The range of available DDR4 memory on the market is gradually increasing. To date, this memory is only compatible with motherboards based on the Intel X99 chipset and, accordingly, processors codenamed Haswell-E (LGA2011-v3 socket). Actually, the fact that DDR4 memory is only compatible with the specified Intel platform already means that it is designed for the most productive PCs today. All Intel X99 motherboards support up to 64GB of DDR4 memory in quad channel mode (assuming the board has eight memory slots). Let's make a reservation right away that we are talking about non-registered (UDIMM) non-ECC memory. The fact is that some motherboards with the Intel X99 chipset support the server processors of the Intel Xeon E5 v.3 family (with the same LGA2011-v3 socket and the same processor architecture). In this case, ECC memory is supported, both registered (RDIMM) and unregistered (UDIMM), and the maximum memory capacity is already 128 GB. However, we will not consider server memory in this article, and henceforth, by DDR4 memory, we will mean unregistered memory without ECC.

As for the capacity of DDR4 memory modules, there are 4 GB (the most common) and 8 GB modules on sale. DDR4 memory is available as separate modules or in kits of two, four or even eight modules. But the most common kits of four memory modules (four-channel kits). Accordingly, the total capacity of such a kit can be either 16 or 32 GB. The most common on the market today are four-channel memory kits with a total capacity of 16 GB, that is, kits of four memory modules with a capacity of 4 GB each.

The minimum frequency for DDR4 memory stipulated by the standard is 1066 MHz. Accordingly, the effective frequency in this case is 2133 MHz (DDR4-2133 memory), and the bandwidth is 17056 MB / s (in single-channel mode). The maximum memory frequency provided by the standard is 2133 MHz, its effective frequency in this case is 4266 MHz (DDR4-4266 memory), and the bandwidth is 34128 MB / s (in single-channel mode). True, the frequency of 2133/4266 MHz is a reserve for the future, while there is no such memory on sale. In reality, today there is memory on the market with an effective frequency from 2133 MHz to 3000 MHz, and it seems that only DDR4-2133 memory is standardized, and faster memory is realized through XMP profiles.

As a rule, modules of more expensive and faster DDR4 memory are equipped with heatsinks that do not carry any semantic load, except for attracting the attention of users. Heatsinks on memory modules are purely decorative and, by and large, meaningless thing, since memory chips simply do not heat up enough to require cooling using heatsinks. Let's not be unfounded and confirm what we have said with facts. In order to demonstrate the senselessness of radiators on memory modules, we used a pyrometer, which allows us to remotely determine the temperature change. For the test, a DDR4-2133 (15-15-15) memory module without a heatsink was used, the supply voltage was 1.2 V. In idle mode, the temperature of the memory chips was 31.2 ° C, and when the memory was loaded using the Stress System stress test Memory in the AIDA64 utility, the temperature of the memory chips increased to 35.5 ° C. When the same memory was overclocked to 2400 MHz and a supply voltage of 1.35 V in idle mode, the temperature of the memory chips was 32.7 ° C, and when the memory was loaded, it increased to 38.1 ° C. It is clear that at such temperatures there is simply no point in radiators. In addition, all 4GB DDR4 memory modules are single-sided, meaning the memory chips are located on one side of the module. It would seem that if you glue the radiator, then only on one side. However, heatsinks on such memory modules are always on both sides - just so beautiful.

Now about the cost. As a first approximation, DDR4 memory costs about 1,000 rubles per GB. That is, a 4 GB memory module costs about 4 thousand rubles, and an 8 GB memory module costs 8 thousand rubles. However, it should be borne in mind that decorative radiators and a higher declared operating frequency lead to an increase in the cost of memory. That is, a DDR4-3000 memory module will be more expensive than a DDR4-2133 memory module (with the same capacity).

AMD Radeon R7 Performance Series (R744G2133U1S)

As strange as it may seem, AMD produces DDR4 memory kits that are currently only compatible with Intel processors. However, this is modestly silent, and therefore it is not possible to find any technical information about DDR4 memory there. Apparently, pride does not allow this fact to be made public, but the company does not want to give up making money either.

According to our information, today AMD offers two quad-channel DDR4 memory kits, which differ only in capacity: these are kits of four modules with a total capacity of 32 GB (R748G2133U2S) and kits of four modules with a total capacity of 16 GB (R744G2133U1S). For both kits, the memory frequency is 2133 MHz, and the timings are 15-15-15-36.

Next, we will look at a memory kit of four modules with a total capacity of 16 GB (R744G2133U1S), which belongs to the AMD Radeon R7 Performance series. As already noted, AMD R744G2133U1S memory modules have a frequency of 2133 MHz and timings of 15-15-15-36, and the supply voltage is 1.2 V (this is the standard value).

The declared memory frequency is not high (this is the minimum value for DDR4), but there is a high probability that this memory can be made to work at a higher frequency.

The memory modules are equipped with dark gray cooling heatsinks, which are two metal plates glued to each side of the module. Moreover, the modules themselves are one-sided, that is, the memory chips are located only on one side.

On our test bench with settings in the UEFI BIOS by default, the AMD Radeon R7 Performance Series (R744G2133U1S) memory started up at a frequency of 2133 MHz with timings of 15-15-15-36, that is, exactly as it should be.

In addition, it turned out that the memory can work at a frequency of 2400 MHz. When the memory is started at this frequency, the timings are automatically set to 18-18-18-40, however, at a frequency of 2400 MHz, this memory can work with the timings 18-11-11-36.

Below are the test results in the AIDA64 program of the AMD Radeon R7 Performance Series (R744G2133U1S) memory kit at default settings (DDR4-2133; 15-15-15-36) and in the overclocked state (DDR4-2400; 18-11-11- 36).

Geil Evo Potenza GPR416GB3000C16QC

Geil GPR416GB3000C16QC quad-channel memory kit belongs to the series. These are four DDR4-3000 memory modules with a total capacity of 16 GB (4 × 4 GB). The memory modules are equipped with burgundy heat sinks. The memory modules themselves are one-sided, that is, all memory chips are located on them with one. In general, it should be noted that radiators do not look impressive on memory, let's say. The thickness of the plates from which the radiator is made is less than 1 mm. The height of the memory module with a heatsink is 47 mm.

According to the information on the manufacturer's website, at a frequency of 3000 MHz, Geil Evo Potenza GPR416GB3000C16QC memory modules can operate with timings of 16-16-16-36 at a supply voltage of 1.35 V. Moreover, this mode of operation of memory modules is provided when the XMP profile is activated.

Note that the Geil Evo Potenza series of four-channel (Quad Channel) memory also includes DDR4-2133 / 2400/2666/2800 memory kits, as well as faster DDR4-3200 memory. Geil Evo Potenza DDR4-3000 quad-channel memory kits can also be different: so, in addition to 16 GB kits, there are also kits with a total volume of 32 GB. Memory timings may also differ: 15-15-15-35 or 16-16-16-36. Taking into account two possible volumes and two sets of timings, the Geil Evo Potenza DDR4-3000 series includes four sets of memory:

• GPR416GB3000C15QC: timings 15-15-15-35, total 16 GB;
• GPR416GB3000C16QC: timings 16-16-16-36, total 16 GB
• GPR432GB3000C15QC: timings 15-15-15-35, total 32 GB;
• GPR432GB3000C16QC: timings 16-16-16-36, total 32 GB.

Now let's talk about the difficulties we encountered when testing the Geil Evo Potenza GPR416GB3000C16QC memory.

First of all, we note that the declared frequency of 3000 MHz with timings of 16-16-16-36 and a supply voltage of 1.35 V is the characteristics of the XMP profile. And, of course, it's not a fact that this profile will work on any motherboard and that the memory will generally start up at such a frequency. As practice shows, there are motherboards based on the Intel X99 chipset, which, with the default UEFI BIOS settings, try to immediately activate the XMP profile and make the memory work with the specified characteristics. This memory kit will have big problems with such motherboards and, most likely, it simply won't work. In particular, we tested this memory kit on three motherboards (Gigabyte GA X99-Gaming G1 WIFI, Asus Rampage V Extreme and ASRock Fatal1ty X99X Killer) and it turned out that ASRock Fatal1ty X99X Killer is not compatible with this memory at all.

But on the Gigabyte GA X99-Gaming G1 WIFI and Asus Rampage V Extreme boards with the default UEFI BIOS settings, the Geil Evo Potenza GPR416GB3000C16QC memory was determined differently.

So, in the case of the Asus Rampage V Extreme board, the Geil Evo Potenza GPR416GB3000C16QC memory kit is defined as DDR4-2400 with timings of 17-15-15-35 (supply voltage 1.2 V).

In the case of the Gigabyte GA X99-Gaming G1 WIFI board, the same memory kit was defined as DDR4-2400, but with 16-16-16-35 timings.

Now about the most important thing. On none of our test boards the Geil Evo Potenza GPR416GB3000C16QC memory could work at the settings defined in the XMP profile, that is, at an effective frequency of 3000 MHz with timings of 16-16-16-36 and at a supply voltage of 1.35 V. If manually set in the UEFI BIOS the frequency of 3000 MHz, timings 16-16-16-36 and supply voltage 1.35 V, the system will not boot. We also tried to "coarse" the timings for 3000 MHz, but it was all in vain. At this frequency, the memory refused to work.

Through trial and error, it was found out that our Geil Evo Potenza GPR416GB3000C16QC memory kit can operate at a maximum frequency of 2666 MHz, not higher. In fact, the declared frequency of 3000 MHz turned out to be simply a trick. However, we will not make such loud statements in general and clarify that our Geil Evo Potenza GPR416GB3000C16QC memory kit with our Intel Core i7-5960X processor and our Gigabyte GA X99-Gaming G1 WIFI board does not correspond to the declared characteristics.

For 2666 MHz, the best timings we could find were 13-14-14-30. With such timings at 2667 MHz, everything works stably, without freezing.

Below are the test results in the AIDA64 program of the Geil Evo Potenza GPR416GB3000C16QC memory kit with the default settings (DDR4-2400; 16-16-16-35) and in the overclocked state (DDR4-2667; 13-14-14-30).

Kingston HyperX Predator HX424C12PBK4 / 16

The Kingston HyperX Predator HX424C12PBK4 / 16 memory belongs to the overclocking Kingston HyperX Predator memory series.

As follows from the information, the company manufactures a very wide range of DDR4 memory kits. The capacity of the kits can be 16, 32 and 64 GB, the number of modules in one kit can be equal to four or eight, and the capacity of one module can be 4 or 8 GB. At the same time, the company produces DDR4 memory kits with effective frequencies of 2133, 2400, 2666, 2800 and 3000 MHz.

The Kingston website has a deciphering memory module name. Using this information, you can understand that the following information is encrypted in the name of the HX424C12PBK4 / 16 module: this is a UDIMM DDR4-2400 memory module with CAS 12 latency. The memory belongs to the HyperX Predator series, is equipped with a black radiator, and the total capacity of a set of four modules is 16 GB.

On our test bench with the default UEFI BIOS settings, the Kingston HyperX Predator HX424C12PBK4 / 16 memory started up at a frequency of 2133 MHz with timings of 15-15-15-36 and at a supply voltage of 1.2 V.

The promised frequency of 2400 MHz with timings 12-13-13-35 is already implemented through the XMP profile. Moreover, there are two XMP profiles for the Kingston HyperX Predator HX424C12PBK4 / 16 memory: one for 2400 MHz with timings 12-13-13-35 at a supply voltage of 1.4 V, and the second? for a frequency of 2133 MHz, but with timings of 13-13-13-36 and with a supply voltage of 1.2 V.

When the first XMP profile (for a frequency of 2400 MHz) is activated in the UEFI BIOS, the memory, as it should, starts up at a frequency of 2400 MHz with timings of 12-13-13-35 at a supply voltage of 1.4 V. However, manually for a frequency of 2400 MHz shorter timings can be selected. In particular, on our test bench, the memory worked with timings 12-12-12-35 (at a frequency of 2400 MHz).

But we didn’t manage to run the Kingston HyperX Predator HX424C12PBK4 / 16 memory at a higher frequency (2600 MHz) even when the timings were roughened up.

AData XPG AX4U2400W4G16-QRZ

AData company in two series: Consumer (custom) and Gaming (gaming). There is also server memory, but we are not considering it now. The memory kit belongs to the gaming series Gaming.

You should not take the word Gaming seriously in this case. This is just a marketing positioning of memory, which is aimed at grabbing attention. The memory of the Gaming series differs from the usual Consumer series by the presence of decorative radiators (radiators have no other meaning) and by the fact that the memory of the Gaming series is faster.

A very large number of different memory kits are presented in the AData Gaming series. Moreover, any memory module of the AData Gaming series can be purchased separately (one module), in a set of two modules and in a set of four modules. In addition, both 4GB and 8GB modules are available. It is with these that the assortment of possible AData Gaming DDR4 memory kits is very wide.

However, it is not difficult to understand this assortment. There is DDR4-2133 memory with timings 13-13-13 and 15-15-15. Taking into account the possible capacity of the modules (4 and 8 GB), as well as the various configurations of the kits (one, two and four modules), we find that there are twelve variants of only DDR4-2133 memory.

Then there is DDR4-2400 memory with 16-16-16 timings, DDR4-2666 memory with 16-16-16 timings, DDR4-2800 memory with 17-17-17 timings and DDR4-3000 memory with 16-16-16 timings. ... Again, any memory can be represented by sets of one, two and four modules, and the capacity of the module can be 4 or 8 GB.

There is also faster DDR4-3200 / 3300/3333 memory. But for this memory, the timings are only 16-16-16, and the modules have a capacity of 4 GB.

Next, we will look at a set of four AData XPG AX4U2400W4G16-QRZ memory modules. As you might guess from the name, we are talking about DDR4-2400 memory modules with timings of 16-16-16. The supply voltage of these memory modules is 1.2 V.

On our test bench with the default UEFI BIOS settings, the AData XPG AX4U2400W4G16-QRZ memory started up at a frequency of 2133 MHz with timings of 15-15-15-36 and at a supply voltage of 1.2 V.

The promised frequency of 2400 MHz with timings of 16-16-16 is realized through the XMP profile.

When the XMP profile is activated in the UEFI BIOS, the memory, as it should, starts up at a frequency of 2400 MHz with timings of 16-16-16-39.

We failed to start the AData XPG AX4U2400W4G16-QRZ memory at a higher frequency. However, at a frequency of 2400 MHz, better timings can be selected. The best timings that we managed to find for this memory at a frequency of 2400 MHz were 13-12-12-36.

AData AD4U2133W4G15-B

If the previous AData kit belonged to the gaming series, then the memory kit belongs to the Consumer series, that is, the simplest DDR4 memory series.

The Consumer series includes two types of DDR4-2133 memory modules: 4GB and 8GB. In the first case, the modules are called AData AD4U2133W4G15-B, and in the second - AData AD4U2133W8G15-B. All other characteristics of the modules are exactly the same. The effective memory frequency is 2133 MHz, timings are 15-15-15-36, and the supply voltage is 1.2 V. Memory modules with a capacity of 4 GB are single-sided and are based on SKhynix H5AN4G8NMFR memory chips (8 chips 512 MB each).

Note that there are no heatsinks on the AData AD4U2133W8G15-B memory modules.

On our test bench with the default UEFI BIOS settings, the AData AD4U2133W8G15-B memory started up without problems in full compliance with the specification, that is, at a frequency of 2133 MHz with timings of 15-15-15-36 and with a supply voltage of 1.2 V.

Moreover, it turned out that this memory can work at a frequency of 2400 MHz. When this frequency is set, the timings in automatic mode are set equal to 16-17-17-40. The best timings that we managed to find for this memory without losing stability in operation were 14-14-14-36.

Testing

So, in total, five sets of four-channel DDR4 memory took part in our testing, each of which was tested in two modes of operation: with the default settings and with the settings corresponding to the maximum overclocking.

Memory		frequency	timings
AData AD4U2133W8G15-B	default	2133	15-15-15-36
	overclocking	2400	14-14-14-36
AData XPG AX4U2400W4G16-QRZ	default	2133	15-15-15-36
	overclocking	2400	13-12-12-36
Kingston HyperX Predator HX424C12PBK4 / 16	default	2133	15-15-15-36
	overclocking	2400	12-12-12-35
AMD Radeon R7 Performance Series (R744G2133U1S)	default	2133	15-15-15-36
	overclocking	2400	18-11-11-36
Geil Evo Potenza GPR416GB3000C16QC	default	2400	16-16-16-36
	overclocking	2667	13-14-14-30

First of all, we note that all memory kits, with the exception of Geil Evo Potenza GPR416GB3000C16QC, were defined by default as DDR4-2133 memory with 15-15-15-36 timings. In all our tests, all kits in DDR4-2133 mode with 15-15-15-36 timings gave almost the same results. And in order not to clutter up the article with unnecessary data, in the future we will simply talk about DDR4-2133 memory with 15-15-15-36 timings, meaning by it any kit with default settings - with the exception of Geil Evo Potenza GPR416GB3000C16QC memory.

For testing, we used a stand with the following configuration:

• Intel Core i7-5960X processor;
• motherboard Gigabyte X99-Gaming G1 WIFI;
• Intel X99 chipset;
• Intel SSD 520 Series (240GB):
• operating system Windows 8.1 (64-bit).

Performance measurements were taken using real applications from our iXBT Application Benchmark 2015 test script. The use of synthetic tests, which are so fond of memory manufacturers, we consider in this case simply pointless, since the "parrots" they give out have nothing to do with reality.

We deliberately excluded tests from the iXBT Application Benchmark 2015 package, the execution speed of which depends on the data storage subsystem (copying speed, application installation and uninstallation speed, etc.). In addition, the Adobe After Effects CC 2014.1.1 (Test # 2) benchmark has been excluded. The fact is that for this test, in the case of using an 8-core (16 logical cores) Intel Core i7-5960X processor, it is advisable to use not 16, but 32 GB of memory. Otherwise, the test will be executed without multiprocessing technology, or you need to forcibly reduce the number of processor cores used. In short, it is easier to exclude this test, especially since the methodology contains another test using the Adobe After Effects CC 2014.1.1 application. In addition, we excluded tests that have a large measurement error and require a large number of repetitions to obtain a reliable result. When testing memory, when a change in frequency and timings leads only to a negligible increase in performance, it is very important to use tests in which the result has very good repeatability (with a small measurement error).

As a result, we left the following tests:

• MediaCoder x64 0.8.33.5680,
• Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2014.1,
• Adobe After Effects CC 2014.1.1,
• Photodex ProShow Producer 6.0.3410,
• Adobe Photoshop CC 2014.2.1,
• ACDSee Pro 8,
• Adobe Illustrator CC 2014.1.1,
• Adobe Audition CC 2014.2,
• WinRAR 5.11, archiving,
• WinRAR 5.11, unzip.

So, let's start with a video transcoding test using the MediaCoder x64 0.8.33.5680 application. As you can see, this task is not very sensitive to memory performance: the worst result differs from the best by only 6%. It is interesting to note that Geil Evo Potenza memory at 2667 MHz with 13-14-14-30 timings demonstrates the same result as Kingston HyperX Predator memory at 2400 MHz with 12-12-12-35 timings. And at 2400 MHz (with timings 16-16-16-35), Geil Evo Potenza memory works in much the same way as DDR4-2133 memory.

In Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2014.1, we get a similar result. The difference in test execution time between DDR4-2133 and DDR4-2400 memory is approximately 5%. And in this test, Geil Evo Potenza memory at 2667 MHz with timings of 13-14-14-30 demonstrates the same result as any other memory in DDR4-2400 mode. And at 2400 MHz (with timings 16-16-16-35), Geil Evo Potenza memory works in much the same way as DDR4-2133 memory.

In a test based on Adobe After Effects CC 2014.1.1, the difference between the worst and best results is no more than 5%. Again, Geil Evo Potenza memory at 2667 MHz with timings of 13-14-14-30 demonstrates the same result as any other memory in DDR4-2400 mode. And at 2400 MHz (with timings 16-16-16-35), Geil Evo Potenza memory works in much the same way as DDR4-2133 memory.

Photodex ProShow Producer 6.0.3410 is slightly more sensitive to memory speed, and in our test the difference between the worst and the best results is about 6%. But again, the fastest Geil Evo Potenza memory at 2667 MHz works just like any other DDR4-2400 memory, and at 2400 MHz the Geil Evo Potenza memory results are comparable to those of DDR4-2133.

Adobe Photoshop CC 2014.2.1 turned out to be insensitive to memory speed. In our test, the difference between the worst and the best results was about 3.5%. And again, the "strange" Geil Evo Potenza memory at 2667 MHz performs about the same as any other DDR4-2400 memory, and at 2400 MHz the Geil Evo Potenza memory results are comparable to those of DDR4-2133.

In the test using the ACDSee Pro 8 application, the dependence on the memory speed is quite insignificant: the difference between the worst and the best results was about 1.5%. Geil Evo Potenza memory did not surprise with anything pleasant: at a frequency of 2667 MHz it works about the same as any other DDR4-2400 memory, and at a frequency of 2400 MHz the results of Geil Evo Potenza memory are even slightly worse than the results of DDR4-2133.

In the test using the Adobe Illustrator CC 2014.1.1 application, nothing at all depends on the memory speed. Here, for all sets of memory in different modes of their operation, the same results are obtained.

But in the test using the Adobe Audition CC 2014.2 application, the dependence on the memory speed is insignificant, but there is: the difference between the worst and the best results was 4.8%. For Geil Evo Potenza memory, as in other cases, we get the following: at 2667 MHz it performs slightly worse than any other DDR4-2400 memory, and at 2400 MHz Geil Evo Potenza memory results are about the same as DDR4- 2133.

In the archiving test using WinRAR 5.11, the difference between the worst and the best results was 5.6%. The Geil Evo Potenza memory at 2667 MHz performs slightly worse than any other DDR4-2400 memory, and at 2400 MHz the Geil Evo Potenza memory results are about the same as the DDR4-2133 results.

In the unzip test using WinRAR 5.11, the difference between the worst and the best results was 4%. And as always, Geil Evo Potenza memory at 2667 MHz demonstrates results typical for DDR4-2400 memory, and at 2400 MHz - results typical for DDR4-2133.

conclusions

Actually, the conclusions that can be drawn from our testing are quite predictable. There is little point in high-speed DDR4 memory today, and the DDR4-2133 option is sufficient for most consumer applications. The maximum performance gain that can be obtained by using high-speed DDR4-2400 memory instead of standard DDR4-2133 is about 5%. Moreover, we did not find any significant difference between modules / kits from different manufacturers.

Moreover, as it turned out, the high-speed memory sold under the guise of DDR4-2400 is actually an overclocked version of DDR4-2133 memory, that is, the DDR4-2400 operating mode is implemented only through the XMP profile. And most likely, having bought the most common DDR4-2133 memory, you can make DDR4-2400 out of it. So does it make sense to overpay?

DDR4-3000 memory (Geil Evo Potenza GPR416GB3000C16QC) turned out to be DDR4-2400 memory, and it simply refused to work at the promised speed of 3000 MHz. In general, the memory of Geil Evo Potenza GPR416GB3000C16QC is very strange. In DDR4-2667 mode (the maximum frequency at which it was able to run) it works as DDR4-2400 memory, and in DDR4-2400 mode as DDR4-2133 memory. Actually, this is an example for those who think high-speed memory is cool.

As for a variety of fancifully shaped heatsinks on high-speed memory modules, then, as we have already said, this is nothing more than a decorative element. Modern DDR4 memory does not need heatsinks at all even with the supply voltage increased to 1.4 V.

Everyone can face the problem of availability of all RAM. At one point, when you decide to add one or more strips of RAM to your computer, the following situation occurs. In the properties of the system it is written that 4GB is installed, but only 2GB is available. Or 4GB is available instead of 8GB.

In this article, we will show you how to fix this problem and force windows to use all the RAM.

How do I make available all installed RAM?

The first step is to decide on a couple of things. First - . If you have 32 (x86) bit Windows, then it will not see more than 3.2 GB of RAM! The only option in this case is to install a 64-bit OS.

Also, if used, it will consume some amount of your RAM. Usually no more than 700MB. This can only be fixed by installing a discrete (stand-alone) video card with its own video memory.

If you have 64-bit Windows and a discrete graphics card, but not all RAM is available, then you need to do the following.

First, open the system unit, remove all RAM modules and wipe the contacts on them with an alcohol wipe / simple eraser and install back, preferably swapping places. This helps a lot.

One of the possible reasons is poor contact of RAM

The next step is to enable (enabled) the function in the BIOS settings. It is usually found under Advanced -> North Bridge Configuration.

Enabling Memory Remap Feature in BIOS

You also need to enter the system configurator by pressing the "Windows" + "R" buttons on the keyboard and entering the "msconfig" command in the window that opens.

The combination of buttons "Win" + "R" on the keyboard

Open the system configurator with the msconfig command

In the window that opens, go to the "Download" tab -> "Advanced options".

RAM is used for temporary storage of data necessary for the operation of the operating system and all programs. There should be enough RAM, if it is not enough, then the computer starts to slow down.

A board with memory chips is called a memory module (or strip). Memory for a laptop, except for the size of the strips, does not differ in any way from memory for a computer, so when choosing, follow the same recommendations.

For an office computer, one 4 GB DDR4 strip with a frequency of 2400 or 2666 MHz is enough (it costs almost the same).
RAM Crucial CT4G4DFS824A

For a multimedia computer (movies, simple games), it is better to take two DDR4 strips with a frequency of 2666 MHz, 4 GB each, then the memory will work in a faster dual-channel mode.
Ballistix RAM BLS2C4G4D240FSB

For a mid-range gaming computer, you can take one 8 GB DDR4 strip with a frequency of 2666 MHz so that in the future you can add another and better if it is a simpler running model.
RAM Crucial CT8G4DFS824A

And for a powerful gaming or professional PC, you need to immediately take a set of 2 DDR4 8 GB strips, while a frequency of 2666 MHz will be quite enough.

2. How much memory is needed

For an office computer designed for working with documents and accessing the Internet, one 4 GB memory strip is enough with a head.

For a multimedia computer that can be used to watch videos in high quality and undemanding games, 8 GB of memory is quite enough.

For a mid-range gaming computer, the minimum option is 8 GB of RAM.

A powerful gaming or professional computer requires 16GB of memory.

More memory may be needed only for very demanding professional programs and is not needed by ordinary users.

Memory for old PCs

If you decide to increase the amount of memory on your old computer, please note that 32-bit versions of Windows do not support more than 3 GB of RAM. That is, if you install 4 GB of RAM, then the operating system will see and use only 3 GB.

As for 64-bit versions of Windows, they will be able to use all the installed memory, but if you have an old computer or have an old printer, then they may not have drivers for these operating systems. In this case, before purchasing memory, install a 64-bit version of Windows and check if everything works for you. I also recommend that you look at the motherboard manufacturer's website and see how many modules and the total amount of memory it supports.

Note also that 64-bit operating systems consume 2 times more memory, for example, Windows 7 x64 takes about 800 MB for its needs. Therefore, 2 GB of memory for such a system will not be enough, preferably at least 4 GB.

Practice shows that modern Windows 7,8,10 operating systems are fully disclosed with 8 GB of memory. The system becomes more responsive, programs open faster, and jerks (freezes) disappear in games.

3. Types of memory

Modern memory is of the DDR SDRAM type and is constantly being improved. So DDR and DDR2 memory is already obsolete and can only be used on older computers. DDR3 memory is no longer advisable to use on new PCs, it was replaced by the faster and more promising DDR4.

Please note that the selected memory type must be supported by the processor and motherboard.

Also, new processors, for compatibility reasons, can support DDR3L memory, which differs from the usual DDR3 in a reduced voltage from 1.5 to 1.35 V. Such processors can work with ordinary DDR3 memory if you already have it, but the processor manufacturers do not recommend this from - due to the increased degradation of memory controllers designed for DDR4 with an even lower voltage of 1.2 V.

Memory type for old PCs

Legacy DDR2 memory costs several times more than more modern memory. A 2 GB DDR2 strip costs 2 times more, and a 4 GB DDR2 strip is 4 times more expensive than a DDR3 or DDR4 strip of the same size.

Therefore, if you want to significantly increase the memory on an old computer, then perhaps a better option would be to switch to a more modern platform with a replacement motherboard and, if necessary, a processor that will support DDR4 memory.

Calculate how much it will cost you, perhaps a profitable solution would be to sell an old motherboard with old memory and purchase new, albeit not the most expensive, but more modern components.

The motherboard connectors for installing memory are called slots.

Each type of memory (DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4) has its own slot. DDR3 memory can only be installed in a motherboard with DDR3 slots, DDR4 with DDR4 slots. Motherboards supporting the old DDR2 memory are no longer manufactured.

5. Memory characteristics

The main characteristics of memory, on which its performance depends, are frequency and timings. Memory speed does not affect the overall performance of a computer as much as a processor does. However, you can often get faster memory for a fraction of the cost. Fast memory is needed primarily for powerful professional computers.

5.1. Memory frequency

Frequency has the greatest impact on memory speed. But before buying it, you need to make sure that the processor and motherboard also support the required frequency. Otherwise, the real memory frequency will be lower and you will simply overpay for something that will not be used.

Inexpensive motherboards support a lower maximum memory frequency, for example, for DDR4 it is 2400 MHz. Mid-range and high-end motherboards can support higher frequency memory (3400-3600 MHz).

But with processors, the situation is different. Older processors that support DDR3 memory can support memory with a maximum frequency of 1333, 1600, or 1866 MHz (depending on model). For modern processors with support for DDR4 memory, the maximum supported memory frequency can be 2400 MHz or higher.

Intel 6th Gen processors and above and AMD Ryzen processors support DDR4 2400 MHz or above. At the same time, their lineup includes not only powerful expensive processors, but also processors of the middle and budget class. Thus, you can build a computer on the most modern platform with an inexpensive processor and DDR4 memory, and in the future, change the processor and get the highest performance.

The main memory for today is DDR4 2400 MHz, which is supported by the most modern processors, motherboards and costs the same as DDR4 2133 MHz. Therefore, it makes no sense to purchase DDR4 memory with a frequency of 2133 MHz today.

What memory frequency is supported by a particular processor can be found on the manufacturers' websites:

By model number or serial number, it is very easy to find all the characteristics of any processor on the site:

Or just enter your model number in a Google or Yandex search engine (for example, "Ryzen 7 1800X").

5.2. High frequency memory

Now I want to touch upon another interesting point. On sale you can find RAM of a much higher frequency than any modern processor (3000-3600 MHz and higher) supports. Accordingly, many users are wondering how can this be?

It's all about the technology developed by Intel, eXtreme Memory Profile (XMP). XMP allows memory to run at a higher frequency than the processor officially supports. XMP must be supported by both the memory itself and the motherboard. Memory with a high frequency simply cannot exist without the support of this technology, but not all motherboards can boast of its support. Basically, these are more expensive models above the middle class.

The essence of XMP technology is that the motherboard automatically increases the frequency of the memory bus, so that the memory starts working at its higher frequency.

AMD has a similar technology called AMD Memory Profile (AMP) that was supported by older motherboards for AMD processors. These motherboards usually supported XMP modules as well.

It makes sense to purchase more expensive memory with a very high frequency and a motherboard with XMP support for very powerful professional computers equipped with a top processor. In a middle-class computer, this will be wasted money, since everything rests on the performance of other components.

In games, the memory frequency has little effect and there is no point in overpaying, it will be enough to take it at 2400 MHz, or at 2666 MHz if the price difference is small.

For professional applications, you can take a memory with a higher frequency - 2666 MHz, or if you want and allow the funds at 3000 MHz. The difference in performance here is greater than in games, but not dramatic, so it makes little sense to drive with the memory frequency.

Let me remind you again that your motherboard must support the memory of the required frequency. In addition, sometimes Intel processors start to work unstable at memory frequencies above 3000 MHz, while Ryzen has this limit around 2900 MHz.

Timings are called delays between read / write / copy operations of data in RAM. Accordingly, the less these delays, the better. But timings have a much smaller impact on memory speed than memory frequency.

There are only 4 main timings, which are indicated in the characteristics of memory modules.

Of these, the most important is the first digit, which is called latency (CL).

Typical latency for 1333 MHz DDR3 memory is CL 9, for higher frequency DDR3 memory CL 11.

Typical latency for DDR4 2133MHz memory is CL 15, for higher frequency DDR4 memory CL 16.

You should not buy memory with a latency higher than the indicated one, as this indicates an overall low level of its technical characteristics.

Usually, memory with lower timings is more expensive, but if the difference in price is not significant, then memory with lower latency should be preferred.

5.4. Supply voltage

The memory can have different supply voltages. It can be either standard (generally accepted for a certain type of memory), and increased (for enthusiasts), or vice versa, lowered.

This is especially important if you want to add memory to your computer or laptop. In this case, the tension of the new strips should be the same as that of the existing ones. Otherwise, problems are possible, since most motherboards cannot set different voltages for different modules.

If the voltage is set at a bar with a lower voltage, then the others may not have enough power and the system will not work stably. If the voltage is set at a bar with a higher voltage, then the memory designed for a lower voltage may fail.

If you are assembling a new computer, then this is not so important, but in order to avoid possible compatibility problems with the motherboard and replacement or expansion of memory in the future, it is better to choose brackets with a standard supply voltage.

The memory, depending on the type, has the following standard supply voltages:

• DDR - 2.5V
• DDR2 - 1.8V
• DDR3 - 1.5V
• DDR3L - 1.35V
• DDR4 - 1.2V

I think you noticed that there is DDR3L memory on the list. This is not a new type of memory, but ordinary DDR3, but with a reduced supply voltage (Low). This is the kind of memory required for 6th Gen and higher Intel processors that support both DDR4 and DDR3 memory. But in this case, it is better to build the system on new DDR4 memory.

6. Marking of memory modules

Memory modules are labeled according to the type of memory and its frequency. DDR memory modules are labeled with PC followed by a number indicating generation and speed in megabytes per second (Mb / s).

This marking is inconvenient to navigate, it is enough to know the type of memory (DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4), its frequency and latency. But sometimes, for example, on ad sites, you can see the markings rewritten from the bar. Therefore, so that you can navigate in this case, I will give the marking in the classic form, indicating the type of memory, its frequency and typical latency.

DDR - Obsolete

• PC-2100 (DDR 266 MHz) - CL 2.5
• PC-2700 (DDR 333 MHz) - CL 2.5
• PC-3200 (DDR 400 MHz) - CL 2.5

DDR2 - obsolete

• PC2-4200 (DDR2 533 MHz) - CL 5
• PC2-5300 (DDR2 667 MHz) - CL 5
• PC2-6400 (DDR2 800 MHz) - CL 5
• PC2-8500 (DDR2 1066 MHz) - CL 5

DDR3 - Obsolete

• PC3-10600 (DDR3 1333 MHz) - CL 9
• PC3-12800 (DDR3 1600 MHz) - CL 11
• PC3-14400 (DDR3 1866 MHz) - CL 11
• PC3-16000 (DDR3 2000 MHz) - CL 11

• PC4-17000 (DDR4 2133 MHz) - CL 15
• PC4-19200 (DDR4 2400 MHz) - CL 16
• PC4-21300 (DDR4 2666 MHz) - CL 16
• PC4-24000 (DDR4 3000 MHz) - CL 16
• PC4-25600 (DDR4 3200 MHz) - CL 16

DDR3 and DDR4 memory can be at a higher frequency, but only top-end processors and more expensive motherboards can work with it.

7. Design of memory modules

Memory strips can be single-sided, double-sided, with or without heatsinks.

7.1. Chip placement

Chips on memory modules can be placed on one side of the board (single-sided) and on both sides (double-sided).

It doesn't matter if you are purchasing memory for a new computer. If you want to add memory to an old PC, then it is desirable that the location of the chips on the new strip is the same as on the old one. This will help avoid compatibility issues and increase the likelihood of memory working in dual channel mode, which we will talk about later in this article.

Now on sale you can find many memory modules with aluminum heatsinks of various colors and shapes.

The presence of heatsinks can be justified on DDR3 memory with a high frequency (1866 MHz and more), since it gets hotter. At the same time, ventilation must be well organized in the case.

Modern DDR4 RAM with a frequency of 2400, 2666 MHz practically does not heat up and the radiators on it will be purely decorative. They can even get in the way, as after a while they become clogged with dust, which is difficult to clean out of them. In addition, the cost of such memory will be somewhat more expensive. So, if you want, you can save on this, for example, by taking Crucial's excellent 2400 MHz memory without heatsinks.

The memory with a frequency of 3000 MHz and more has an increased supply voltage, but it also does not heat up very much and in any case there will be radiators on it.

8. Memory for laptops

Notebook memory differs from desktop memory only in the size of the memory module and is marked with SO-DIMM DDR. As well as for stationary computers, memory for laptops has the types DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR3L, DDR4.

In terms of frequency, timings and supply voltage, memory for laptops does not differ from memory for computers. But laptops are only equipped with 1 or 2 memory slots and have stricter maximum capacity limits. Be sure to check these parameters before choosing memory for a specific laptop model.

9. Modes of memory operation

The memory can operate in Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel or Quad Channel.

In single-channel mode, data is written sequentially to each module. In multichannel modes, data recording occurs in parallel to all modules, which leads to a significant increase in the speed of the memory subsystem.

Only hopelessly outdated motherboards with DDR memory and the first models with DDR2 are limited to single-channel memory operation.

All modern motherboards support dual-channel memory operation, while three-channel and four-channel modes are supported only by a few single models of very expensive motherboards.

The main condition for the two-channel mode to work is the presence of 2 or 4 memory strips. For a three-channel mode, 3 or 6 memory strips are required, and for a four-channel mode, 4 or 8 strips.

It is desirable that all memory modules are the same. Otherwise, dual channel operation is not guaranteed.

If you want to add memory to an old computer and your motherboard supports dual-channel mode, try to choose the most identical bar in all respects. It is best to sell the old one and buy 2 new identical strips.

In modern computers, memory controllers have been moved from the motherboard to the processor. Now it is not so important that the memory modules are the same, since the processor in most cases will still be able to activate dual channel mode. This means that if in the future you want to add memory to a modern computer, then it will not be necessary to look for exactly the same module, it is enough to choose the most similar in characteristics. Still, I recommend that the memory modules are the same. This will give you the guarantee of its fast and stable operation.

With the transfer of memory controllers to the processor, 2 more modes of dual-channel memory operation appeared - Ganged (paired) and Unganged (unpaired). If the memory modules are the same, then the processor can work with them in Ganged mode, as before. If the modules differ in characteristics, the processor can activate the Unganged mode to eliminate distortions in working with memory. In general, the memory speed in these modes is practically the same and does not make any difference.

The only drawback of dual-channel mode is that multiple memory modules are more expensive than one of the same size. But if you are not very tightly constrained in funds, then buy 2 strips, the memory speed will be much higher.

If you need, say, 16 GB of RAM, but you cannot afford it yet, then you can purchase one 8 GB stick in order to add another one of the same in the future. But still, it is better to purchase two identical strips at once, since later you may not be able to find the same one and you will face a compatibility problem.

10. Manufacturers of memory modules

One of the best price / quality ratios today has the memory of the impeccably proven brand Crucial, which has modules from budget to gaming (Ballistix).

Along with it, the well-deserved popularity of the Corsair brand competes, the memory of which is somewhat more expensive.

As an inexpensive but high-quality alternative, I especially recommend the Polish brand Goodram, which has bars with low timings for a low price (Play line).

For an inexpensive office computer, a simple and reliable memory made by AMD or Transcend will suffice. They have proven themselves perfectly and there are practically no problems with them.

In general, the Korean companies Hynix and Samsung are considered the leaders in memory production. But now modules of these brands are mass-produced in cheap Chinese factories and there are a lot of fakes among them. Therefore, I do not recommend purchasing memory from these brands.

An exception may be Hynix Original and Samsung Original memory modules, which are manufactured in Korea. These strips are usually blue, their quality is considered better than the ones made in China, and the warranty on them is slightly higher. But in terms of speed characteristics, they are inferior to memory with lower timings of other high-quality brands.

Well, for enthusiasts and mod lovers there are available overclocking brands GeIL, G.Skill, Team. Their memory is distinguished by low timings, high overclocking potential, unusual appearance and is slightly cheaper than the promoted Corsair brand.

There is also a wide range of memory modules on sale from the very popular manufacturer Kingston. The memory sold under the budget Kingston brand has never been of high quality. But they do have a top-end HyperX series that is well-deservedly popular, which can be recommended for purchase, but it is often overpriced.

11. Packing memory

It is better to purchase memory individually wrapped.

It is usually of a higher quality and is much less likely to be damaged in transit than memory that is shipped out of the box.

12. Increase memory

If you are planning to add memory to your existing computer or laptop, then first find out what the maximum amount of brackets and the total amount of memory your motherboard or laptop can support.

Also check how many memory slots are on the motherboard or laptop, how many of them are occupied, and what brackets are installed in them. Better to do it visually. Open the case, take out the memory sticks, examine them and rewrite all the specifications (or take a photo).

If for some reason you do not want to go into the case, then you can see the memory parameters in the program on the SPD tab. Thus, you will not recognize a one-sided strip or a double-sided one, but you can find out the characteristics of the memory if there is no sticker on the strip.

There is a base and effective memory frequency. The CPU-Z program and many similar ones show the base frequency, it needs to be multiplied by 2.

After you know how much memory you can increase, how many free slots and what memory you have installed, you can start exploring the possibilities for increasing memory.

If all the memory slots are occupied, then the only way to increase the memory is to replace the existing strips with new, larger ones. And the old planks can be sold on the ad site or handed over for exchange to a computer store when buying new ones.

If there are free slots, then you can add new ones to the existing memory strips. In this case, it is desirable that the new strips are as close as possible in terms of the characteristics already established. In this case, you can avoid various compatibility issues and increase the chances that the memory will operate in dual channel mode. To do this, the following conditions must be met, in order of importance.

1. The memory type must match (DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR3L, DDR4).
2. The supply voltage of all strips must be the same.
3. All planks must be single-sided or double-sided.
4. The frequency of all bars must be the same.
5. All strips must be of the same size (for two-channel mode).
6. The number of strips must be even: 2, 4 (for two-channel mode).
7. It is desirable to match the latency (CL).
8. It is desirable that the slats are from the same manufacturer.

The easiest way to start your selection is with the manufacturer. Choose in the catalog of the online store the trims of the same manufacturer, volume and frequency as you have installed. Make sure the supply voltage is the same and check with your consultant if they are one-way or two-way. If the latency still matches, then it's generally good.

If you did not manage to find strips of the same manufacturer that are similar in characteristics, then choose all the others from the list of recommended ones. Then again look for the bars of the required volume and frequency, check the supply voltage and specify whether they are one-sided or two-sided. If you are unable to find similar trims, then look in another store, catalog or classifieds site.

Always the best option is to sell all the old memory and buy 2 new identical strips. If the motherboard does not support the required amount of strips, you may need to buy 4 of the same strips.

13. Setting up filters in the online store

1. Go to the "RAM" section on the seller's website.
2. Select recommended manufacturers.
3. Select the form factor (DIMM for PC, SO-DIMM for laptop).
4. Select the type of memory (DDR3, DDR3L, DDR4).
5. Select the required amount of strips (2, 4, 8 GB).
6. Select the maximum frequency supported by the processor (1600, 1866, 2133, 2400 MHz).
7. If your motherboard supports XMP, add higher frequency memory (2666, 3000 MHz) to the sample.
8. Sort the sample by price.
9. View all positions one by one, starting with the cheaper ones.
10. Choose several planks that are suitable for the frequency.
11. If the difference in price is acceptable for you, take the bars with higher frequency and lower latency (CL).

Thus, you will get the memory that is optimal in terms of price / quality / speed ratio at the lowest possible cost.

14. Links

RAM Corsair CMK16GX4M2A2400C16
RAM Corsair CMK8GX4M2A2400C16
RAM Crucial CT2K4G4DFS824A

Greetings to all readers of this mini-review, I want to make a reservation right away that you will not see professional tests and overclocking potential here, for the simple reason that there are a lot of them on the Internet. Then you probably wonder, what is it all about? And rightly so, the purpose of the review is to find out if there is a performance gain when using 4 memory modules compared to 2 from the side of an ordinary user. On the Internet, you can find a lot of such information, but I decided to purchase additional memory modules due to the lack of current ones, and at the same time take measurements and compare with what I get and, as a result, share my personal results with the public.

Appearance, installation

And so let's go! As you noted above, I already had RAM and did not have enough of it. What do you think I had? All right, corsairs! And to be precise, two Corsair XMS3 4Gb 1600 CL9, respectively, without thinking for a long time I go to the DNS directory and start looking for similar modules. I didn't have to search for a long time, tk. this time, kits from two modules were available at once (when I took my first dies, the kits were not available and I had to snatch them separately from different parts of the city), for those who do not know, I will say that buying a kit at a price is more profitable than buying them separately.

And then I ran into the first obstacle ... There were 2 "identical" sets, the first thing that caught my eye was the difference in price ~ 500r, but looking closely I noticed that the letters differ in the markings (as it turned out later, it was revised), namely: CMX8GX3M2A 1600C9 and CMX8GX3M2B 1600C9. What is the difference between these modules? Google told me that revision "A" dies are earlier and operate at a voltage of "1.65V", and revision "B" dies operate at "1.5V". Having found out that I have revision "A" dies, there was no choice left (in order to avoid conflicts and problems) and I had to buy the CMX8GX3M2A1600C9 kit, which cost more than revision "B".

For the sake of completeness, I will add a few photos taken with a soap dish that was at hand.

Packaging appearance

External view of memory modules

View of the system unit with old modules and free slots for new ones

And as you probably already noticed, here I ran into the second and perhaps the most difficult problem of all. That's right, the cooling of the ZALMAN CNPS 12X processor blocked the leftmost slot and the cooling system had to be dismantled to install the module in its original place. But nothing, at the same time I updated the thermal paste on the processor.

Dismantled cooling system

Installed modules

Assembled and running system (it is surprising that in the photo the cooler "does not seem to work" I am amazed at my soap dish)

Game tests

And so the installation process is over, now let's move on directly to the performance measurements.
The computer on which the measurements were taken consists of the following main components:

Intel Core I7 2600K 4.4GHz Processor
Mat. Asus P8P67 Rev 3.1 board
Asus GTX660TI DC2 TOP graphics card

First, let's see how the installation of additional modules affected the loading time of various games and the operating system itself:

As you can see from the table, the installation of four modules gave us an average head start of 2 seconds, but as they say, there can be no flaws, and in this regard Counter-Strike Global Offensive and War Thunder excelled - the first one accelerated by as much as 4 seconds, and the last one additional modules did not affect the download speed.
Time measurements in games were made using the utility for capturing game video PlayClaw 5; OS boot time can be viewed in Windows reports.

Now let's move on to another indicator as FPS (frames per second), I just want to make a reservation that all measurements were carried out at a resolution of 1920 × 1080 with disabled vertical sync:

Well, here you can't do without sin, for some reason the built-in CS GO benchmark does not show the minimum FPS parameter, and the War Thunder benchmark, on the contrary, is the maximum. So I had to leave it as it is.
As we can see from the FPS indicators, the addition of two modules, in principle, has a positive effect on the minimum FPS. The minimum FPS can only be seen in War Thunder and Battlefield 3, and the difference was 5 FPS in both cases. If you look at the average FPS, then the increase was 4 frames in Battlefield 3 and 5 frames in Counter-Strike Global Offensive, but for reasons I don't understand, the average FPS in War Thunder was killed by exactly 1 (I even restarted the benchmark 3 times and all the time it gave the same numbers).
Unfortunately, these are all the games that are currently installed on my computer, so it was not possible to take measurements in other games (I wanted to quickly finish collecting information and get to work).

Synthetic tests

And finally, a little information for gourmets, namely synthetic indicators before and after.


AIDA64 2x4Gb


AIDA64 4x4Gb




Sisoftware sandra

conclusions

I repeat that I bought RAM due to lack of 8GB, and not to increase FPS in games or load time. Actually, the goal was achieved - the amount of RAM was increased, but along the way, measurements were made in games and therefore, based on this, I will draw a conclusion: If your goal is to increase the minimum average FPS in games, as well as speed up loading times, then adding additional modules (four instead of two) will help you with this.... It's up to you to decide if those 5 FPS and a couple of seconds are worth the money.

And now a little revelation, the amount of RAM has been increased due to the need to use such a thing as RamDisk - it turns your RAM into a hard drive on which you can install applications or store various data (in my case, this is a database). The speed of such a disk is colossal, here are my measurements for reading speed:
512 mbps Intel SSD 520 120Gb; 244 mbps RAID0 2xWD Caviar Black 250Gb Raid Edition 3 (on a separate controller); 178 mbps WD Caviar Green 1Tb; 10.4GB RamDisk.

Thank you all for your attention.

Korea's SK Hynix today announced the release of the world's first 128 gigabyte DDR4 memory module, which is double the previously presented product samples. The new module is also the most densely packed module in the world. It is based on 8 Gigabit DDR3 chips created using a 20nm process.

The new module has a bandwidth of 17 Gbps and operates at a frequency of 2133 MHz on a 64-bit I / O interface. In addition, it consumes only 1.2 W, compared to 1.35 W for the current DDR3 modules.

Obviously, the new SK Hynix development, when it appears on the market (and the manufacturer did not specify the date), will be a very expensive and niche product for professionals who require very large amounts of RAM with high access speed - these are in-memory products, solutions for editing large volumes graphics and video, etc. It is also obvious that 8, 16 and 32 gigabyte modules will be mainstream for a long time. There are no motherboards on the market right now that support 128GB per memory slot.

SK Hynix says the new memory module is primarily server-oriented and is intended for ultra-dense servers with severe performance and cost-effectiveness requirements.

Intel sources say the chipmaker will provide support for the promising DDR4 memory format in fall 2014. The new DDR4 format has been in development for about five years and offers faster data transfer rates with lower power consumption. Also, the entry of this format to the market means a gradual decommissioning of the DDR3 memory format, which is now considered mainstream.

The adoption of DDR4 by manufacturers of processors, memory modules and motherboards is the first step towards the practical development of this format in the market. Intel says it will provide DDR4 support first in a new generation of Xeon Grantley chips, which will be based on the Haswell microarchitecture and will be released by the third quarter of this year.

At the same time, sources in the corporation say that it will take another year or a year and a half until DDR4 becomes the de facto standard in PCs and laptops. Lenovo also announced today that it is preparing Xeon Grantley-based servers in the third quarter of 2014.

Recall that the first DDR4 modules with gaming motherboards were shown at the Intel Developer Forum back in September 2013, while Intel said that in the future the company's gaming processors will definitely support DDR4, although there is no exact date for this yet. The company also says that DDR4 support for laptops promises longer battery life for the latter. By standards, DDR4 offers 50% more bandwidth and 35% more power savings than DDR3.