A RAM upgrade is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to improve your system performance. While installing new RAM in your computer is an easy, straightforward process, it's important to check compatibility with your motherboard first. RAM stands for random access memory. It’s how your computer temporarily stores information for apps and programs to access data quickly.
The motherboard is the circuit board on which the processor, memory modules, storage (SSD or hard drive), and other components are mounted. As well as finding RAM that delivers great performance, RAM compatibility is one of the first things to consider before starting your research. Some motherboards have limits on how many memory modules they can support, along with their densities.
To determine the right RAM for your system, you can use one of Crucial’s free upgrade tools. These tools can identify the specific technology you need and the maximum amount of RAM your system can support. They work for laptops, desktop computers and select gaming consoles.
Determining RAM Compatibility
You can check your motherboard either by using a RAM compatibility checker, or by visually checking the motherboard slots. There are a few methods to determine how much RAM your motherboard can support. You can check the motherboard documentation and find the specifications section. If you've tossed your manuals, don’t worry!
DDR Generations and Compatibility
Since the early 2000s, many evolutions of double data rate (DDR) RAM devices have existed. The type of memory you purchase must be compatible with your system's motherboard. Different systems platforms can accommodate different memory types, so make sure to check which DIMMs are supported on your motherboard.
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RAM generations are not forward or backward compatible. There are a couple ways to determine which DDR generation your motherboard uses. When examining the sockets, the different DDR generations look very similar. You can quickly tell them apart by examining the key (a notch in the socket) and the number of pins on your modules, since they have a slightly different configuration.
How To Buy The Correct RAM - How To Purchase Compatible RAM For Your Computer
RAM Speed Considerations
RAM clock speed can be expressed as a measurement of frequency in MHz or in a measurement of data transfer rates in megatransfers per second (MT/s). Since most RAM modules are backward compatible, speeds are something you need to consider a little less than the other issues discussed above. As a rule, each generation of memory technology has faster frequencies, runs on lower voltage, and boasts lower latencies than the previous generation. But that doesn’t mean you can simply jump to the next generation to improve performance.
When mixing DIMMs of different operating speeds, the motherboard will underclock the faster one so it will only run at the speed of the slowest DIMM, unless you overclock the slow DIMMs.
DDR4 vs. DDR3
Every DDR generation is different from the others. DDR4 is not backward-compatible with DDR3 so a DDR4 DIMM will not fit on a DDR3 DIMM slot. Not only is the key notch of each DDR generation different, but the DDR4 pin size and arrangement is different from DDR3. Notice that towards the middle of the DDR4 module, some pins are longer, giving it a slightly curved "V" shape.
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Physically, a DDR4 module, or dual in-line memory module (DIMM), looks very similar to a DDR3 DIMM. However, DDR4 has 288 pins compared with DDR3’s 240 pins; DDR4 SO-DIMMS have 260 pins instead of 204 in DDR3. The DDR4 key notch is in a different place, and the edge connector looks like a slightly curved “V” to facilitate insertion.
DDR4 modules are more energy-efficient, operating only at 1.2V compared with DDR3’s 1.5V or 1.35V.
ATP's latest DDR4 modules for embedded and industrial applications deliver high-speed data transfers up to 3200 MT/s.
Each of the latest Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors with Intel® C620 Series Chipsets (formerly code-named Skylake-SP and Lewisburg) provides native support for six memory channels that can operate at the same speed even at full load. Each memory channel supports two DIMMs, which means each processor can support up to 12 DIMMs. Having two additional memory channels compared with the previous quad-channel platform delivers a significant increase in speed and performance.
Different DIMM types serve several purposes. DIMMs may or may not have error correcting code (ECC/non-ECC). They could be unbuffered or fully buffered (UDIMM/FB-DIMM), registered (RDIMM), or load-reduced (LR-DIMM).
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DIMM population guidelines may vary depending on the platform you are using.
| Feature | DDR3 | DDR4 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Pins (DIMM) | 240 | 288 |
| Number of Pins (SO-DIMM) | 204 | 260 |
| Operating Voltage | 1.5V or 1.35V | 1.2V |
Tools for Checking Compatibility
The Crucial System Scanner is a downloadable tool that makes finding compatibility memory effortless by analyzing your system's configuration and recommending a list of compatible upgrades in seconds. The Crucial System Selector provides a list of compatible upgrades for your system, based on information you provide about your system's manufacturer, make, and model.
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