Whether you are a gamer or a person who is working with several applications at a moment, it gets very frustrating to have a computer that is laggy and slow. It gets even more frustrating for the person if the computer often freezes when put under the workload.
Upgrading your RAM is one of the most effective choices to get rid of the frequent pauses and lag. However, it can get very confusing given the wide range of RAMs available on the market.
One of the most common confusion that people get into is deciding between a 3000 MHz RAM and a 3200 MHz RAM. But, you do not need to worry as I have got it all covered. I am going to compare the two products and explain everything related to the difference between DDR4 3000 and 3200 RAMs.
By the time you reach the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of which RAM to go for.
How Important Is RAM For Performance?
Firstly, it is important to know the role of the RAM in a computer in order to understand why switching to a new RAM is going to boost your performance.
RAM (Random Access Memory) or often called the volatile memory is a temporary space on which your computer stores the data which is currently being used or processed. Unlike the hard disk, it can only store data temporarily. It can be thought of as the short-term memory of a computer.
Anything that you run on your computer, for example, the browser in which you are reading this article, is loaded from the hard drive onto the RAM and is then processed further.
The RAM is used for processing data instead of the hard disk because RAM is much faster than the hard disk or SSD.
So to put it simply, all the important data that the computer requires to run any application is present on the RAM. When a specific task is completed, the data is then removed from the RAM to make room for the next task.
It is plain and simple from the above explanation that a slow RAM that has little capacity will result in a slow task processing. Whereas, a faster RAM with a large capacity will improve the speed of the computer.
Difference Between DDR4 3000 and 3200
With that out of the way, let us get back to the topic of differences between a DDR 4 3000 and a DDR 4 3200 RAM.
Well, there is no noticeable difference between the two products in terms of performance change in a computer. But there are differences when both are compared more closely, keep on reading to know-how.
The biggest differences are in latency, frequency, and bandwidth. All of these although may not matter much between these two RAMs, one of them can give you a little over the other based on these differences.
1. Nomenclature of the RAMs
The DDR4 in the names refer to the engineering technology used in them. This simply means what generation of technology a RAM belongs to.
The DDR4 is one of the latest technologies which means the DDR4 RAMs are faster than their previous generations. Previous generations include DDR3, DDR2, and DDR.
The number in their names refers to their clock speeds which is the amount of data they can process in a single second.
2. Memory Clock Speeds
Memory clock speed refers to the amount of data it can process in a single second. It is measured in Mhz (Megahertz) and shows how much mega data transfers a RAM can complete in a second.
So, the DDR4 3000 can complete 3000 Mhz data transfers in a second and the DDR4 3200 can complete 3200 Mhz data transfers in a second.
The 3200 Mhz leads by 200 Mhz in this regard but to be honest this difference is not noticeable. It is not something to spend a healthy sum for. If the prices are as significant as their performance boost, then go for it, or else stick with the 3200 Mhz.
My Choice Based on Clock Speeds:
According to me, the DDR4 3200 is the better choice. The extra 200 Mhz, although a small difference, can give you an edge in performance.
But, to be honest the difference is non-significant in gaming. So, it is better to only go for the 3200 if both the RAMs have insignificant price differences among them.
3. Latency
This is a parameter that is often ignored but it is one of the most important things to compare while buying a RAM. Latency refers to the delay between each completed cycle of data transfer.
Putting it simply, when one task is completed by the RAM, latency is the delay between the time of the end of the first task and the start of the second. It is a representation of how long a RAM will take while the switch to a new task.
Looking at the latency, people often confuse it with speed and generally prefer to go with RAMs that have higher latencies. But, it should be the total opposite.
RAMs with lower latencies should be preferred. This is because lower latency means less time between consecutive cycles or chains of commands. So, the lower the latency, the faster the performance.
The DDR4 3000 has a CAS latency of 0.667 nanoseconds whereas the 3200 has a CAS latency of 0.625 nanoseconds.
My Choice Based on Latency
Well, my choice will be to get the 3200 because it has a better latency. It is very little but it can give you an edge in managing several simultaneous tasks.
4. Bandwidth
The extent of smoothness in data transfers and their speed is also measured in terms of the bandwidth of the RAMS. Products with higher bandwidth will ensure a fast and smooth experience as compared to products with lower bandwidth values.
The DDR4 3000 provides a bandwidth of 24000 mb/s while the DDR4 3200 provides a bandwidth of 25600 mb/s.
My Choice Based on Bandwidth
The DDR4 3200 gets my love here; the edge of 1600 mb/s is great in terms of online data transfers. It can give you a much better data transfer experience.
5. Compatibility With Motherboards
This is another important thing to consider when buying a new product. Oftentimes, a product bought is not compatible with the motherboard which spoils all the hard work done for it.
While comparing the DDR4 3000 and 3200 RAMs, the 3000 is compatible only with the mainstream intel motherboards (you will have to search for the specific models and run compatibility with the specific RAM you are buying).
On the other hand, the 3200 in addition to being compatible with the intel boards, is also compatible with the AMD motherboards as well. This gives it another edge over the 3000 because it is compatible with more motherboard models.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, there is indeed a difference in both these RAMs but the differences are not something that will have a great impact while moving from one to the other.
The differences are not even noticeable on the general scale. But if you examine at a small scale, the differences do matter. The 3200 will give you an edge in competitive tournaments and competitions.
But, having said that, I would still prefer going with the 3000 unless the 3200 is available in the same price range or with a little price difference.
This was everything relating to both the RAMs and I hope that you now have a clear understanding of the difference between DDR4 3000 and 3200 RAMs.
And I know this was a lot to grab at first glance so, whenever you forget the details you can visit me again here and this article would be here to help.
FAQs
Can I use 3000 Mhz RAM with 3200 Mhz RAM?
Yes, as long as they are both compatible with the motherboard and can fit inside the slots on the motherboard. They can be used together and you will have no issues.
