
How does DDR4 differ from other DDR generations? The pin count and key notch location for each DDR generation are different. This design also lowers insertion force, as not all pins are engaged at the same time during module insertion.įigure 1. The DDR4 key notch is in a different place, and the edge connector looks like a slightly curved “V” to facilitate insertion. However, DDR4 has 288 pins compared with DDR3’s 240 pins DDR4 SO-DIMMS have 260 pins instead of 204 in DDR3. Physically, a DDR4 module, or dual in-line memory module (DIMM), looks very similar to a DDR3 DIMM. How does DDR4 differ from DDR3 in appearance? You’ll thank yourself soon enough.Double data rate fourth generation (DDR4) is a memory standard designed as a better, faster, more reliable replacement for DDR3. Even if you’re trying to be as cheap as possible, don’t skimp out on the RAM. A budget APU might struggle to cross the finish line with modern games in 5 years, but a PC running on budget RAM today will outright fail in the same contest. The upgrade from DDR3 to DDR4 is more beneficial for removing the needless stress and worry that comes with gaming on older hardware. The difference between DDR3 and DDR4 RAM for the average gamer isn’t just found in performance.

Your PC will be future-proofed, your games will have all the memory they could want for generations to come, and you can open up multiple applications on your computer while gaming without sacrificing performance. Or, if you’re using an accelerated processing unit (APU), which draws virtual memory from your system’s RAM, you’ll get a nice increase in performance until upgrading to a dedicated CPU/GPU rig. This will ensure that the only thing bottlenecking your PC’s performance in any game is your CPU or GPU.


So what does all of this mean? It means you should grab two 8GB sticks of DDR4 RAM, look up how to take advantage of dual-channel support on your respective DDR4-enabled motherboard, slot those bad boys in your PC, and forget about them for the next decade.
