When you type a word, save a document, or jump into a video game, your CPU relies on RAM to do its work. This short-term memory keeps important data easily accessible to make your computer run faster.
You’ll want to choose RAM with the right capacity and speed for your PC. Look for a memory module with fast CAS latency and a mode register.
What is RAM?
RAM is the computer’s short-term memory. It stores the data your processor needs to open apps and files. Without it, your computer would have to thumb through slower storage like a hard drive to find the info you want.
If your computer runs out of RAM, it will slow down or even shut down. Demanding apps and games require high amounts of RAM to function smoothly and achieve a satisfying frames-per-second rate.
RAM is usually sold in sticks, which snap into the memory slots on your motherboard. Each generation of RAM offers improved performance, including lower power consumption and faster data transfer rates. But each new type of RAM is incompatible with the previous one, so it’s important to buy modules that are compatible with your motherboard and other components. You also need to make sure you get the right size of RAM for your system. Larger systems need more memory to handle larger applications and video games.
How does RAM work?
When you type a word, save a file or jump in a video game, the CPU loads the information it needs into RAM. Using this temporary storage component makes it much easier for the processor to do its work.
RAM can process data significantly faster than a hard disk, between twenty and a hundred times as fast. It can also refresh app data dynamically, boosting performance even more.
Computer RAM comes in sticks, or memory modules, that snap into slots on the motherboard. The best PCs will have multiple slots that can be filled with RAM in a wide range of capacities.
Synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM) synchronizes its rate of data transmission with the system clock’s pulse. This streamlines the controller interface, reducing power consumption and memory manufacturing costs. Modern forms of SDRAM can transmit data during both the upper and lower portions of a pulse, enabling double-data-rate (DDR) speeds. This makes for even faster RAM chips.
How much RAM do I need?
Choosing how much RAM to buy is easy, as it’s the easiest component to upgrade on desktop PCs (and laptops with removable panels). For basic computing tasks like web browsing, email, and video streaming, 4GB should be sufficient. More advanced uses, including gaming and content creation, require a bit more headroom, with 16GB being ideal.
Unlike the slower solid-state drives on which hard disks store data, RAM is fast and can retrieve files more quickly. It also keeps working even when the computer is powered off, making it a good choice for power users who want to maximize performance on their computers.
Adding more RAM to a system doesn’t necessarily make it run faster, though. Over-buying can be a waste of money, and unused memory may slow down performance over time. A better strategy is to purchase what you need and then upgrade other components like the CPU or graphics card if necessary.
What is VRAM?
VRAM is any type of random access memory (RAM) that is specifically used for storing the graphics data that are being displayed on a video card. This memory is needed to create the frame buffers that are used to display pixel data on a monitor. It also holds textures that are applied to 3D models and allows for smooth animation of the images and graphics.
It is a type of RAM that is accessed by the CPU and video hardware at the same time. This allows the GPU to process and display data much faster than it could with dual-ported memory.
Dedicated video memory is important for PC gaming because it can be used to improve the graphics quality of games. The amount of VRAM required for a game to run well depends on the graphics settings that are used. Lowering these settings can often result in better performance, especially if the textures or anti-aliasing are eating up a lot of VRAM.