1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:07,960 One of the most common questions I receive is, "My computer uses DDR3 RAM, 2 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:14,799 but all the new graphics cards come with GDDR5 RAM. Will they work in my system?" 3 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:17,119 In a word, yes. In 74 words, yes, 4 00:00:14,799 --> 00:00:21,760 because the type of RAM your CPU can use, your system memory, doesn't impact 5 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:26,640 the type of RAM that your graphics card can use. Because the CPU or central 6 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:31,519 processing unit interacts directly with its own memory and the GPU or graphics 7 00:00:29,519 --> 00:00:36,000 processing unit interacts directly with its own memory. Those processors work 8 00:00:34,079 --> 00:00:40,960 together and communicate with each other through a PCI Express slot. So the type 9 00:00:38,719 --> 00:00:45,920 of RAM they're each using doesn't matter. So another common question then 10 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:52,000 is this. Why is video card memory so far ahead of system memory? DDDR5 has been 11 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:53,600 available for years, while DDR4 is still 12 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:59,440 not available, and there's basically no mention of DDR5 at all. Can't we just 13 00:00:56,399 --> 00:01:01,520 use GDDR for our CPUs to take advantage 14 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:05,439 of all those technology improvements? Well, this answer is a little bit more 15 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:10,880 complicated. Well, each new generation of GDDR or DDR aims for similar 16 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:14,799 improvements over the last one. higher capacities, reduced heat output and 17 00:01:13,119 --> 00:01:18,640 power consumption and higher performance, particularly with respect 18 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:23,280 to maximum bandwidth. That doesn't mean that these technologies are the same. A 19 00:01:20,799 --> 00:01:28,479 common misconception is that there is a correlation between the generational 20 00:01:25,119 --> 00:01:31,520 numbers in GDDR and DDR, but actually 21 00:01:28,479 --> 00:01:34,000 they're independent of each other. GDDR2 22 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:40,360 was somewhat related to DDR2, but the newer DDDR4 and DDDR5 standards are 23 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:46,720 actually much more closely related to DDR3 than to DDR4 or a future DDR5 24 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:50,720 standard. Okay, so if they're not really as different as they sound and they're 25 00:01:48,159 --> 00:01:55,280 just variations of similar technology, why do we need two different types of 26 00:01:52,560 --> 00:02:02,000 memory? Well, as the old saying goes, horses for courses, my friends. I mean, 27 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:04,960 oh gross. I didn't mean meal courses. I 28 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:10,479 meant race courses. Yuck. That's not even a tasteful joke. Sorry. Now that 29 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:15,599 we're back on track, now that's a great joke. My point stands. You want memory 30 00:02:12,959 --> 00:02:19,520 that's specialized for your application. The way a typical person uses a 31 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:24,400 computer, we don't actually need any more bandwidth for system memory. It's 32 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:29,440 much more important for everyday tasks to have very low latency access to your 33 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:34,480 RAM with better granularity. While a graphics card is typically moving 34 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:36,560 massive chunks of data into and out of 35 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:40,959 the frame buffer that is the RAM, things like high resolution game textures or 36 00:02:38,879 --> 00:02:45,040 large data sets for computer simulation work. The average desktop is being 37 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:49,760 bombarded with a multitude of much smaller transfers like that instant 38 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:54,160 message you just received or that virus scan that's picking through all your 39 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:59,720 files in the background. Normal DDR is optimized for desktop use and GDDR just 40 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:04,400 wouldn't be as suitable in spite of its impressive on paper performance numbers, 41 00:03:02,319 --> 00:03:07,360 especially with respect to bandwidth. Speaking of impressive performance, 42 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:12,000 we've got a new sponsor that we absolutely love. Shutterstock.com is the 43 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:15,680 affordable way to get royalty-free stock photos, graphics, and video footage that 44 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:20,480 you can use for anything from gussying up a PowerPoint presentation all the way 45 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:25,280 to inclusion in a professional newscast. 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Leave a comment and let me know, did this help 62 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:33,280 clarify DDR versus GDDR for you, or did 63 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:36,400 you already totally understand this and now it's just a convenient little 64 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:41,840 resource for you to send to people whenever they ask about it? And uh 65 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:41,840 right, don't forget to subscribe either.