What does RAM stand for?

RAM is short for “random access memory” and while it might sound mysterious, RAM is one of the most fundamental elements of computing. RAM is the super-fast and temporary data storage space that a computer needs to access right now or in the next few moments.This article contains:

Computers are always loading things in to work on — such as applications and data — and then setting them aside for later. RAM is your computer’s short-term memory. In contrast, a computer’s hard disk or SDD is its long-term memory, where things are stored more or less permanently.

Every computing device has RAM, whether it’s a desktop computer (running Windows, MacOS, or Linux), a tablet or smartphone, or even a special-purpose computing device (such as a smart TV). Nearly all computers also have some way to store information for longer-term access, too. But the working processes are done in RAM.

What does RAM do, exactly?

RAM is temporary storage that goes away when the power turns off. So what is RAM used for, then? It’s very fast, which makes it ideal for things the computer is actively working on, such as applications that are currently running (for example, the web browser in which you’re reading this article) and the data those applications work on or with (such as this article).

It can help to think about RAM with the analogy of a physical desktop. Your working space — where you scribble on something immediately — is the top of the desk, where you want everything within arm’s reach and you want no delay in finding anything. That’s RAM. In contrast, if you want to keep anything to work on later, you put it into a desk drawer — or store it on a hard disk, either locally or in the cloud.

What are the characteristics of RAM and ROM?

RAM, which stands for random access memory, and ROM, which stands for read-only memory, are both present in your computer. RAM is volatile memory that temporarily stores the files you are working on. ROM is non-volatile memory that permanently stores instructions for your computer. Find out more about RAM.

DDR2 RAM

Double Data Rate 2 Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory is a double data rate synchronous dynamic random-access memory interface. It superseded the original DDR SDRAM specification, and was itself superseded by DDR3 SDRAM. DDR2 DIMMs are neither forward compatible with DDR3 nor backward compatible with DDR.

DDR3 RAM

Double Data Rate 3 Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory is a type of synchronous dynamic random-access memory with a high bandwidth interface, and has been in use since 2007. It is the higher-speed successor to DDR and DDR2 and predecessor to DDR4 synchronous dynamic random-access memory chips.

What’s the Difference Between DDR2 And DDR3 RAMS?

How do DDR2, DDR3, RAM stack up? Here’s our explanation of RAM generations and what they mean for you.

RAM, which stands for Random Access Memory, is a short-term storage location your computer uses for running processes. You might not think much about RAM besides the amount of it when buying a new computer.

But not all RAM is created equal. Different generations of RAM provide different speeds and are only compatible with certain systems. Here are the differences between DDR2 and DDR3 RAM, compared to the newer DDR4 RAM.

What Is DDR RAM?

If you’re new to RAM, you might not know what “DDR” means. This abbreviation stands for double data rate.

In simple terms, operating at a double data rate means the RAM can transfer data two times per clock cycle. As you probably know, all data on a computer is digital, meaning it’s represented by a 1 (on) or a 0 (off).

One clock cycle is represented by the CPU signal going from off to on and back again. This is usually measured from the halfway point, as you can see in the chart below.

This double data rate is a major upgrade from old SDR (single data rate) RAM, which only operated once per clock cycle. Original DDR RAM first became generally available in 2000, and like SDR RAM, is now obsolete. Virtually all RAM you’ll find available now is some generation of DDR.

But why do these generations of RAM change?

DDR Generations Explained

Original DDR RAM was superseded by DDR2, DDR3, and now DDR4. These are all future generations of the same technology with faster speed and other improvements, and are all the same physical size.

This isn’t out of the ordinary, since many computing standards evolve over time. But you might wonder where DDR2 and DDR3 came from, and why they emerged.

The generation of RAM used with a computer is closely tied to the development of processors and motherboards. As companies like Intel come out with new CPU technology, they require new motherboard chipsets. This is a set of electronic components that let all the parts of a computer communicate properly.

New generations of RAM are necessary to work with the latest chipsets. This is why we’ve seen DDR2, DDR3, and DDR4 RAM after the original generation. Without these advancements, we wouldn’t be able to put RAM into newer systems.

Importantly, RAM is not backwards or forwards-compatible. If your motherboard is designed for DDR4 RAM, DDR3 RAM simply won’t work in it. It’s thus vital when building or upgrading a PC that you buy the right generation of RAM for compatibility.

Each generation of RAM has its notch in a slightly different position, so it’s impossible to put the wrong type in your computer.

DDR2 vs. DDR3 RAM

You might wonder how the newer generations of DDR RAM stack up. Let’s look at DDR2 and DDR3 RAM differences first. While you’re unlikely to find DDR2 RAM in many places today (it did become available back in 2004) it’s still useful for comparison.

While original-generation DDR RAM ran two data transfers per clock cycle, DDR2 RAM can produce four transfers per cycle instead. DDR3 takes this even further, as it can produce eight transfers for every clock cycle.

When it comes to speed, DDR3 is unsurprisingly faster. One way to measure RAM speed is megatransfers per second, or MT/s. This refers to the number of operations the RAM can complete every second; 1MT/s is one million transfers per second.

While DDR2 RAM has data transfer rates ranging from 400 to 1,066MT/s, DDR3 smashes this at 800-2,133MT/s.

Voltage is another important aspect of RAM generations. DDR2 RAM uses 1.8V, while DDR3 is lower at 1.5V. Lower voltage means the RAM uses less power, thus putting less strain on the CPU.

You can find sticks of DDR2 RAM that are 4GB, but the most common maximum is 2GB. Practically, DDR3 RAM caps out at 8GB per stick, though some 16GB sticks are available.

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