Random Access Memory... (Calling computer techs!!)

  • Thread starter Thread starter pikingrin
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pikingrin

pikingrin

what is this?
Tried the search function, but once you try to get too detailed, it doesn't work as much.

Another thread in this forum just sparked a question...

RAM... What are the "recommended", or best quality types? For instance, my PC has DDR SD Ram, but I have also heard of other designations. What are the differences?

I am not very computer savvy anymore, ever since I deleted DOS from my dad's computer at work 15 years ago I kind of gave the technical stuff up a little. So, my next question is this: Are RAM slots "universal"? Could you replace an older, outdated RAM stick with a newer, more efficient stick in the same slot? ( :D That sounds dirty....)

Any help with this is appreciated, it's not a big deal but it would be nice to know for future reference.
 
You're stuck with the ram slots you got (they're soldered into the motherboard). There's several generations/types of ram, and each has various speeds and other specifications within those generations. Add to the confusion, some of the speeds overlap generations/types.

All DDR is SDRAM, SDRAM is a general term that describes most ram made in the last 10 years. DDR is double data rate, a specific type of SDRAM. There's also DDR2, and now DDR3 ram. Each newer generation/type being faster than the previous. For a brief time in the late 1990s there was plain SDRAM, the first of that kind, which was neither DDR or the previous generation (EDO, etc). Add further to the confusion, as technology advances and speeds increase naturally newer technologies of actual ram chips change, so within each ram type you can also have various ram chips used. I've seen BGA, the newest ram chip, used on RAM sticks marked as DDR (even though BGA is primarily used on DDR2 and newer chips). Then for fun they change the size and number of pins each ram chip has depending on the type.

Dizzy yet?

So chronologically you have:

EDO, parity, etc RAM
SDRAM
DDR
RAMBUS (RDRAM)
DDR2
DDR3

DDR has been around for a while and I even still use plain DDR400 (also referred to as PC3200) in my home theater PC. It's cheap and a solid performer. Since DDR first came along there's been a lot of components come and go, but DDR remains used to this day. Good stuff.

Here's a link to an explanation of the formula for how all this works mathematically:

http://www.computermemoryupgrade.net/measuring-ram-speed.html


Don't be intimidated too much by all this. I've been a computer tech for the better part of a decade and I still don't always get my facts straight. Technology keeps my profession constantly on the move. Tough to keep up.

If you're looking to upgrad eit's easiest to head to crucial or kingston memory's website, use their search engine (make/model of your PC) to find the right fit. Even if you don't buy the memory there, using those specs and/or model numbers on a site like newegg.com will reveal the memory used in your system and newegg is usually cheap (and dependable place to buy upgrades).
 
pikingrin said:
Are RAM slots "universal"? Could you replace an older, outdated RAM stick with a newer, more efficient stick in the same slot?
Click to expand...
Usually not. To find out what kind of memory your motherboard supports look up the manufacturer's website for either the motherboard (if it's a DIY computer) or the computer itself it's from a computer manufacturer like Dell, HP etc.

In most cases the DIMM sticks themselves are keyed differently for different ones, and there are some cases where they're keyed the same but are rated differently.

Some of the better manufacturers for RAM are:

Corsair
Crucial
Kingston
 
Hey... you forgot the ECC variants... but maybe you're not a server rat. ;)
 
Pinky, thanks for the info. It confused the hell out of me, but it also made me realize that I don't need to upgrade right now. :D Nice link though, almost gets it to the point of layman's terms!

Noisewreck, thanks to you too. After reading the first response to my post I don't think I will worry with any more of this as my head is already spinning, but it is always nice to have more info!

Nick, go to hell... (JUST KIDDING!!!!!) :D I don't even want to know what ECC stands for...
 
Servers regularly use ECC memory, to help keep the system stable. ECC is Error Correcting Code. Basically has a special circuit that checks and makes sure that the data is correct that passes through it.
 
Mindset said:
Servers regularly use ECC memory, to help keep the system stable. ECC is Error Correcting Code. Basically has a special circuit that checks and makes sure that the data is correct that passes through it.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the explanation. I just hope I will never need to remember that one in a real life situation. ;) I guess I'm not a computer tech for a reason! :D
 
Most online places will have some form of applet that helps you select which RAM is compatible with your hardware (like newegg) so the buying process is fairly simple. It is also a good idea to google your mainboard and your brand of memory also (i.e. Asus P4C800, Corsair TWINXLL PC3200) to see if ppl have problems with the combination. It is also a very good idea to run an app like memtest (http://www.memtest.org/) to see if you are getting errors. This app helped me out of some issues I was having (default voltage too low for the memory I use) and is indispensable
 
Unless some idiot decided to reuse a common acronym to mean something different from what it normally does, BGA isn't a particularly relevant term. It means Ball Grid Array, and is a type of semiconductor packaging in which the chips have little metal pads on the underside and the boards have small holes with a solder ball sitting in each one. The chip gets pressed onto the board and held with glue, then cooked in an oven, causing the solder to stick to the chip and the board.

BGA allows for higher pin density than is practical with other technologies, and thus is often used for microprocessors and GPUs. It is also much more fragile than traditional surface mount soldering, and thus there's not enough crack in the world for me to understand why you'd want to use that crap on RAM chips.

IMHO, BGA should just freaking die already, as nearly every single computer failure I've had in the last five years could be directly traced to a BGA failure. *sigh*
 
You've got the right acronym. We (PC techs) use it to describe the newer memory type (usually DDR2 or DDR3) because it visibly is a smaller RAM chip.

I haven't seen any more/less failures related to BGA RAM. What do you do professionally that would see such a high failure rate?
 
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