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Are pc3 and ddr3 the same?

Author

James Craig

Updated on March 02, 2026

Are pc3 and ddr3 the same?

DDR3 stands for Double Data Rate type three but does not imply a specific frequency or bus rate. The PC3-xxxx designates the particular RAM's speed rating and means that the memory certified as able to run at that bus speed. So DDR3 RAM PC3-1333 runs at 1333 MHz while the PC3-1066 runs at 1066 MHz.

In this regard, is pc3 compatible with ddr3?

Your new PC3-12800 will work beautifully with your mobo (At least they should). PC3-12800 is exactly the same as DDR3-1600. The PC3 rating of DDR3 modules is simply the DDR3 rating multiplied by 8 (Effectively giving a good approximation of the highest possible data transfer rate of that particular module).

Also, can pc3 replace pc2? No you probably can't. While both PC2 and PC3 memory uses a 240-pin connector, they are keyed differently so they'll only fit in board designed specifically for their type. The notch in the memory chip connector edge will prevent you from connecting the incorrect memory.

Beside above, can I use pc3 10600 instead of pc3 12800?

macrumors newbie. on paper it should work, as PC3-10600 is the same type of memory as PC3-12800, just slower. Both are DDR3 So-Dimms rated at 1,35V.

What does pc3 10600 mean?

Bandwidth is calculated by taking transfers per second and multiplying by eight. This is because DDR3 memory modules transfer data on a bus that is 64 data bits wide, and since a byte comprises 8 bits, this equates to 8 bytes of data per transfer. For example, PC3-10666 memory could be listed as PC3-10600 or PC3-10700.

Can I replace ddr3 with ddr4?

Replace DDR3 with DDR4 memory. DDR4 RAM is not backwards compatible with DDR3 motherboards and vice versa. The notch has been moved to prevent accidental insertion of the wrong type of memory. You will not be able to change to DDR-4 .

Can I use 1333MHz and 1600MHz RAM together?

Hardware Brad : You can, both sticks will run at 1333MHz. As long as your motherboard supports more than 8gb of RAM, which most of them do.

What is the fastest ddr3 RAM?

Computex Taipei 2013 - G. SKILL have just unleashed your new dream RAM, which is the world's fastest DDR3 RAM, arriving at 3GHz. Yes, that's 3000MHz DDR3, and it comes in a 32GB kit. The new 3000MHz DDR3 RAM from G.

What does 1600MHz ddr3 mean?

DDR3 is an abbreviation for double data rate type three synchronous dynamic random access memory, is a modern type of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) with a high bandwidth ("double data rate") interface, and has been in use since 2007. 1600MHz is the speed of your front side bus on your PC motherboard.

Can I mix Ram brands?

As long as the types of Ram you mix are the same FORM FACTOR (DDR2, DDR3, etc) and voltage, you can use them together. They can be different speeds, and made by different manufacturers. Different brands of Ram are fine to use together.

Can I use 4gb and 8gb RAM together?

There are chips which are 4GB and 8GB, in dual channel mode this will not work. But you would still get 12GB total only a little slower. Sometimes you will have to swap the RAM slots since the detection has bugs. IE you can either use the 4GB RAM or the 8GB RAM but not both at the same time.

How long will ddr3 last?

DDR3 will be available for next 10 years or so because LGA775 to LGA1150 still use DDR3 RAM.

Can I use different RAM sticks?

Illustrious. yes you can, BUT, as long as they are the same speed and same CL and all (Both DDR3), as long as each module is less then max supported memory per slot (under 8GB per slot), it will work with those two ram sticks.

Can I use 1.35 V instead of 1.5 V RAM?

Yes, you can use a low voltage RAM module, rated at 1.35 V or 1.25V with a normal RAM module rated at 1.5 V. The Low voltage RAMs (DDR3L) are backwards compatible so they would work with most of the CPU and Motherboard combinations.

Can I mix pc3 and pc3l memory?

2 Answers. PC3 is standard voltage (1.50V) where PC3L is low voltage (1.35V) - A system which requires PC3L cannot support PC3 RAM. PC3L RAM will work in a PC3 based system as it will run at the standard voltage and will inter-operate with PC3 RAM within the system.

Which is better pc3 or pc3l?

PC3 or DDR3 is the operated at 1.50v whereas PC3L or DDR3L is the Low Voltage memory module that operates at 1.35V. Ultrabook or Powerbooks generally use the PC3L for low heat dissipation. Well you can also check to see if your laptop is dual voltage module in that case it's sure to work with both of these.

Can you mix pc3 and ddr3?

PC3L RAM will work in a PC3 based system as it will run at the standard voltage and will inter-operate with PC3 RAM within the system. This is the speed of the RAM Clearly DDR3-1600 is able to run faster than DDR-1333. You can use the faster RAM, but, you really won't see a sizable difference.

What RAM is compatible with pc3 8500?

DDR3 Specs
Friendly nameIndustry namePeak Transfer Rate
DDR3-800PC3-64006400 MB/s
DDR3-1066PC3-85008533 MB/s
DDR3-1333PC3-1060010667 MB/s
DDR3-1600PC3-1280012800 MB/s

What does pc3 12800 mean?

PC3-12800 means that the Peak Transfer Rate is 12800 MB/s. Same for the PC3-10666 (PC3-10600) it means the Peak Transfer Rate is 10667 MB/s.

What is the difference between 12800 and 10600 RAM?

The 12800 refers to a data rate of 1600MT/s while the 10600 is 1333MT/s so the faster 4GB module will be underclocked to run at the slower 1333 rate for uniformity which should not cause any issues, as long as the timings also match, especially with performance since 1333MT/s DDR3 is plenty fast for average everyday

What does pc3 mean on RAM?

The number after DDR/PC and before the hyphen refers to the generation: DDR2 is PC2, DDR3 is PC3, DDR4 is PC4. The number paired after DDR refers to the number of megatransfers per second (MT/s). For example, DDR3-1600 RAM operates at 1,600MT/s.

How can I use ddr3 RAM in ddr3l slot?

According to Dell's article, you won't be able to put DDR3 into DDR3L slot and get it to work because boards utilizing DDR3L expect your memory to work on 1.35V, compared to 1.5 v that DDR3 memory requires. However, it would work the other way around: DDR3L is designed to support both 1.35V and 1.5V operating voltages.

What pc2 6400?

DDR2 PC2-6400 (commonly referred to as DDR2-800) memory is DDR2 designed for use in systems with a 400MHz front-side bus (providing an 800MT/s data transfer rate). The "6400" refers to the module's bandwidth (the maximum amount of data it can transfer each second), which is 6400MB/s, or 6.4GB/s.

Can I use DDR and ddr2 together?

Dear Mystified, You are right about mixing different RAM modules — if there's one thing you absolutely can't mix, it's DDR with DDR2, or DDR2 with DDR3 and so on (they won't even fit in the same slots). RAM is pretty complicated, but there are a few things you can mix and a few things you shouldn't.

What is the difference between ddr2 and ddr3?

Difference between DDR2 and DDR3. DDR2 and DDR3 are types of RAM, Random Access Memory. DDR RAM offers speed of 1600 MB/s, DDR2 RAM offers speed of 3200 MB/s and DDR3 offers speed of 6400 MB/s. DDR3 provides 8 knowledge transfer per cycle.

Is ddr3 a RAM?

It is the higher-speed successor to DDR and DDR2 and predecessor to DDR4 synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM) chips. DDR3 SDRAM is neither forward nor backward compatible with any earlier type of random-access memory (RAM) because of different signaling voltages, timings, and other factors.

What does U mean in RAM?

As far as i am aware, the U stands for Unbuffered, and the R stands for Registered. They have given them different names as they should not be fitted together, as they are not compatible with each other.

What type of RAM do I have?

Just click on the Start menu, type "about," and press Enter when "About Your PC" appears. Scroll down, and under Device Specifications, you should see a line named "Installed RAM"—this will tell you how much you currently have.

Is ddr3 good for gaming?

As long as it is dual channel, and it is at least 8-16 GB, it's very good! There's NO difference between DDR3 and DRR4 for gaming, not even comparing 1600MHz DDR3 vs 3400MHz DDR4. RAM doesn't really dictate the performance of the PC. The CPU and GPU do.

What does pc3 stand for?

PC3
AcronymDefinition
PC3Prostate Cancer Cell Line (oncology)
PC3Prohormone Convertase 3
PC3Paul Coleman Trio (band)
PC3Postal Clerk Third Class (Naval Rating)

Is ddr4 better than ddr3?

DDR4 is currently limited to Intel's X99 platform and Extreme processors, which are more expensive, and not much better for gaming, than the Core i5s and i7s we're accustomed to. DDR4 is still much more expensive than DDR3, but it also hits higher clock speeds. Another big difference between DDR3 and DDR4 is speed.

Does RAM speed matter?

Faster RAM will give your PC better performance in certain specific benchmarks, but in terms of actual benefit to most users, having more RAM available is almost always better than having faster RAM. Graphics cards include their own memory, so games aren't majorly affected by system RAM speed.

Are all ddr3 RAM compatible?

You can install any 1333 or 1600 MHz stic of RAM as long as it runs at the voltage that the motherboard supports for example, most motherboards support 1.5 volt RAM modules, some support 1.65 Volt RAM, and some support 1.35 volt RAM but if the motherboard BIOS has the options to adjust the voltage to the RAM

How do I know if my RAM is ddr3?

Check RAM Type
Open Task Manager and go to the Performance tab. Select memory from the column on the left, and look at the very top right. It will tell you how much RAM you have and what type it is. In the screenshot below, you can see that the system is running DDR3.

Are there different types of ddr3 RAM?

DDR3 SDRAM
DDR3 also has an eight-bit prefetch bus. Other common speeds for DDR3 SDRAM modules include PC3-8500 (DDR3-1066; 8500MBps throughput); PC3-12800 (DDR3-1600); and PC3-17000 (DDR3-2133). NOTE. Memory modules of the same type with the same speed memory chips can have different CAS latency (CL) values.

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Are pc3 and ddr3 the same?