Choosing the Best RAM Upgrade Option
Choosing the best RAM upgrade is usually easy once you have answered the question of "How much memory do I need?".
Sometimes though, there may be multiple brand and capacity options displayed on our website for your particular system.
Following are some frequently asked questions on this topic:
I've figured out which module(s) I need, but there is more than one brand available (e.g. Crucial, Samsung). Which is
better?
All RAM on our website has a lifetime warranty. Does not matter what brand it is, it is guaranteed to be A Grade. RAM
prices fluctuate, sometimes some brands are temporarily cheaper than others.
There are multiple sizes of modules - which should I buy?
Generally you should buy the largest size module that fits your budget.
My system has a different speed module(s) to the one you recommend. Will it still work?
You should match the speeds of the existing modules.
Do I need to install the memory in pairs?
In DDR3, DDR4 and DDR5 capable systems, installing memory in pairs of the same size and speed, although often
recommended, is usually not necessary. Installing modules in like pairs enables a feature called dual channel model
which theoretically doubles the maximum data transfer rate between the memory bus and the memory modules.
However, in testing done by Tom's Hardware the real-world performance improvement between single and dual channel
configurations was 5% at best. If the choice is between more RAM or RAM in pairs, we would choose more RAM everytime.