What is the difference between a 3200mhz and 3600mhz RAM? In this article, we will discuss the difference between the two and the features and functions of RAM. First, let’s discuss what RAM is and why we need it.
RAM is a primary memory or temporary storage on your computer that is used for storing data. It stands for Random Access Memory and is stored on the motherboard. In order for a data or program to run on a computer, it needs to be loaded into RAM first. So, the data or program is first stored on the hard drive and then from the hard drive, it’s loaded into RAM, after which the CPU can now access the data or run the program.
A lot of times, if the memory on RAM is too low it might not be able to hold all the data that the CPU needs. When this happens some other data has to be kept on the slower hard drive to compensate for the low memory. Now, instead of the data going back to the CPU from the RAM, It does the extra work of going back to the hard drive. All of this slows down the computer.
To solve this problem, all you need to do is to increase the RAM on your computer. Increasing the RAM memory makes more data load into the faster RAM without the need to repeatedly access the slower hard drive. Because of this, the result is a faster-performing computer. This is the reason why a computer with more RAM performs faster than a computer with less RAM.
If you want a seamless gaming experience, demanding software for work or if you want to be able to multitask without buffering, then you should consider DDR4 technology.
All about DDR4
The first generation of DDR4 (double data rate fourth generation) SDRAM was released to the public in Q2 2014. DDR4 memory is the latest generation of memory and compared with older generations it offers many benefits such as lower latencies, higher speeds etc. DDR4 speeds include DDR4 2400, DDR4 2666, DDR4 2933, DDR4 3000, DDR4 3200, DDR4 3600, DDR4 4000 and DDR4 4400.
DDR4 2400 runs at a speed of about 19200 MB/s, while the earliest one, DDR4 4400 runs at a speed of about 35200 MB/s. Let’s focus on DDR4 3200 MHz and DDR4 3600 MHz to discover the differences between them.
DDR4 3200 RAM is considered the baseline reference RAM and the standard speed that all latest PCs can support and runs at 25600 MB/s. The DDR4 3600 is faster than the 3200 and runs at 28800 MB/s. Its modules refresh 400MHz faster than the 3200. The difference in terms of benefit for speed really depends on what computer you are using it for. The 3600 is more expensive than the 3200 and faster but the 3200 is cheaper but slower.
However, it’s not all about price and speed. CAS latency is a feature of RAM that should be considered. It indicates the shortest amount of clock cycles needed for RAM to serve data after a request has been made from the CPU. Lower latencies achieve better performance. The CAS Latency for DDR4 3200 ranges from 14-16, while DDR4 3600 is between 15-19. Because this overlaps at some points, we need to discuss other features in order to create a distinction.
Another important feature is the RAM speed. This tells us how much time it will take for RAM to process a request from the CPU. It is measured in megahertz (MHz). DDR4 3200 has a RAM speed of 3.2 billion cycles per second while the DDR4 3600 has a RAM speed of 3.6 billion cycles per second. The faster the RAM speeds the faster the processor receives data.
RAM size also matters more than speed. Memory size is shown in gigabytes (GB) and it determines how much data the RAM can store. The recommended size is usually 16GB, but to be safe 32GB is better if you use your PC for multiple tasks. With this in mind, both of them can have the same capacity because they can store up to 64GB of data.
In terms of power voltage, both DDR4 3200 and 3600 run on 1.2V to 1.4V, so you will not have to worry about electricity consumption. They are both power efficient compared to previous generations. Your system will utilize less power yet achieve faster RAM speeds.