If you’re looking to build a gaming computer, your graphics card and processor will play the biggest role in your system’s in-game performance. After those two components, your memory will play the next biggest role in your system’s performance.
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In this post, we’ll cover how to choose RAM for your computer. We’ve highlighted four different factors that you should consider when picking memory for your system.
Installing memory modules is straightforward. Most recent motherboards automatically detect installed memory modules regardless of the slot they occupy, but it is good practice to install modules in the lowest numbered slots first. For example, if a single-channel memory motherboard has four memory slots, they will be numbered 0 to 3 (or 1 to 4). And I got RAM question, shall I put the memory sticks in SLOT 1/3 or stay with my current setup 2/4? Intel Core i7-4790 3.6g 1150 Asus Maximus VII Hero Z97 DDR3 1600 CORSAIR VENGEANCE LP 16GB (2X8) 240PIN DDR3 1600 SAPPHIRE RADEAON R9 380 NITRO 4GB DDR5 CRUCIAL BX100 250GB SATA3 SEASONIC 860W PLATINUM ACTIVE PFC:). Now that you’ve seated the RAM in the slot, toggle the plastic retention levers to lock your new memory modules in place. Thomas Ryan Snap the channel's toggle closed again to lock in your RAM.
Table of Contents
How Much RAM Do You Really Need?
The quick answer to this question is: most users will likely need 8GB-16GB of RAM.
But, the real answer is: it depends on what kind of system you’re building.
Are you building a high-end workstation PC for video editing/graphics design, etc.? Going with at least 16GB (or more, depending on your budget) would be a wise decision.
Are you building a budget-friendly gaming computer? 8GB is a good start for now.
Yes, there are games that are starting to utilize more than 8GB of RAM, but for the most part, 8GB will still get the job done. Not to mention, RAM is the easiest component in your PC to upgrade. If you have empty DIMM slots on your motherboard, upgrading to more memory is as simple as adding another stick to your system.
So, if you have a larger budget and you’re building a high-end gaming computer or workstation PC, then go with 16GB (or more) to start. If you’ve got a tighter budget, start with 8GB of RAM so that you don’t have to downgrade your CPU and GPU to accommodate more memory.
RAM Compatibility Issues to Be Aware Of
Not all RAM is compatible with every system. Here is a list of things to look for when considering a memory kit’s compatibility with your other components:
- DDR Generation
- Motherboard DIMM Slots
- CPU Heatsink Clearance
- Form Factor
DDR generation is important because older generation DDR memory will not work with motherboards that are built to support newer generation DDR memory and vice versa. You can’t put DDR3 memory in a motherboard that has DDR4 DIMM slots and you can’t put DDR4 memory in a motherboard that has DDR3 DIMM slots.
Speaking of motherboard DIMM slots, it’s also important that you note how many slots your motherboard has. Some smaller form-factor motherboards (micro-ATX and mini-ITX) only come with two DIMM slots. So, obviously, you can’t put a 4x4GB kit of memory in them. You can only have a maximum of two sticks of RAM in that instance. So, make sure you’re not buying more memory sticks than your motherboard can hold.
Certain memory kits can also have compatibility issues with certain CPU heatsinks. Big bulky air CPU coolers can often hang over DIMM slots. And, in some instances, they can prevent memory kits with tall heat spreaders from being installed. So, it’s a good idea to make sure that if you are choosing a big bulky air cooler and you are selecting RAM that has tall heat spreaders, that you check and make sure that your air cooler will not interfere with your RAM.
RAM form-factor is another important thing to consider. There are really only two main RAM form factors:
- DIMM: desktop form factor
- SO-DIMM: laptop form factor
All you really need to know here is that if you are building a new desktop PC, or upgrading an existing one, you’ll want to make sure you get DIMM form-factor RAM and not SO-DIMM RAM, as desktop motherboards are not compatible with SO-DIMM memory.
RAM Speed
There’s really just two components that determine the performance of a given memory kit: frequency and latency.
RAM frequency is similar to a CPUs frequency. The faster a memory kit’s frequency is, the faster the memory can process data.
Latency, on the other hand, is the time between when a system command is entered and when it is executed. The lower the latency, the faster the memory can move onto the next process.
Latency and frequency are linked together when determining the overall performance of a given kit of memory, but they are not the same thing.
In general, RAM with higher frequencies will play a bigger role in boosting system performance than will a kit with a lower frequency and a lower latency.
However, it’s also important to note that simply buying the fastest kit of memory on the market will not result in an increase in in-game performance. There is a point of diminishing returns where the faster the memory is, the less of a performance boost it will offer in comparison to a lower frequency.
This can vary, too, depending on how you are using your system and/or what kinds of games you are playing. RAM that operates at higher frequencies can provide performance increases in certain programs and games while having little to no effect on other programs and games.
So, really, in determining what RAM frequency is right for you, you need to evaluate the kinds of programs and games you will be running and determine whether or not faster memory will give you more performance when running them.
Remember, RAM is EASY to Upgrade
Matching your RAM to the quality of your build is also important. You don’t want to put 16GB of RAM in a $500 gaming PC build, as the extra cost of going from 8GB to 16GB is going to mean that you have to downgrade on the components that will have a bigger impact on your in-game performance (like your graphics card and processor).
And, it’s important to remember that RAM is by far the easiest component in your system to upgrade. Because RAM is so easy to upgrade, if you’re working with a tight budget, it makes sense to not go overboard on the amount of memory when choosing components for your system.
To understand the reasoning behind this, consider this scenario…
You’re looking to build an entry-level gaming PC and you decide that you want to put 16GB of RAM in it. The difference between 8GB of RAM and 16GB of RAM is about ~$80. So, essentially, by choosing 8GB of RAM instead of 16GB of RAM, you’re taking $80 from your budget.
Since you’re already working with a tight budget, you probably won’t have room to sacrifice on your motherboard, power supply, and case. And, that really only leaves your CPU and GPU to downgrade in order to accommodate 16GB of RAM. So, you’re sacrificing in-game performance now, so that you can start with 16GB of RAM.
The problem with this is that, if you want to improve your in-game performance, you’ll have to completely replace your CPU and GPU. That means the money spent on your original CPU and GPU is lost (unless you recoup some of the losses by selling them used.)
However, by starting with 8GB of RAM and a better CPU and GPU combo, your first upgrade can be to 16GB of RAM, which will only cost you an additional $80. And, rather than replacing your old memory, all you have to do is add a new stick. So, you don’t lose the money you already put into the system as if you would if you were to upgrade your CPU and GPU.
So, despite a lot of people saying “you need 16GB of RAM for gaming now,” if you don’t have a large budget to spend on your build, starting out with 16GB of RAM is actually going to hurt your performance now, and make your upgrade process in the future more difficult.
Which RAM Will You Choose for Your PC?
For the most part, RAM is a pretty simple component to choose for your system. Your budget will dictate how much RAM you should get. If you have a tight budget, start out with 8GB of RAM, as that should hold you over just fine until you have enough money to add an additional 8GB of RAM.
If you have a large budget, start with 16GB (or more).
Then, depending on your specific use case, you might want to spend a little more (budget permitting) to get faster RAM with tighter timings.
Ultimately, though, the factors listed above should help you choose the right RAM for your budget and needs.
Choosing RAM can be daunting, because this decision may have a tangible impact on your user experience. How many browser tabs can you keep open, how many layers can you have open in Photoshop, and how fast will your game load? All of this is directly affected by your choice of RAM.
How does RAM work?
Let us use a busy highway as an analogy. The number of RAM sticks is kind of like the number of lanes on the road: the more sticks of RAM you have, the more lanes you have open, and the more cars the road can hold at a given time.
The size of your RAM, in this analogy, would be how many cars each lane can hold. And the speed of your RAM is like the speed limit sign posted on the highway.
Therefore, a stick of 8GB RAM with a clock speed of 2666mhz can process 8GB of data at a given time, and 2666mhz is the speed at which the information will be processed.
This is why adding more RAM will not necessarily make your computer faster: you’re adding more lanes to the road and more car capacity, rather than increasing the speed limit. Adding more RAM may be useful for users in certain RAM-hungry situations (heavily tabbed Chrome users, 3D rendering/modeling program users, and recent console—e.g. PS3, Wii U—emulation users), but more RAM is almost never the answer as to why a computer is not running a game at your desired performance level.
How do you determine RAM latency?
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This is where CAS comes in. To understand how fast your RAM actually is, you must look at its memory timing. It will be listed alongside the RAM with numbers presented in this format: 15-16-16-35.
The first column represents CAS latency, also known as “Column Access Strobe.” This is the number of clock cycles that pass between when an instruction is given and when the information is made available. If you tell someone to “duck!”, CAS latency would be the delay between when you command them to duck and when the other person reacts.
But CAS does not exist in a vacuum, and must be put into a formula alongside other specifications in order to determine the true latency of your RAM.
To calculate the true latency of your RAM in nanoseconds, use the following formula:
(CAS latency/RAM clock speed) x 2000 = latency in nanoseconds
If you have a CAS of 15 and a clock speed of 2400mhz, this would be your true latency:
(15/2400) x 2000 = 12.5 nanoseconds
If you have a CAS of 17 and a clock speed of 2666mhz, this would be your true latency:
(17/2666) x 2000 = 12.75 nanoseconds
Thus, higher CAS timings can result in a higher latency even with higher clock speeds. However, that doesn’t explain what happens in a situation where the true latency of two sticks of RAM are tied, despite them having different clock speeds (because the faster-clocked choice has a worse latency). In situations where that kind of tie occurs, the higher speed of RAM takes precedence over which has superior CAS latency. Thus, when comparing a stick of DDR4-3000 RAM with a CAS of 15 and a stick of DDR4-3600 RAM with a CAS of 18 (which would both have a true latency of 10 nanoseconds), the DDR4-3600 should be preferred.
Similarly, the comparison of CAS latency between RAM options of identical clock speeds is where CAS matters most. A stick of DDR4-3600 RAM with a CAS of 15 has a true latency of 8.33 nanoseconds, while a same-size/same-speed stick with a CAS of 19 has a latency of 10.56 nanoseconds. In this case, the DDR4-3600 RAM with a CAS of 15 is objectively better than the DDR4-3600 RAM with a CAS of 19.
How do you choose RAM?
Motherboards and CPUs are rated for the maximum amount and speed of RAM they can handle. If your motherboard and CPU is only rated up to 3600mhz, then you should only purchase or overclock RAM up to 3600mhz. However, a quick perusal will reveal that there’s over a hundred variants of 3600mhz RAM available. If you narrow it down to the size of the RAM, perhaps to 16gb (2 x 8GB), you still have a few dozen options. This is where CAS (and cost) comes in.
For 16GB RAM at 3600mhz, you’ll find options ranging from a CAS latency of 15 to 19. You’ll also find the price has a range of nearly $100 USD difference, and that this difference closely correlates to CAS latency. For example, the G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4-3600 with a CAS of 19 costs about $130 USD. By comparison, the G.Skill TridentZ DDR4-3600 with a CAS of 15 is roughly $230 USD. The lower the CAS, the faster the RAM—and consequently, the more expensive.
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When deciding between RAM of different clock speeds, the RAM with the higher clock speed is superior; but when choosing between RAM of identical clock speeds, the RAM with lower CAS latency is faster. This is where the constraints of your budget must do battle with your desire for speed (as well as any aesthetic considerations such as RGB lighting).
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When dealing in nanoseconds, the difference may not seem significant—and it can certainly be argued that, for the average user, the difference between a CAS of 15 and a CAS of 19 is not worth breaking the bank. But when choosing between RAM options within budget, you should choose the lowest CAS at a given speed for the best performance.