DDR4 and DDR5
At present, there are two standards in the market, which may continue to exist for a while as the DDR4 stage develops. If you are upgrading an older system, you may need DDR4 RAM, and if you build a new system, you will look for DDR5. Check your motherboard model to make sure that because they are incompatible with each other. You can also Differences between DDR4 and DDR5 If you are curious.
capacity
Once you know if you need DDR4 or DDR5, the next major decision is how much memory you want. Unless you really plan to just browse the web and watch videos occasionally, I recommend starting with 32GB. Most memory is sold in kits, so if you want 32GB you usually buy a pair of 16GB sticks, which usually appear as 2x16GB in the list and install according to the motherboard’s dual-channel memory instructions. Some gamers may benefit from 64GB of memory, but for special use cases, anything else will benefit.
speed
Another number you might display significantly on memory is the clock speed measured in MHz. DDR5 starts at 3,200MHz, but it seems that most DIY memory is in the 6,000-6,400MHz range. Some enthusiasts have been rising to 8,000MHz, but I don’t think the average user will benefit from such high speeds.
It is worth noting that if you want to take advantage of the statement speed of RAM, you need to make sure you enable XMP or AMD’s Expo in the BIOS. Check your motherboard manual for more information on enabling the feature and setting MHz correctly.
Incubation period
Performance has another measurable function in the form of CL or CAS delay. While the clock speed measures how fast RAM can move data, the CL indicates how quickly it can access that data, with a lower number and a faster meaning. While the clock speed vs. the DDR5’s huge bump, the CL numbers may be high for those with DDR4 experience. Just know that the higher clock speed makes up for this difference, so now we are looking for the first number 28-30 instead of the previous 12-16.
Suitability and compatibility
There are some things you may also need to keep in mind when purchasing system memory. Most modules are roughly the same size, but if your CPU cooler is larger, you may want to make sure that any shroud on the memory is not too high. Most DIY motherboards don’t have memory capacity limits, which should involve your average PC user or even gamers, but if you’re upgrading an older system, you’ll need to check the manual and motherboard model to confirm how much storage it can handle.
It is known that there are usually two sizes of memory modules. Usually you will find DIMMs in desktop computers and SO-DIMMs in laptops, but some very small desktop computers may choose laptop memory.
