The Confusing World of DDR3 and GDDR5: Separating Fact from Fiction

One of the most common questions I receive is, "My computer uses DDR3 RAM, but all the new graphics cards come with GDDR5 RAM. Will they work in my system?" In a word, yes. The type of RAM your CPU can use does not impact the type of RAM that your graphics card can use.

This is because the CPU and graphics processing unit (GPU) interact directly with their own memory and communicate with each other through a PCI Express slot. As a result, the type of RAM they're each using doesn't matter. This may seem like a straightforward concept, but it's often misunderstood or overlooked by those who aren't familiar with computer hardware.

Another common question I receive is, "Why is video card memory so far ahead of system memory? GDDR5 has been available for years while DDR4 is still not widely adopted." The answer to this question is a bit more complicated. Each new generation of GDDR or DDR aims to improve upon the previous one by increasing capacity, reducing heat output and power consumption, and enhancing performance, particularly in terms of maximum bandwidth.

However, it's essential to understand that these technologies are not necessarily identical. For instance, DDR2 was related to DDR, but DDR4 and DDR5 standards are more closely aligned with DDR3 than they are with DDR4 or future DDR5 standards. This may seem counterintuitive, but the development of computer memory is a complex process, and each new generation builds upon existing technologies while introducing new innovations.

So why do we need two different types of memory? The answer lies in the concept of "horses for courses." Just as horses are bred for specific purposes, such as racing or working on a farm, computer memory is designed for specific applications. System RAM, which includes DDR3 and its successors, is optimized for everyday tasks that require low latency access to memory.

In contrast, video card memory, like GDDR5, is specialized for applications that require massive amounts of data transfer, such as gaming or computer-aided design (CAD) software. These applications often involve high-resolution textures, large datasets, and complex calculations that demand more bandwidth than system RAM can provide.

To illustrate this point, consider the average desktop user. They may not need a lot of memory for their daily tasks, but they still benefit from having low latency access to RAM. On the other hand, gamers or professionals who use resource-intensive applications require more powerful video card memory to handle the demands of their work.

In conclusion, while DDR3 and GDDR5 may seem like similar technologies on the surface, they serve different purposes and are designed for specific applications. Understanding the differences between these technologies can help you make informed decisions about your computer hardware and ensure that you're getting the best performance for your needs.

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As always, I'd like to thank my audience for watching this video and sharing it with others if you liked it. If you disliked it, please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Did this video help clarify the differences between DDR3 and GDDR5 for you? Or were you already familiar with these concepts?

Regardless of your familiarity with computer memory, I hope you found this article informative and helpful. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel for more in-depth explanations of complex topics like computer hardware and software.

And finally, if you have any questions or topics you'd like me to cover in future videos, please leave a comment below or reach out to me directly through social media. I'm always happy to engage with my audience and provide answers to your questions.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enone of the most common questions i receive is my computer uses ddr3 ram but all the new graphics cards come with gddr5 ram will they work in my system in a word yes in 74 words yes because the type of ram your cpu can use your system memory doesn't impact the type of ram that your graphics card can use because the cpu or central processing unit interacts directly with its own memory and the gpu or graphics processing unit interacts directly with its own memory those processors work together and communicate with each other through a pci express slot so the type of ram they're each using doesn't matter so another common question then is this why is video card memory so far ahead of system memory gddr5 has been available for years while ddr4 is still not available and there's basically no mention of ddr5 at all can't we just use gddr for our cpus to take advantage of all those technology improvements well this answer is a little bit more complicated while each new generation of gddr or ddr aims for similar improvements over the last one higher capacities reduced heat output and power consumption and higher performance particularly with respect to maximum bandwidth that doesn't mean that these technologies are the same a common misconception is that there is a correlation between the generational numbers in gddr and ddr but actually they're independent of each other gddr2 was somewhat related to ddr2 but the newer gddr4 and gddr5 standards are actually much more closely related to ddr3 than to ddr4 or a future ddr5 standard okay so if they're not really as different as they sound and they're just variations of similar technology why do we need two different types of memory well as the old saying goes horses for courses my friends i mean oh gross i didn't mean meal courses i meant race courses yuck that's not even a tasteful joke sorry now that we're back on track now that's a great joke my point stands you want memory that's specialized for your application the way a typical person uses a computer we don't actually need any more bandwidth for system memory it's much more important for everyday tasks to have very low latency access to your ram with better granularity while a graphics card is typically moving massive chunks of data into and out of the frame buffer that is the ram things like high resolution game textures or large data sets for computer simulation work the average desktop is being bombarded with a multitude of much smaller transfers like that instant message you just received or that virus scan that's picking through all your files in the background normal ddr is optimized for desktop use and gddr just wouldn't be as suitable in spite of its impressive on-paper performance numbers especially with respect to bandwidth speaking of impressive performance we've got a new sponsor that we absolutely love shutterstock.com is the affordable way to get royalty free stock photos graphics and video footage that you can use for anything from gussying up a powerpoint presentation all the way to inclusion in a professional newscast before we accepted them as a sponsor i actually went ahead and bought a 250 monthly subscription to evaluate the service that plan entitles us to 25 images per day and it has made life so much easier for my video editor for this video he just fired up their awesome search tool to browse their enormous 30 plus a million image library found something that illustrated the point i'm making and added it to the video no worrying about usage rights i'm easily saving my eight dollars and fifty cents per day in time alone of course i know not everyone edits videos every day though don't worry they've got everything from pay as you go all the way to enterprise grade solutions with extra support and enhanced usage right so guys you should definitely check it out you can see their entire image library with watermarks for free so head over to shutterstock.com and try it out and if you like it make sure you use offer code quickie 214 to get 25 off your new account thanks again to shutterstock for supporting tech quickie and thanks again to you guys for watching this video like it and share it if you liked it dislike it if you disliked it leave a comment and let me know did this help clarify ddr versus gddr for you or did you already totally understand this and now it's just a convenient little resource for you to send to people whenever they ask about it and uh right don't forget to subscribe eitherone of the most common questions i receive is my computer uses ddr3 ram but all the new graphics cards come with gddr5 ram will they work in my system in a word yes in 74 words yes because the type of ram your cpu can use your system memory doesn't impact the type of ram that your graphics card can use because the cpu or central processing unit interacts directly with its own memory and the gpu or graphics processing unit interacts directly with its own memory those processors work together and communicate with each other through a pci express slot so the type of ram they're each using doesn't matter so another common question then is this why is video card memory so far ahead of system memory gddr5 has been available for years while ddr4 is still not available and there's basically no mention of ddr5 at all can't we just use gddr for our cpus to take advantage of all those technology improvements well this answer is a little bit more complicated while each new generation of gddr or ddr aims for similar improvements over the last one higher capacities reduced heat output and power consumption and higher performance particularly with respect to maximum bandwidth that doesn't mean that these technologies are the same a common misconception is that there is a correlation between the generational numbers in gddr and ddr but actually they're independent of each other gddr2 was somewhat related to ddr2 but the newer gddr4 and gddr5 standards are actually much more closely related to ddr3 than to ddr4 or a future ddr5 standard okay so if they're not really as different as they sound and they're just variations of similar technology why do we need two different types of memory well as the old saying goes horses for courses my friends i mean oh gross i didn't mean meal courses i meant race courses yuck that's not even a tasteful joke sorry now that we're back on track now that's a great joke my point stands you want memory that's specialized for your application the way a typical person uses a computer we don't actually need any more bandwidth for system memory it's much more important for everyday tasks to have very low latency access to your ram with better granularity while a graphics card is typically moving massive chunks of data into and out of the frame buffer that is the ram things like high resolution game textures or large data sets for computer simulation work the average desktop is being bombarded with a multitude of much smaller transfers like that instant message you just received or that virus scan that's picking through all your files in the background normal ddr is optimized for desktop use and gddr just wouldn't be as suitable in spite of its impressive on-paper performance numbers especially with respect to bandwidth speaking of impressive performance we've got a new sponsor that we absolutely love shutterstock.com is the affordable way to get royalty free stock photos graphics and video footage that you can use for anything from gussying up a powerpoint presentation all the way to inclusion in a professional newscast before we accepted them as a sponsor i actually went ahead and bought a 250 monthly subscription to evaluate the service that plan entitles us to 25 images per day and it has made life so much easier for my video editor for this video he just fired up their awesome search tool to browse their enormous 30 plus a million image library found something that illustrated the point i'm making and added it to the video no worrying about usage rights i'm easily saving my eight dollars and fifty cents per day in time alone of course i know not everyone edits videos every day though don't worry they've got everything from pay as you go all the way to enterprise grade solutions with extra support and enhanced usage right so guys you should definitely check it out you can see their entire image library with watermarks for free so head over to shutterstock.com and try it out and if you like it make sure you use offer code quickie 214 to get 25 off your new account thanks again to shutterstock for supporting tech quickie and thanks again to you guys for watching this video like it and share it if you liked it dislike it if you disliked it leave a comment and let me know did this help clarify ddr versus gddr for you or did you already totally understand this and now it's just a convenient little resource for you to send to people whenever they ask about it and uh right don't forget to subscribe either\n"