[SOLVED] DDR3 vs DDR4 - Memory Consumption?

[oggyphillips]

Hello,

I am getting a new laptop, my old laptop is current on the older ddr3 generation for memory and a I5 4200U. I'm deciding whether to get 8 or 16GB.

I'm browsing the web for these newer Mid / High Range laptops with the new 10th Gen, previous 9th, 8th, and AMD Processors. Most seem to only have 8GB memory as their highest option. The very high seem to have 16 / 32 GB

I was wondering, is DDR4 more efficient in terms of the amount of megabytes an application uses in Windows, compared to DDR3?

Most of these laptops have NVME storage. I was thinking the virtual memory is possibly a solution to this, as it is faster?

Thank You for your comments.

 

[SchizTech]

Generations of DDR differ by how quickly they can feed data to the CPU and (electrical) power. In terms of usage in Windows and apps there's no difference.

Technically faster storage does indicate faster virtual memory, but since even the fastest non-volatile tech today (Optane) is significantly slower than the most basic RAM it shouldn't b e a consideration.

Are laptops you are interested in upgrade able? As long as at least one slot is available (as opposed to integrated RAM soldered to the board) you can replace the memory with a larger amount if you don't want to buy a laptop that comes pre-configured with that much.

 

[USAFRet]

Hello,

I am getting a new laptop, my old laptop is current on the older ddr3 generation for memory and a I5 4200U. I'm deciding whether to get 8 or 16GB.

I'm browsing the web for these newer Mid / High Range laptops with the new 10th Gen, previous 9th, 8th, and AMD Processors. Most seem to only have 8GB memory as their highest option. The very high seem to have 16 / 32 GB

I was wondering, is DDR4 more efficient in terms of the amount of megabytes an application uses in Windows, compared to DDR3?

Most of these laptops have NVME storage. I was thinking the virtual memory is possibly a solution to this, as it is faster?

Thank You for your comments.

Virtual memory (pagefile) is never a solution for lack of physical RAM.
Even on an NVMe drive, it is still slower.

While DDR4 is 'faster' than DDR3, it does not make up for the difference of 8GB vs 16GB.
What you're seeing is strictly marketing and price pressure. Not advancements in memory consumption and software optimization.

 

[SamirD]

You need to upgrade to 16GB. You should feel a bit boost in performance.