What Is RAM and What Does It Do? [Guide]
Summary
TLDRThis video script offers a comprehensive guide to RAM, a crucial PC component affecting performance. It explains RAM's function as a fast, volatile storage for temporary data. The script traces RAM's evolution from SRAM and DRAM to DDR and GDDR types, emphasizing DDR4's dominance. It advises 16GB RAM for gaming, noting minimal performance gains from higher speeds or multi-channel configurations beyond this threshold. The video also discusses the benefits of multi-channel setups for cost, aesthetics, and redundancy.
Takeaways
- 💾 RAM stands for Random Access Memory and is crucial for PC performance as it temporarily stores data for quick access by the CPU and GPU.
- 🔌 RAM is a type of volatile memory, meaning data is lost once power is cut off, unlike HDDs or SSDs which are non-volatile.
- 🚀 RAM is significantly faster than HDDs or SSDs, making it ideal for short-term data storage that requires quick retrieval.
- 📈 The evolution of RAM includes SRAM, DRAM, SDRAM, and DDR SDRAM, with DDR4 being the current standard and DDR5 on the horizon.
- 🎮 For gaming PCs, 16GB of RAM is recommended for optimal performance and future-proofing.
- 💻 8GB of RAM can suffice for gaming if you're budget-conscious, but ensure no unnecessary background applications are running.
- 🌐 For basic PC use like browsing and multimedia, 4GB of RAM can be adequate.
- 🔄 RAM speed is measured in MHz, with DDR4 supporting speeds from 2133MHz to 5100MHz, but most commonly capped at 3600MHz.
- 🕹 RAM speed's impact on gaming performance is generally minimal, except in cases of high refresh rate monitors and triple-digit frame rates.
- 🛤️ Multi-channel RAM configurations (dual or quad) offer better performance than single-channel by increasing data transfer bandwidth.
- 💡 Installing RAM in multi-channel configurations can be cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing, and provides redundancy in case of RAM failure.
Q & A
What is RAM and what is its primary function?
-RAM stands for Random Access Memory and it's used to store small amounts of data that the CPU and GPU need to access quickly for smooth computer operation.
How is RAM different from other storage devices like HDD or SSD?
-RAM is much faster than HDD or SSD, but it's volatile, meaning data stored in RAM is lost when the power is cut off, unlike HDD or SSD which are non-volatile.
What types of RAM have been developed over the years?
-Over the years, RAM has evolved from SRAM to DRAM, then to SDRAM, and finally to DDR SDRAM. The latest dominant type is DDR4, with DDR5 on the horizon.
What is the difference between DDR and GDDR RAM?
-DDR RAM is used for system memory, while GDDR RAM is used for graphics cards. GDDR has developed more quickly and has higher bandwidth capabilities than DDR.
Why did HBM not replace GDDR as the dominant graphics RAM?
-HBM offered higher bandwidth but its benefits are mostly seen in memory-intensive workstations, not in average consumer use. Its high manufacturing cost also limited its adoption.
How much RAM is recommended for a gaming PC?
-16 gigabytes of RAM is recommended for a gaming PC as it offers enough capacity for current games and some future-proofing.
Can you run games with less than 16GB of RAM?
-Yes, you can run games with 8GB of RAM, but you should avoid running unnecessary software in the background to ensure smooth performance.
What is the importance of RAM speed and how much does it affect gaming performance?
-RAM speed is measured in megahertz, with higher speeds allowing for faster data transfer. However, the impact on gaming performance is usually negligible unless you're running games at very high frame rates on a high refresh rate monitor.
What is a RAM channel configuration and why is it important?
-A RAM channel configuration refers to how many memory modules are installed. Multi-channel configurations provide better performance than single-channel because they allow for more data to be transferred simultaneously.
What are the benefits of using multi-channel RAM configurations?
-Multi-channel configurations can offer better performance, lower cost due to cheaper individual modules, aesthetic appeal for those who show off their builds, and redundancy in case one RAM module fails.
How can I find more detailed information about specific RAM topics discussed in the script?
-For more detailed information, you can check out individual videos on topics like memory channel configurations and the differences between HBM and GDDR, which are linked in the video description.
Outlines
💾 Understanding RAM
This section delves into the fundamental aspects of RAM, a critical PC component that significantly impacts performance in gaming and general use. It clarifies that RAM stands for Random Access Memory and serves as a temporary storage for data that the CPU and GPU need quick access to. Unlike HDDs or SSDs, RAM is volatile, meaning it loses data when power is cut. The video aims to consolidate all essential RAM knowledge into one resource. It traces RAM's evolution from its inception in the 1960s as SRAM to DRAM, then SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, and the current DDR4 standard. The section also touches on graphics RAM, comparing GDDR and HBM technologies, concluding that for most consumers, DDR4 and GDDR6 are the relevant RAM types. The focus then shifts to the importance of RAM volume, suggesting 16GB as a standard for gaming PCs, with lower amounts being viable for lighter usage.
🚀 RAM Specifications and Their Impact
This paragraph examines the significance of RAM speed, measured in megahertz, and how it affects gaming performance. It notes that while faster RAM can offer minor improvements, the difference is generally negligible for most users and only becomes significant with high refresh rate monitors and capable graphics cards. The video emphasizes that RAM volume is more critical than speed, especially until reaching 16GB. It also discusses RAM channel configurations, comparing single, dual, and quad-channel setups, and explains how multi-channel configurations can enhance performance by increasing data transfer bandwidth. The benefits of multi-channel memory include cost-effectiveness, aesthetic appeal for builders, and redundancy against RAM failure. The video concludes by encouraging viewers to explore more detailed content on specific RAM topics through linked videos and to engage with the channel for more informative content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡RAM
💡Volatile Memory
💡DDR
💡GDDR
💡HBM
💡Memory Speed
💡Capacity
💡Channels
💡SGRAM
💡Future-Proofing
💡Refresh Rate
Highlights
RAM is an essential PC component that directly impacts performance.
RAM stands for Random Access Memory and is used for quick data access by the CPU and GPU.
RAM is faster than HDD or SSD but is volatile and cannot be used for long-term storage.
RAM's history includes SRAM, DRAM, and the introduction of SDRAM in the early 1990s.
DDR SDRAM was first released by Samsung in June 1998.
DDR4, released in 2011, is the current dominant type of system RAM.
GDDR is the dominant type of graphics RAM, with GDDR6 being common in modern graphics cards.
HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) offers higher bandwidth than GDDR but is more expensive.
For gaming PCs, 16GB of RAM is recommended for optimal performance and future-proofing.
8GB of RAM is the minimum for gaming if you're budget-conscious.
For non-gaming use, such as browsing and multimedia, 4GB of RAM can be sufficient.
RAM speed is measured in megahertz, with DDR4 supporting speeds up to 5100MHz.
RAM speed has a minimal impact on in-game performance for most users.
Multi-channel memory configurations can provide better performance than single-channel.
Using multi-channel configurations can be more cost-effective and provide redundancy.
For most consumers, DDR4 and GDDR6 are the only relevant types of RAM.
The video provides a comprehensive overview of RAM without going into excessive detail on individual specs.
Transcripts
[Music]
ram
is one of the integral pc components
that you cannot do without
it's also one of the components that
have a direct impact on your pc's
performance
both in game and in general now we've
already talked about ram on this channel
a lot and we've pretty much covered all
there is to say about it
but unfortunately this information is
spread across multiple videos that have
their fair bit of overlap
that's why we'll be compiling everything
you need to know about
ram into this one video regardless of
whether you're interested in what
exactly ram is
how it came to be how many different
types there are or how much it affects
gaming performance
we've got you covered so without any
further ado
let's begin
we'll start with the basics asking a
most existential question
what is ram for starters ram is an
acronym that stands for random access
memory
it's used to store relatively small
amounts of data that the cpu and gpu
need to be able to access quickly so
that everything on your computer runs
smoothly
so in essence ram is a type of storage
like htd or ssd only it's way faster
than even ssd
however unlike hdds or ssds ram is a
type of volatile memory
what this means is that it can only
store data so long as it's powered
the moment the power supply is cut off
all the data stored in the ram
is lost that's why it can't be used for
long-term storage like hdds or ssds
despite being by far
the fastest type of storage on the
market so in essence
ram is a type of short-term memory that
is extremely fast and is therefore
used to store important data that other
components need to be able to fetch very
quickly
however there are different types of ram
used for different purposes
so let's take a look at how ram first
came to be and how it is developed since
then
like any other technology ram has gone
through many changes over the years
it was first conceived in the 1960s as
sram
or static random access memory then we
got
dram or dynamic random access memory
these two types of ram have been used
together all the way until the early
1990s
when synchronous dynamic random access
memory or sdram was released
and finally in june of 1998 samsung
released
the very first double date rate sdram
chip
or ddr sdram for short since then we've
gone through several iterations of ddr
ddr4 which is the latest and still the
dominant type of ram today was released
back in 2011.
we know that ddr5 is coming soon but
even when it does hit the market
it will take some time for it to
completely supplant ddr4
now that was it for system ram but we
have to rewind and see how
graphics ram has developed we don't have
to rewind all the way back to the 60s
though
synchronous graphic random access memory
or sgram
was released shortly after sdram and
samsung developed the first
gddr chips along ddr chips since then
gddr has developed more quickly and gone
through more iterations than ddr
some of you watching this video already
have graphics cards equipped with gddr6
memory
but while gddr is the dominant type of
graphics ram on the market
it isn't the only one in 2013 sk hanks
introduced a new type of graphics ram to
the world
hbm or high bandwidth memory then
in 2016 they released hbm2 needless to
say
hpm and hpm2 offered levels of bandwidth
that
far exceeded the capabilities of gddr
and they have found a home in some
graphics cards
however most users and this includes
gamers as well
simply aren't able to make use of the
extra bandwidth
it's only in workstations that run
memory intensive software that the
benefits of hbm can be truly seen
in which case they are significant so
due to the limited benefits and the
prohibited cost of manufacturing hbm
chips it never really posed a threat to
gddr and the two have been able to
coexist peacefully
for the average consumer this leaves us
with dddr4
and gddr6 as the only two relevant types
of ram at the moment
for the rest of the video when we say
ram we'll be referring to dddr4 system
ram
this is because the following segment is
about how much ram you need
what speed it should be and how many
channels it should use
with gddr6 there's no point in asking
these questions since you can't buy
gddr6 ram separately
it comes with your graphics card and
there's no way to upgrade it short of
buying a newer better graphics card
the first and most important question
when it comes to ram is the volume
everything else is secondary and as far
as volume is concerned how much you need
is dependent on what you need it for the
general consensus is that you should get
16 gigabytes of ram if you're building a
gaming pc
this is more than enough to run all the
latest games so it
offers a nice future proofing as well as
good performance
anything more than this is simply
excessive for gaming
however if you're pinching for pennies
you can still scrape by on
only 8 gigabytes of ram you need to make
sure you aren't running any unnecessary
software in the background while gaming
but
you can scrape by on the other hand if
you aren't a gamer and you primarily use
your pc for browsing and multimedia
content
then you can manage just fine even with
four gigabytes of ram
more ram is always better for
multitasking but if all your wants and
needs boil down to social media
youtube and so on you can get by on just
4 gigabytes of ram without any issues
when browsing for ram you'll constantly
be faced with another key spec
and that is the speed of the modules ram
speed is measured in hertz just like the
clock speeds of cpus and gpus
the higher the clock speed the higher
the data transfer rates and dddr4 memory
supports speeds of anywhere between 2133
megahertz
to 5100 megahertz that's a big range but
it's good to know that most gddr4 sticks
cap out at 3600 megahertz
so you can think of that as the upper
limit there's really no need to go
beyond that
as for how much ram speed affects
in-game performance the answer is
not much there's some difference when
using faster ram sure but
in most cases it's negligible and only
amounts to a handful of frames
the only time where the performance bump
becomes noticeable is when you're
running games on triple digit frame
rates with a high refresh rate monitor
but if you've got the cash to buy such a
monitor and a graphics card that can
pump out triple digit frame
rates then it's highly likely you'll
purchase a faster ram without worrying
about cost efficiency
but for those looking to save every
penny and purchase only the most cost
effective components
ram speed doesn't matter all that much
faster is better if you can afford it
but
volume trumps speed until you reach the
magic number that is 16 gigabytes
lastly we need to talk about ram channel
configurations
most motherboards have several memory
slots meaning you can install that many
ram modules
so if your motherboard has four ram
slots and you're looking to install 16
gigabytes of ram
you can go about it in three different
ways you can install a single 16
gigabyte stick
two eight gigabyte sticks or four four
gigabyte sticks
does this have any bearing on
performance it does
actually as a rule multi-channel memory
trumps single channel memory
to understand why this is the way it is
it's best to
imagine ram configurations as a road if
your road only has one lane
it can only accommodate so many vehicles
at any given time
but if it has two lanes well then the
traffic becomes much better
in this case the memory channels are the
leads and the data is the vehicles
the higher the bandwidth the faster the
data transfer in other words
more channels means better performance
now we should note that
gaming often couldn't make use of this
additional performance so don't expect
crazy fps spikes just because you've
installed two 8 gigabyte ram sticks
instead of a single 16 gigabyte stick
however there are other reasons why this
is still better
for starters the lower capacity sticks
are often cheaper
so you can save a buck or two by opting
for the multi-channel route
if you care about aesthetics having all
four ram slots filled out
definitely looks more impressive inside
a transparent case
and most importantly multi-channel
configurations act as a great
contingency against ram failure if one
stick dies you can just take it out and
still use your computer with just the
other ram stick
but if your one and only ram module dies
then
that's it no more computer time for you
until you get it replaced
so this has been a comprehensive
overview of all things ram
we've touched on everything in this
video but we didn't go into too much
detail on
any individual spec so if you're curious
to know more about ram
we still suggest checking out the videos
that cover each of these aspects
individually
for example the memory channel
configuration video explains the
difference between dual channel and quad
channel memory
which sounds super simple but has some
extra caveats
the hbm vs gddr video highlights all the
differences between these two types of
graphics ram
and so on the links to all of these
videos are in the description
in any case we hope you found this video
helpful you can let us know if you have
by dropping a like sharing it with
friends or leaving a comment
and if you want to see more videos like
this one make sure to subscribe to our
channel and click the bell icon to
enable notifications we upload a new
video
every week and this is the best way to
make sure you don't miss it
in the meantime may your games be fun
and your losses view
and as always we'll see you next time on
gamingscan
تصفح المزيد من مقاطع الفيديو ذات الصلة
Single Channel vs Dual Channel vs Quad Channel Memory (2020) [Simple Guide]
RAM Explained - Random Access Memory
ОБРАЗОВАЧ / КАК ВЫБРАТЬ ОПЕРАТИВНУЮ ПАМЯТЬ? ЖДАТЬ DDR5?
How to Build a PC for Audio Production | Software Requirements | Know your ABC - Part 16
Mua máy Mac: ưu tiên dành tiền cho RAM hay SSD?
What Is Computer Hardware ? | Beginners Guide To Computer Hardware.
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)