This monthly guide to buying the best DDR4 and DDR3 RAM for PC will be divided according to the socket used and the total amount of memory required
In each product category we will show you i best RAM memory kits according to your budget. Let's start with the list!
Best DDR4 and DDR3 RAM to Buy: What is RAM
RAM, acronym for Random Access Memory, is a type of random access volatile memory that allows direct access to any memory address with the same access time. The operations to be performed by the CPU are copied to the RAM. Once the executable is closed, any unsaved changes to the hard drive or SSD will be lost. The purpose of this memory is to guarantee the maximum access speed to the data to be processed by the CPU. For this reason it is important that the RAM is very fast. The RAM must never act as a bottleneck for the flow of data, it must be chosen wisely compared to the other components of the PC. To understand the speed of a RAM we have three parameters:
- RAM type (DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4);
- Frequency: indicates the number of operations that this can carry out in the unit of time;
- Latency: the time that is "lost" to access the data in the RAM.
To have high-performance RAM you will have to look for the newest generation available that our platform supports (for example, the best RAMs to date are DDR4), and for the same generation, choose those with the highest frequency and lowest latency!
Now don't worry if all these terms have you confused, actually it takes very little to understand what you really need: what kind of RAM you need for your PC, and how much memory you need. For the final choice, just follow our guide.
Best DDR4 and DDR3 RAM to Buy: What the Market Offers Today
The RAM memory market nowadays offers two proposals:
- The tested RAM DDR3 on the market since time immemorial and compatible with "old" sockets / chipsets (AM3 +, FM2, FM2 +, Intel 1150);
- The brilliant RAM DDR4 relatively new to the market and only compatible with new sockets (Intel 1151, Intel 1151 V2, Intel 2011-3, Intel 2066, AMD AM4).
Since we don't want to waste too much time looking for technical data, in this guide we will recommend the best DDR4 and DDR3 RAM memories, with the best value for money, to be installed on your PC. In our choices we will take into account what "it makes sense to spend" based on the type of platform to which certain quantities of RAM are usually combined, and based on the workloads managed by them. The categories in which this guide will be divided, as well as by type (i.e. RAM DDR3 they were DDR4), will include the memory capacity and “profile” of the RAM to also take into account the compatibility with the heatsinks in use in the system. High Profile (HP) RAM are usually incompatible with larger CPU coolers, and often require smaller systems or AIO systems. Instead the low profile RAM (LP) are compatible with all heatsinks (even the very large ones) but offer on average lower performance than HP models.
Best PC DDR3 RAM to Buy (Compatible with: AM3 +, FM2, FM2 +, Intel 1150)
The best DDR3 RAM memory kits (compatible with: AM3 +, FM2, FM2 +, Intel 1150, Intel 2011) divided by size and capacity.
Best DDR3 LP RAM - Low Profile
Known as "low profile RAM" are useful if you have a very bulky heatsink (avoid contact with it thanks to its small size) or want to save something. They are often equipped with a not very efficient heatsink which consequently does not allow extreme overclocking.
- Best 8GB RAM memory kits
Kingston HyperX Fury Memorie DDR-III da 4 GB, PC 1866, Blu - Plug N Play functionality
- Best 16GB RAM memory kits
HyperX HX318LC11FBK2/16 Fury 16 GB (2 x 8 GB), 1866 MHz, DDR3L, CL11, DIMM, 1.35 V, Nero - Plug N Play functionality
- Best 32GB RAM memory kits
It is worth buying two 16GB memory kits.
Best RAM DDR3 HP - High Profile
Known as "high-profile RAM" are the ultimate overclocking RAM. Their large heatsink is a guarantee: excellent dissipation and often dizzying frequencies.
