Random Access Memory, or RAM, is basically used as the processing power of your device. It helps computers run faster by allowing for more processing power to be used concurrently. A 4GB RAM is standard, but 8GB of RAM will definitely be faster. Go into any Microsoft Store, or Apple Store, and one of the most common questions a customer will ask, is what is RAM necessary for?
Photo rendering, animation rendering, video rendering, music software, gaming, and program multitasking are all reasons why someone would want more RAM than less RAM. With a market that has many choices of RAM to choose from, it can be difficult to sift through which RAM is actually the best given your circumstances.
How We Decided On The DDR3 RAM Quality: A Buyer’s Guide
Deciding which DDR3 RAM you need can be challenging on your own. You will have to install the DDR3 RAM in your computer. You will need to make sure your hardware is DDR3 compliant, or the RAM simply will not connect. You also need to be aware of how much power you need.
We decide DDR3 RAM quality based on the following factors are how we choose DDR3 RAM decide DDR3 RAM quality by looking
- Storage/Capacity
- Ease of Installation
- Price
Storage/Capacity
Storage is one of the most important factors we pay attention to when deciding which RAM is acceptable, and which is not. Top RAM devices provide a considerable amount of RAM 8GB to 16GB, and remain affordable.
RAM with a large amount of storage space, should also be easily compatible with various motherboards. RAM that has excellent capacity, but that is reported as having a hard to match clock rate, will not be mentioned.
Memory Transfer Rate
It is important that you understand the memory transfer rate of the RAM device you are purchasing. Not knowing the clock rate of the device can lead to situations where the DDR3 RAM you purchase is incompatible with
You need to check your motherboard to understand what DDR support it has. For example, say you have a piece of RAM that is DDR3 1344. If you use that RAM on a motherboard that can accept a max of 1200 memory transfer rate, you won’t be getting all of the speed out of your device. On the other hand, if you use a DDR3 device that has 1550 memory transfer rate, then that DDR 3 RAM won’t be able to keep up with the speed of the motherboard.
You want to align the memory transfer rate your DDR3 RAM has with your motherboard. We will be displaying DDR3 RAM with a variety of memory transfer rate standards.
What most people should look out for is the difference between regular speed (SPD) and rated speed. SPD is the speed that your RAM actually runs at. Rated speed is obtained by overclocking your RAM in order to pull out more power from the device. Some RAM is easier to overclock than other RAM devices.
Price
One of the last factors that help us decide whether or not a DDR3 RAM is on the top, is how much it costs. You would be surprised at the number of average DDR3 devices that are sold at a higher price because consumers do not know what they are buying.
DDR3 as a standard has been around since 2007. For that reason, prices have reached more of a stable ground, with an identifiable average. Thankfully PC Part Picker, an excellent resource for building your own PC, has estimates for many of the version of DDR3 RAM you can purchase. For example, between 2017 and 2018, the average price for a DDR3 1333 Mhz 240-pin RAM stick was a little under $100. is
5 Best DDR3 RAM
- Superior overclockability through careful screening
- Optimized for Compatibility with the Latest CPUs and Motherboards
The Corsair Vengeance comes in both a black variant and a blue variant. With the purchase of this RAM stick, you will receive two RAM sticks that each come with 8 GB of RAM. This RAM runs at a clock rate of around 1600 MHz making it compatible with most PCs.
In terms of clock speed, the Corsair Vengeance should be compatible with most motherboards. Out of the box its regular speed is 1333 Mhz, while its rated speed is 1600. How do you get to a rated speed? Well, you have to overclock the RAM device.
The Corsair Vengenace is easily overclockable, meaning you can get a bit more extra power out of the RAM stick if you use the right hardware. This RAM stick also supports XMP Memory Profile. You can use XMP Memory Profile is used to get optimized overclocking performance. The XMP Memory Profile automatically allows for overclocking without the need for the user to edit their BIOS settings.
Depending on when you purchase it, you may be able to find this RAM Stick for as low as $119. You can either purchase the RAM by itself, or you can purchase it with expert installation. Expert installation is an additional $82.09. It includes an in-home removal of previous RAM, installation of new RAM, and the installation and testing of drivers necessary to use the RAM. Corsair also offers a limited life time warranty on the Corsair Vengeance.
The Corsair Vengenace receives a score of 5 out of 5 for excellent support, ease of installation, and how simple it is to overclock.
- Capacity: 16GB (2 x 8GB) Kit
- DIMM Type: 240-Pin NON-ECC UDIMM
The Patriot Viper III is 2 8GB DDR3 RAM sticks that when combined give the buyer 16GB of RAM. The RAM has a rated speed of 1600 Mhz. It uses a 240-pin connection that is NON-ECC. Being NON-ECC means that this RAM does not take up the 2% of speed from PC performance for error checking.
An additional bonus for purchasing the Patriot Viper III, is the added heatsink the RAM comes with it. The heatsink helps even out the airflow to the RAM, and prevent the RAM from becoming overheated. You want to avoid overheating your RAM. It makes for an uncomfortable computing experience. Thankfully, the Patriot Viper provides an in-box solution to this problem.
The Patriot Viper III is compatible with Intel and AMD processors. It supports Intel 6, 7, and 8. It also supports AMD 9 and FM series processors. This stick of RAM is also compatible with XMP Memory Profile, so overclocking this RAM stick won’t be challenging.
You can decide to purchase the RAM by itself, or with expert installation for an additional $82.09. This stick of RAM is reviewed favorably on Amazon with an average rating of 4.5 stars.
We give the Patriot Viper a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. The additional heatsink adds great value to this RAM stick.
- Asymmetric heat spreader for stylish heat dissipation
- Easy to install Plug and Play functionality, Unique tested with all popular brands of motherboards
The Kingston HyperX FURY is a versatile RAM stick that can be purchased in many different configurations. The Kingston HyperX FURY can be customized at purchase with the following clock rates:
- DDR3 1333 MHz
- DDR3 1600 MHz
- DDR3 1600 MHz Low Voltage
- DDR3 1866 Mhz
- DDR3 1866 Mhz Low Voltage
The Kingston HyperX Fury can also be customized with the following storage:
- 4GB
- 8GB
- 8GB Kit (2 x 4GB)
- 16GB Kit (2 x 8GB)
It is clear that Kingston HyperX wants to offer each form of customer a variety in the RAM devices that they can choose. If you don’t have intense RAM needs, you could settle for the DDR3 1333 MHz version along with the 4GB of RAM. This is fine for moderate web browsing and running single processes.
If you are someone who needs additional power, then you can opt to get one of the RAMs that run at a higher clock rate, the DDR3 1866 Mhz. You could pair this clock rate speed with the 16 GB Kit to expand your computing possibilities.
The Kingston HyperX also comes with an asymmetric heat spreader that makes heat dissipation a simple task. Reviews of this product show that the heat spreader does in fact work. The heat dissipater works so well, that one commenter noted that they experienced no overheating from overclocking a DDR3 1866 variant.
You can purchase this same RAM on the high end, 16GB DDR3 1866, for $113.00 on Amazon. We recommend you choose the RAM type that will suit your computing needs. Amazon offers professional installations of this stick of RAM. Kingston also offers guaranteed technical support included with the product’s lifetime warranty.
We give the Kingston HyperX a rating of 5 out of 5 for the versatility that it offers potential RAM buyers.
- Improved performance for gamers, enthusiasts and mainstream users
- Integrated aluminum heat spreader
The Ballistix Sport DDR3 comes with multiple storage configurations. The following storage configurations are available for this RAM stick:
- 4GB
- 8GB
- 8GB (4GB x 2)
- 16GB (4GB x 4)
- 16GB (8GB x 2)
- 32GB (8GB x 4)
While all of Ballistix Sport’s configurations are excellent, we will be focusing on the Ballistix Sport DDR3 32 GB version. This is an excellent version for folks who game, or work with video. Your computer will be able to handle a variety of processes simultaneously while using this RAM stick. If you are someone who has simpler needs, the 8GB version should be more than enough to give you the performance that you need.
The Ballistix Sport comes with an integrated aluminum heat spreader that assists with keeping the RAM stick cool. Folks who purchase the 32gb version of the RAM stick will definitely appreciate the added heat spreaders. When you use more RAM, you are probably consuming more power, and you definitely want to keep your computer cool.
For the higher end, 32GB, version you will need to pay around $279.99. All of these configurations can be purchased with in home installation at an additional cost of $82.09.
We give the Ballistix Sport a rating of 5 out of 5 for including an excellent aluminum heat spreader.
- PC3-10600 (1333MHz) dual Data Rate
- Non-ECC Unbuffered 240-Pin 2 Rank Double-sided in-line memory module
If you are looking for a no-frills simple stick of RAM, then the Patriot Signature DDR3 is your best bet. This RAM stick is unbuffered and is NON-ECC. This means that you save on performance power because the RAM device is not taking on operations it does not need to.
This stick of RAM has a power requirement of 1.5V. It has been tested and is RoHS compliant and JEDEC compliant. RoHS is the Restriction of Hazardous Substances. Being RoHS compliant means that this RAM stick is not considered hazardous waste and can be recycled when you no longer want to use it. JEDEC is a memory standard that basically confirms that this RAM device has been tested properly and is compliant.
The main benefit of the Patriot Signature DDR3 RAM is how cheap it is. You can decide to purchase expert installation for $82.09, but we find that this RAM device should be simple to install. There is an additional lifetime warranty provided that ensures the quality of this stick of RAM.
The Patriot Signature RAM receives a score of 5 out of 5 for its simplicity and price point. If you are looking for a simple stick of RAM for an older computer, then this RAM is an excellent option.
Comparison Table
The Best DDR3 RAM Is Up To You
At the end of the day, the best DDR3 RAM on the market is going to be the RAM that allows you the processing power you need to run whatever processes you need. You might be a moderate internet user, and you want to simply update your older computer to run multiple programs faster. In that case you would only really need to use the Patriot Signature 4GB DDR3 RAM. Anything else would be overkill.
If you are a hardcore gamer who has upgraded your computer for 4k gaming, you are going to need more powerful RAM. It is important that you don’t stretch how much power you need, as there is a point where you start seeing diminishing effects when you use too much RAM. Consult your motherboard to figure out which RAM clock rates are compatible. You will be thankful in the long run when you choose RAM that has the right amount of power for the processes you run.
Last update on 2022-03-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API