Our Good Gaming Computer Component series is nearing an end. However, we still have a few more parts to talk about.
Today, we?re going to talk about another crucial component that will play a huge role in your new system?s ability to operate efficiently. That component is your memory, or RAM.
RAM, or Random Access Memory, is the temporary storage device your gaming computer processor uses to make certain calculations. It?s the place your processor goes to do its work.
Yes, that?s correct? despite the fact that your PC game is stored on your hard drive, your CPU still has to go to your RAM to do the calculations necessary to making your game work properly. And, the faster your CPU can receive the information it has just worked out on your RAM, the faster your game will go.
So, you?need to take your time when selecting memory for your computer. Not only will your RAM need to be quick enough to send and receive information from your CPU, but you will also have to make sure that you get?enough?RAM to handle all of your needs.
Fortunately, we here at Elite Gaming Computers are going to cover all of that in this guide and by the end, you will know how to choose the best memory for your good gaming computer.
Each RAM module has millions of tiny cells inside of it. These cells are the homes to single bytes of computer-specific information or data. For instance, 1 GB of RAM is the equivalent of 1,000,000,000 cells.
One billion cells! Surely that will be enough to cover all of my needs!
Not quite?
The single byte that each cell can hold isn?t exactly a whole lot of information. In fact, just one digit (a letter, or a number) takes up an entire cell. And, if we consider how much data and information goes into a single computer, we can begin to see how one billion cells can fill up pretty quickly.
For gaming computers, you will generally need at least 4 GB of RAM. However, we recommend you up the ante a little bit and get 8 GB.
For just $20 more, you will ensure that you never, EVER run out of memory.
If you will also be doing a lot of video editing, you will probably want to consider getting 16 GB. However, that much is not necessary for gaming.
What happens if you don?t have enough memory?
All hell freezes over?
(Metaphorically, of course)
When your computer fills up all of its available memory, it starts sending data and information to your hard drive?also known as hard drive paging. This is a problem, because it takes the CPU a lot longer (in computer terms) to transfer data to-and-from the hard drive, than it does to-and-from the RAM.
The following is a list of some pretty horrible things that can happen when your computer starts hard drive paging:
- Computer lockups and freezes (sometimes the temporary kind, sometimes the kind where you have to reboot?)
- Crappy graphics
- Extremely low FPS (less than 10)
- Lag
- Game won?t start up
As you can see, these problems are the very kind of issues that likely brought you to building your own gaming computer in the first place. So we recommend that you do the smart thing and get enough RAM for your new PC.
(Even if you?re building a budget gaming computer, you should be able to afford an adequate amount of memory.)
The faster your RAM communicates with your processor, the better.
Another important aspect of your RAM, is the speed in which it communicated with your CPU. Most processors communicate with your memory through the Front Side Bus. And, the faster that the processor is able to communicate with the memory, the faster your PC game will operate.
Nowadays, DDR3 (Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory?whew!) is the norm. DDR technology allows your memory to send two data items per clock cycle. DDR2 and DDR3 refer to how quickly your memory can send those two items.
So, basically, DDR3 is the kind of memory you should be looking for.
Aside from the amount of RAM you need and the speed in which it sends data to your processor, there are some other things you should be aware of when buying memory for your computer.
At Elite Gaming Computers, we live and die by our Elite-3 computer component buying method. Basically, we use the three following rules when choosing components:
- Read consumer reviews about the computer component you are considering.
- Read reviews by reputable publications like popular tech websites and magazines.
- Purchase your components from trusted manufacturers.
If a component passes all three of these tests, then you know you can rely on it to do a good job in your build.
The same is true for the memory you put inside your gaming PC.
The following is a list of manufacturers who we trust when we buy RAM for our gaming computer builds:
- Kingston
- Crucial
- Corsair
- G.SKill
All of these manufacturers have produced quality memory sticks for years and can be relied upon to deliver a quality product.
And, remember, there is no such thing as?too much RAM. As previously mentioned, we recommend at least 4 GB? but 8 GB would be a lot better. (And 16+ would be great in case you are stocking up for the Zombie Apocalypse?which is almost assuredly coming.)
Now that you have a good idea of what to look for when choosing memory for your good gaming computer, you should feel extremely confident that you will come away with a quality product.
And, remember, the difference between having enough RAM and not enough RAM is too detrimental to your new computer to chance cutting your memory short. So, skip all of that unnecessary frustration and get enough memory now.
For more information on how to build your own gaming computer, feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have. We?re always here to help!
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