. You can see photos of memory sticks in the gallery:

I immediately noticed that the computer was even more responsive than before. Now, even if I process HD video from a camcorder, the system does not access the page file, as was the case with 4 GB of memory in the system.

No matter how I load the computer, it still responds quickly to commands and there are no slowdowns. This is the main benefit you get after adding memory - responsiveness.

Whether you open a folder, launch another program for parallel work, or perform any operations in the program itself - the computer does all this instantly and quickly - without “thinking”.

And what with big amount programs you have to work in parallel, the more noticeable this advantage is.

Here, for example, are programs that I often work with simultaneously and that are constantly running in my background:

  • Windows Mail
  • Opera (a couple of dozen open tabs)
  • Skype
  • ICQ (one number)
  • QIP Infium (second number)
  • Dropbox
  • Kaspersky Internet Security 2010
  • PuntoSwitcher
  • DownloadMaster
  • Bittorrent
  • Internet Explorer
  • Adobe Dreamweaver CS4
  • Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2007
  • Microsoft OneNote 2010
  • ABBYY Lingvo X3
  • Windows Media Player
  • Total Commander

Plus system processes also require memory. Therefore, if you also load your computer to the maximum, rest assured that 8 GB of memory will be very useful.

As a real user of Apple technology, I know nothing about processor overclocking (I’ve only run benchmarks a few times) and I consider the performance indicator not the amount of RAM, but how I feel about working on the computer. It would be strange if I started talking about how much RAM is needed for comfortable work or games. For example, my MacBook has 4 GB of RAM, and I was wondering if 16 GB is worth it on fancy computers?

My interest would have remained theoretical if I had not found a study from the TechSpot portal. TechSpot editor Steven Walton conducted a series of tests comparing the performance of the computer in three variations: with four, eight and 16 gigabytes of RAM.

Here are the computer settings:

  1. Processor - Intel Core i7-6700K (4 GHz).
  2. Motherboard - Asrock Z170 Gaming K6+.
  3. Video card - GeForce GTX 980.
  4. SSD - Crucial MX200 1 TB.
  5. OS - Windows 10 Pro 64-bit.
  6. RAM - DDR4-2666 4, 8 and 16 GB.

The variation with 16 GB of RAM was justified in only two situations. The first is video rendering in Adobe Premier. The computer processed a 17-minute video in 290 seconds (16 GB), 300 seconds (8 GB) and 415 seconds (4 GB). The second test is a comparison of performance when compressing files. The test is synthetic, and here the RAM came in handy. With 16 GB the execution speed was 9,290 MIPS (millions of operations per second), with 8 GB - 2,902 MIPS and with 4 GB - 446 MIPS.

In the remaining tests, and there were about 10 of them in total, variations with 8 and 16 GB of RAM performed approximately the same, and the four-gigabyte version was only slightly inferior.

As for games, GTA V, Batman: Arkham Knight and F1 2015 were played with the same FPS (frames per second) in three tests.




is not as pressing as it used to be, it still worries many users today. These days, even the cheapest computers have at least 4GB of memory, an amount that once seemed unthinkable but is now the de facto standard. Despite this, many people wonder: is this enough? Will additional memory speed up the computer, or will there be no special effect?

There is undoubtedly a difference between 4, 8, 16 and more gigabytes of RAM, but for the mass user the relationship between the volume installed memory and PC performance remains slightly blurred. In this article I will try to shed light on this question and briefly answer what is the optimal amount of RAM and whether it makes sense to install additional RAM modules.

What is Random Access Memory (RAM)?

Although computers have long been commonplace, many people still confuse the concepts of “RAM” and “local” memory. The misconception often comes from the fact that both types of memory are measured in the same units—lately usually in gigabytes (GB). Despite the fact that both RAM and local memory are used to store information, they differ in terms of data storage period. RAM is usually several times faster than local memory and is used for temporary storage of data. After turning off the computer, all data stored on it disappears without a trace. In local memory ( hard disks and SSD devices) information is saved regardless of whether the computer is turned on or off. This is why RAM is usually defined as volatile, and local memory as non-volatile.

How much memory does a PC need?

For a long time, Bill Gates has been credited with the phrase “640 KB of memory is enough for everything.” Ultimately, Gates himself issued an official statement, saying that he was not the author of this statement, which he called pure stupidity.

However, in the early 80s of the last century this did not sound so comical, because volumes of the order of 100-200 MB were considered huge. Today even the cheapest computer systems have 2-4 GB of RAM, and local space for storing information is measured in terabytes.

Basic configurations have from 4 to 8 GB of RAM, and high-end models (multimedia or gaming) offer 12-16, sometimes 32 (or more) GB of RAM. So how much can be called “optimal”? Unfortunately, it is very difficult to give an exact answer expressed in a specific figure, since the optimal number depends on the tasks for which you use the computer. So, for example, on a Windows PC, only the operating system itself can require more than one gigabyte for its system libraries. If you are using antivirus program, then this is another 30-200 megabytes in the background depending on the specific product. Most web browsers, office applications and multimedia players require 100-800 MB or more memory. If you run them simultaneously (i.e. use Windows for its intended purpose - multitasking), these volumes become cumulative - the more programs running, the higher the RAM consumption.

Video games remain the champions in RAM consumption. Popular titles like Call of Duty can “swallow” 4-5 GB of memory without any problems.

Most modern laptops use integrated graphics, which also consume RAM. The video cores integrated into the processor do not have their own own memory(unlike discrete solutions) and “eat up” part of the available RAM. So if your laptop specs 4GB of RAM and integrated graphics, Windows will tell you that you only have 3.9GB (or less) of memory available.

Other Considerations

The optimal amount of RAM also has a software (perhaps it would be more correct to say system) aspect. Older versions of the operating system use a 32-bit memory addressing method. It is now outdated and harkens back to a time when amounts over 4 GB of RAM seemed unthinkable. This is why 32-bit versions of Windows simply cannot use more than 4GB of RAM. Even if you have more memory, a 32-bit operating system will insist that you only have 4 GB (although usually even less - 3-3.5 GB) of RAM. To fully use volumes over 4 gigs, you will need 64-bit Windows.

Another interest Ask Memory-related concerns the rate at which RAM fills up, as well as what happens if all available memory is used up.

If the system tool "Task Manager" shows that the entire memory capacity is almost completely exhausted, i.e. All running processes occupy 70-80% or even more of RAM, this is not a reason to worry. Microsoft has long since seriously changed its philosophy in relation to memory management, and therefore, starting with Windows Vista, the company considers unused RAM “bad RAM.”

Since RAM is many times faster than any hard or even solid state drive, Microsoft decided that it would be better if Windows kept as many frequently used user modules and applications as possible permanently loaded into system RAM. Thanks to this, when accessing them again, the system reacts much faster than when it has to read them from the local disk again and again.

This is the essence of SuperFetch technology, which has been developing since Vista. The introduction of this concept points to one important conclusion - the more RAM available to modern Windows versions, the better (faster) they work. Of course, we're not talking about exponential growth - the biggest difference will be when jumping from 2 to 4 GB of RAM. With each subsequent doubling - 4 to 8 GB, 8 to 16 and so on, the impact on overall system performance will decrease. However, if you regularly work with heavy programs, keep dozens of open tabs in your browser and actively play, then the principle of choosing the optimal amount of memory comes down to one simple thing: the more, the better.

If at any time the available memory is exhausted, Windows will not stop working. In such cases, the operating system relies on the so-called . For this purpose, an area allocated on the local disk is used and Windows writes to it all data from RAM that is not currently in use, and, at the user’s request, reads it again using local disk resources. Since local memory is slower than RAM chips, the process of reading data from disk takes much longer, during which time the computer may noticeably slow down. If the system regularly accesses virtual memory, This sure sign that it is time to consider expanding the RAM.

Have a great day!