DDR3 vs DDR4: Here's how they differ

Here is everything you need to know about the latest RAM type

By Gizbot Bureau

| Published: Saturday, April 20, 2019, 15:07 [IST]

In your school days, you must have come across the term RAM. It is a data storage form which allows the computer to store data which is used by the system. When you first load a program, all the information which are required are stored in RAM, but when you shut down your computer, all the data is deleted. DDR comes into play in this case where it helps in higher transfer rate between the memory and the computer.

In this article, we are going to talk about DDR3 and DDR4 which are different RAM modules. DDR4 has evolved after DDR3, and therefore, in most of the computer, you will find this module. If you are planning to buy a new computer, it is essential for you to know the difference between DDR3 and DDR4.

1. Voltage

First thing first, the DDR4 operates at a voltage which is much lesser than DDR3. The DDR4 operates at 1.2 volts while the DDR3 operates at 1.5 volts. The difference might not sound vast, but it should be considered because a computer for the home user will be different from the professional user.

2. Speed

There is also an enormous difference in the speed of both DDR3 and DDR4. The DDR3 starts working at 800 millions of transfers per second, and it can go to a speed of 2133. While the starting speed of DDR4 is 2133 millions of transfer per second. The increased speed of DDR4 shows an overall increase in bandwidth.

These are the basic difference between DDR3 and DDR4. Let us now focus on the specifications of both the modules.

Specifications of DDR3

The DDR3 operates at a frequency of 400 to 1066. The number of pins required for this module is 240. The memory per module varies from 1 GB to 8 GB. The data rate can go up to 2133 MB/s, and the maximum transfer rate of DDR3 is 17 GB/s.

Specifications of DDR4

The frequency in which DDR4 operates varies from 1066 to 2133. The number of pins required for DDR4 is 288. The memory per module of DDR varies from 2GB to 32Gb, and it can go even higher. The rate of this module is 3200 MB/s, and the maximum transfer rate is 25.6 GB/s.

Because the DDR4 module is an evolved form of DDR3, they are capable of working at a higher clock frequency.

Wrap Up

If you need a computer for higher performance, you should go for DDR4. The scalability and efficiency at which DDR4 works is way higher than DDR3. Also, the transfer rate of DDR4 is higher which marks a big difference when it comes to high performance.

You can check whether the computer comes with DDR3 or DDR4 module from the specification table. However, if you are not able to find it in the specification, you can check the module present visually. As mentioned above, the DDR4 comes with more pins in comparison to the DDR3 pins. So the module that has a higher number of pins is the DDR4 module.