Every DDR RAM Explained in 8 Minutes

DDR1 DDR1 came [music] out in 2000 and

it was created because computers became

heavier to run. So before DDR RAM

existed, computers still use something

called SD RAM. This SD RAM was too slow

since it could only send one data at

[music] a time, which makes computers

stutter and have longer loading times

when we're trying to open something.

That is why DDR RAM was created, which

allows sending twice as much data

compared to the previous SD RAM. [music]

So, as a result, computers became more

responsive. In terms of speed, it runs

up to 400 MHz with a capacity up to 1

GBTE, [music] which was enough for

browsing the internet, doing office

work, and playing light games such as

[music] Doom. However, DDR1 also came

with a problem. It's using 2.5 volts of

electricity, which is [music] a lot for

RAM. And since it consumes a lot of

electricity, it produces more heat as

well. So, when RAM becomes too [music]

hot, your computer might crash or

freeze. And what makes it worse is that

DDR1 [music]

existed in the era of Windows Millennium

Edition, which is the worst and the most

unstable Windows version ever. So, not

only did computers [music] keep crashing

because of the overheating RAM, programs

in the Windows Millennium Edition often

experienced errors as well. DDR2 [music]

DDR2 came out in 2004 as an upgrade from

DDR1. It ran at higher speeds around 400

megahertz with the basic variant to 800

megahertz with the higherend [music]

version and supported 2 gigabytes to 4

GB of memory per RAM stick. With this

amount of RAM, computers [music] can now

open more programs at the same time. But

it wasn't only the speed that changed.

Every RAM generation also comes with a

different [music] notch position. And in

the case of DDR2, the notch was moved to

the middle to clearly differentiate it

from DDR1. More importantly, DDR2 also

used a lower voltage of just 1.8 volts.

[music] This means it consumed less

power and produced less heat compared to

DDR1. But even though DDR2 was faster,

[music] it was very expensive back then.

So, in terms of price to performance,

DDR2 just wasn't that great compared to

DDR1. [music]

And even if someone really upgraded

their RAM, they also had to buy a new

motherboard that's compatible with the

RAM generation they're [music] using.

That's why some people at the time chose

not to upgrade and kept using DDR1

instead. DDR3 [music]

DDR3 came out in 2007 and this RAM

generation is what made computers

[music] more commonly used by normal

people. This happens because the voltage

of DDR3 got [music] lowered to just 1.5

volts, which is great. So, not only did

PCs run even cooler, but laptop

batteries could last longer as well.

DDR3 also ran at higher speeds [music]

from 800 to,600 megahertz and had a

memory capacity from 4 GB to 8 gigabytes

per stick, [music] which made it good

for light photo editing, gaming, and

heavier multitasking. But the most

important thing about DDR3 was that it

introduced [music] dual channel

technology. With this feature, doing

things feels more instant since two RAM

sticks move data a lot faster instead of

just one. And not only that, this dual

channel is also very useful for

computers that use integrated graphics.

Because unlike a dedicated [music]

graphics card that has its own memory

called VR RAM, an integrated GPU doesn't

have its own memory. So, in order

[music] to load images, render game

graphics, and things like that, it will

use your systems RAM instead. That's why

having dual channel RAM will improve

visual smoothness and even give higher

FPS when gaming with integrated

graphics. But just a side note about

dual channel RAM though, it's always

better to use RAM sticks with the same

speed and brand. [music] And this

doesn't only apply to DDR3, but also

DDR4 and DDR5. Because if you mix RAM

sticks with different speeds, it will

still work, but everything will

automatically run at the lowest speed.

[music] And even if you try to change

the RAM speed manually in the BIOS menu,

your system might become unstable or

crash later. You can also mix RAM sticks

from different brands that have the same

speed, but sometimes it can cause random

errors or instability because different

brands may use different memory chips or

electrical circuits. Anyway, [music] the

point is DDR3 with dual channel was

already really good. But it wasn't

perfect in that era because even with

fast DDR3, computers [music] in 2007

still felt heavy to run. And the reason

wasn't the RAM itself. It was because

computers used Windows Vista. So,

Windows Vista was infamous [music]

because it consumed a massive amount of

resources like RAM and power. This

happened because Vista used a new 3D

[music] transparent design called the

Arrow interface. It looked nice and

modern, but it also made computers feel

laggy and slow. And not just [music]

that, even popular games in that era,

such as Crisis, were also insanely heavy

as well. So, in the end, DDR3's [music]

smooth performance that I explained in

the beginning, only showed up when

Windows 7 came a few [music] years

later. DDR4 DDR4 came out in 2014 and it

became the current standard [music] for

modern computers. It typically runs at

speeds from around 2,400 MHz to [music]

3,600 MHz and supports much larger sizes

from 8 to 16 GB per stick. This made

DDR4 great for video editing, [music]

programming, streaming, playing AAA

games, and much more. And since DDR4 was

that capable, it stayed around the

longest based on [music] its release

time. It has become so common that

people just keep using them. Also,

unlike the previous DDR [music]

generations that had some sort of

problem in their time, DDR4 can actually

coexist well with the operating [music]

system in various programs of its era.

And talking about programs, today there

are RAM standards that we all must know

to run those programs. 8 [music] GB of

RAM is the minimum for doing everyday

tasks like browsing the web and office

work. But these days 8 GB [music] of RAM

is not recommended to have, especially

since there are some programs like

Google Chrome that consume a lot of RAM.

So in practice, [music] you can only

open maybe like two or three software at

max. That's why 16 GB of RAM is the

ideal amount for multitasking. [music]

But not just that, 16 GB is also

important if you're playing AAA games or

doing video editing, and it's usually

always written in the system requirement

because these kinds of programs are

indeed that heavy. [music] As for 32 GB,

it's suitable for heavier work like

programming or engineering. It's also

[music] great if you like playing AAA

games while also streaming and chatting

at the same time. But just in case

you're wondering, does having more RAM

always mean better performance? The

answer is yes, but only up to a limit.

For example, let's say we play a heavy

game that requires us to have at least

12 GB of RAM. If we play [music] with

just 8 GB of RAM, it's technically

possible, but the FPS we get [music]

will be lower. And if we play with 12 GB

of RAM, it's going to feel smooth since

we've met the system requirement.

[music] But if we play with 16 GB of

RAM, it almost doesn't increase the FPS

anymore because the system already has

enough memory to work with. DDR5 DDR5

came out in 2020 as [music] the top tier

RAM for heavy duty workloads. It runs at

much higher speeds starting around

[music] 4,800 megahertz to 6,000

megahertz with larger memory capacities

[music] at 8,6 or 32 GB per stick which

is useful for demanding tasks like 3D

rendering, 4K video editing and [music]

of course high-end gaming. Every