Guidelines For Buying Computer Memory
Desktop computer memory buying guide.
Updated May 29, 2010 10:36 PM PST
Introduction – Selecting The Right Size, Type, And Speed Of Memory
Computer memory is often the second desktop computer specification listed directly following the CPU. This is for good reason too since memory size, type, and speed is one of the most important specifications for any computer system. Having the right amount, type, and speed of memory will dramatically impact the performance of any modern computer.
While memory size, type, and speed are all important factors to consider when buying a desktop computer, memory size is definitely the most crucial. Modern computers run best with at least 4GB of memory. Microsoft recommends a minimum of 1GB to run its latest Windows 7 operating system though it is best to go above and beyond this recommendation by picking up a minimum of 4GB.
Having 4GB or more computer memory is especially important for power user and gaming desktops for the amount of memory these systems have is extremely critical, having too little can slow even the fastest processors and high-end hardware.
In fact, because of lower than ever memory prices it is not uncommon to even find 4GB or 6GB of computer memory in general purpose computers costing less than $500.
We highly recommend you take advantage of these low memory prices and pickup as much computer memory as you can, the minor added expense will insure your system is going to at the minimum meet or exceed your current computing needs and maybe even your future computing needs depending on how much memory you end up purchasing.
Memory type is also important, though for most users it is nowhere near as crucial as memory size. When buying a desktop computer from a manufacturer like Dell, Sony, HP, etc., you will often be stuck with what the currently industry flavor of memory is so type honestly may not even be an option for you.
On the other hand, type is extremely important when you build your own PC from scratch or upgrade an existing computer’s memory. When individually purchasing computer hardware components from companies like Newegg.com or upgrading memory in an existing system you will need to insure you get the compatible memory type for the specific motherboard.
There days you will normally find two different types of memory in computer systems including DDR2 SDRAM and DDR3 SDRAM.
DDR2 has been around for some time now and is still used in many computer systems, though DDR3 is now the memory of choice for many new computer systems today.
If you are buying a desktop computer and you end up having the option to choose memory type such as DDR2 or DDR3, definitely go with DDR3 being that it is the newer tech.
Computer memory speed is also something to consider when buying a desktop computer or upgrading an existing computer’s memory. Though like memory type you normally don’t have the option to be selective with memory speed when purchasing a preassembled desktop from a manufacturer such as Dell, HP, Sony, Gateway, etc. since they normally offer the industry memory standard at the time without giving you an option for different memory speeds. If you are buying from a manufacturer simply pay more attention to memory size instead.
Speed is on the other hand more important when assembling your own computer via individually purchased parts or upgrading the memory in an existing computer since you will need to make sure the memory speed is compatible with a specific motherboard.
Computer memory comes in numerous speeds, and you will normally see memory speed and memory type listed together when looking at a specification sheet. You may also see the same memory type and speed listed in different ways. Memory may be listed by its speed in MHz (“e.g.” DDR2 400MHz) or by its data bandwidth (“e.g.” PC2 3200). Both of these examples are actually the same memory type and speed. The PC2 in front of the second example shows that the memory type is DDR2. To convert memory speed listed in MHz to its memory bandwidth equivalent simply multiply it by 8 (“e.g.” 400MHz X 8 = 3200), and to convert memory bandwidth to MHz divide it by 8.
DD2 memory can be found in speeds ranging from 400MHz to 1200MHz, and DDR3 can be found starting at 800MHz on up to a staggering 2,500MHz. At the time of this article most speeds beyond 1066MHz are over clocked non standardized memory chips normally found only in expensive high-end custom computer systems. Currently DDR3 1066Mhz is the common computer memory type and speed in desktop computers offered by manufacturers.
Computer Memory Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much computer memory is enough?
As a general rule of thumb determining how much computer memory is going to be enough for your unique computing needs is best done by looking at the hardware requirements of the various software packages you plan on using.
At the minimum you definitely want to have more memory than the highest minimum listed, though ideally making sure you have at least as much as the highest listed recommendation is preferred.
In today’s computer systems running Windows 7 or Windows Vista you definitely want to get a desktop computer with no less than 2GB of computer memory. Optimally 4GB is better, and 6GB or more will ensure you are going to have plenty of memory available for just about every application now and many into the future.
General range of memory to look for when buying a desktop computer:
- Bare Minimum: 2GB
- Optimal: 4GB
- Ideal: 6GB or more
What memory type and speed is recommended?
Desktop computer memory type and speed is also very important to the overall performance of a computer, so as a general rule of thumb it is best to purchase computers with the latest and fasted memory standard available.
That's if you have the option of course, for you won’t necessarily have the option to choose memory type and speed when buying a desktop computer from a manufacturer being that they often only offer current and popular memory standard at the time.
On the other hand if you are comparing computer systems offered by a computer manufacturer and you do have options, say for example to choose one with DDR3 over DDR2 with all else being equal going with the newer memory standard is recommended.
For advanced users who decide to forgo buying a preassembled manufacturer computer and instead build their computers from scratch, selecting computer memory type and speed is more crucial. When buying parts from Newegg.com or another parts vendor, memory type and speed must be compatible with whichever motherboard is purchased.
At the time of this article there are two basic types of memory currently used in newer computer systems: DDR2 and DDR3. More systems have moved to the faster DDR3, but DDR2 is still common in many midrange and budget oriented desktops.
Common computer memory types listed by speed in MHz and memory bandwidth rating:
- DDR3 1600 MHz / PC3 12800
- DDR3 1333 MHz / PC3 10666
- DDR3 1066 MHz / PC3 8500
- DDR2 800 MHz / PC2 6400
- DDR3 800 MHz / PC3 6400
- DDR2 667 MHz / PC2 5300
- DDR2 533 MHz / PC2 4200
- DDR2 400 MHz / PC2 3200
When buying a desktop computer, what else should I consider?
When buying a desktop computer another thing that you may want to consider is how much total computer memory the system can support. This is important so you can future proof your investment, for in the future performing a quick and easy memory upgrade would be a great way to increase the longevity of your computer system.
Many of today’s mid and full size desktop computers have a total of four to six memory slots. Small form factor computer systems may however only contain two RAM slots.
When buying a computer direct from a manufacturer you may not have the option to be very selective when it comes to computer memory configuration. For example a system may come with 4GB of memory, have four memory slots total, but it may also have all four slots occupied by four 1GB memory chips. In this situation a future memory upgrade would require you to remove memory to increase the overall amount.
If you are looking at a potential future memory upgrade and you do by chance have the option it is much better to purchase or build a system using two 2GB modules opposed to four 1GB modules that way there is available slots for you to easily perform a memory upgrade without the need for you to remove or potentially throw away modules.
Computer Memory Buying Guide Conclusion:
We hope you've enjoyed our computer memory purchasing guide. If you have any questions or you would like free purchasing advice, please Ask the computer tech.
Want to learn more about buying a desktop computer? Click any of the buttons below to jump to various desktop buying guide pages for additional purchasing information and advice.
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