All About RAM » Learn About DDR4, DDR5 and MHz » (Easy to Understand)

One of the most important components when your computer, smartphone or tablet needs to perform is RAM. It is also called the computer's memory, and RAM is essential for your system to run optimally in everyday life.

I have made an easy and thorough guide on the use of RAM in computers.

What is RAM? RAM is an acronym for Random Access Memory. RAM is used as short-term storage of information that your computer actively uses, so that they can be accessed quickly. RAM works together with your computer's processor, which is called the CPU (Central Processing Unit).

When you surf the Internet, edit a document, or load other applications on the computer, you give the computer's brain access to data via RAM.

RAM: Random Access Memory [GUIDE]

You can find RAM in your computer's motherboard. Here they are installed in something called DIMMs, which stands for Dual Inline Memory Module.

On a desktop computer, you can easily access this and purchase additional RAM for your computer if you need to upgrade with more RAM.

In the good old days RAM was measured in MB(Megabyte). Bytes are used to describe the capacity of digital storage media, and since technology is constantly improving, it is now possible to have a larger capacity of RAM in your computer.

It is often said that the more RAM your computer has, the better. However, there is also a difference in which RAM you use, and you can get so much RAM that it can quickly cover more than one's needs.

Nowadays, the RAM capacity is described in GB (Gigabyte), where at the time of writing it is most normal for a desktop computer to have 8GB, 16GB or 32GB.

Just as it can be good to have a lot of RAM, it can also be good to have new and fast RAM. Various versions of RAM have been made, and I will now look at them.

Ram for PC: What is DDR2,3 and 4? » DDR SDRAM

Do you need new RAM for your PC, or do you need a new computer? So it is good to know what the different specifications mean. As I said, GB describes the capacity of your RAM, and the more the better. The speed is also important and it is given in MHz (Megahertz).

Megahertz is also called clock rate in English, and it is an indication of how many frequencies are sent to the computer's processor. MHz thus describes the transfer rate of data.

It can quickly become a lot, which is why you must primarily look for capacity, speed and version when evaluating and finding the right RAM. I'll give a quick explanation of what some of the different abbreviations stand for and what versions of RAM there are.

A bit is the smallest form of data a computer can read, and eight bits equal one byte. Bits and bytes are also used to indicate transfer speed for digital units with the values ​​Mbps or MB/s.

If you need to convert 133 MHz to MB/s, you must multiply 133 MHz by 8 bytes, and then you get 1064 MB/s, which stands for megabytes per second. Due to some hidden decimals in 133.33, it actually becomes 1066 MB/s. This can be useful to know if you need to convert MHz to MB/s yourself.

DDR stands for Double Data Rate, and this new type of RAM sends double the amount of data than previous RAM.

Versions of DDR RAM (Choose the correct ones)

Just like with all kinds of other technology, there are new versions for the new generations. Every time a new version is released, improvements have been made.

With DDR, the speed is improved to approximately double, and the newer versions use less power, among other things.

NOTE: If you are going to change or have more RAM in your computer, it is important that you look for which ones suit your motherboard. It is clear from a label on your RAM which generation fits in the expansion slot/port in question.

Even if two different versions have the same number of pins, they still do not fit in the same port.

Here is an overview of the different generations of DDR Standards:

So you must be aware of capacity, speed and version when you go shopping for RAM.

How your hard disk, RAM and CPU work

When it comes to computers, you can roughly divide it into two: Hardware and software. Software are programs for computers, and hardware are the physical devices used for, for example, IT.

When you build a desktop computer, you typically find a cabinet where a component called a motherboard is inserted. The motherboard is the unit where all internal and external hardware is connected so that they can work together, including your hard drive, your processor (CPU) and your RAM.

If you want to understand what RAM is and it's good to know about some of the other hardware in the machine. You may have heard of a hard drive. You can also call it memory, but where RAM is a form of short-term memory, your hard drive is the long-term memory.

The hard disk is therefore used to store your data and store your content on the computer.

RAM is also called primary memory or temporary storage. A typical motherboard has between 2-4 DIMMs where you can insert RAM. When you have to run your programs on your computer, these are loaded through your RAM. This means that if you have saved something on your hard drive, it will be sent to your RAM.

Through your RAM, the computer's processor (CPU) can access the data it requires to run a specific program.

CPU stands for Central Processing Unit, and it is the brain behind your computer. They are typically made by the processor manufacturers Intel or AMD. These are also available in many different versions and generations.

The computer's CPU accesses data and programs through RAM, and the more and faster RAM your computer has, the faster your computer can run demanding programs.

RAM is therefore important for your computer to have the most optimal performance, and by having a lot of RAM, you give your system a larger work surface to work on, as it is easier and faster to access information.