The Basics you should know : Ports — Part 3

This is the third part in the series of “Ports”

In the previous stories on “Ports”, I covered the slots based on their popularity and level of complexity. In this story, I will cover two very important types of slots viz DIMM(DDR) and PCI (and PCIe). If you are planning to upgrade your memory or want to add any other additional hardware like Graphics Card or WiFi Card on your motherboard then it is important for you to know about these ports as it will help you to decide which hardware your motherboard will support.

One question regarding which many wonder is, “if I am using DDR4 RAM then whether I can upgrade my system with DDR5/DDR6 Graphics card or not?”. After reading this story, you will be able to answer this question on your own.

Note: In a few cases, other factors like Processor compatibility also play a vital role in deciding whether the specific hardware will support your system or not.

Slots for RAM:

Before we start with Slots for RAM, I hope you all know about what RAM is. (For those who don’t know → Everything the computer is running after we start/boot, the data of those running software/tools/program is stored in RAM so that you and your system has quick access to the required data to be used by those programs. Even the running program is brought in RAM before running it. For example, suppose you have just installed a game and you run it, then its data which is being or to be processed during your playtime is stored in RAM and then processed by CPU and GPU. The main task of RAM is to store and manage the application and services which are running in your system)[Optional] DIMM (Dual In-line Memory Module)

DIMM was introduced to tackle the limitations like speed and bits of SIMM (Single In-line Memory Module) from 32 bit to 64 bit, enabling higher data transfer rate and increase the RAM space by allowing a user to add another DIMM RAM to satisfy the need of Multi-Tasking and improving the system performance. DIMM came with a 64-bit data path in support of modern processors that have 64-bit data width which enables RAM and processor to exchange at higher speed and take full advantage of their respective supported data bandwidth. In simple terms, DIMM is the type of structure or circuit board that contains RAM chips on it and pins that connects to the motherboard. The Number of pins that DIMM has depends on the class of RAM.

Hence, we can say that the body is DIMM, and the multiple chips that we see on the body are DRAMs.

Note: DIMM is used in Desktops and Servers whereas SO-DIMM (Small Outline Input Memory Module) are used in Notebooks (Laptops) as SO-DIMM are smaller in size i.e. takes smaller space which is important specially in Compact Devices.

DDR (Double Data Rate)

All of you have read or heard about the different types of RAMs (like DDR3, DD4, DDR5, etc). Have you ever wondered what’s the difference between them?, Can I upgrade my memory?, or Does it have to be the same type of memory that I am currently using?

Well, the answer to the first question is very simple. The difference is only that of course the higher version more advances and is faster than the previous version (DDR4 will work better than DDR3).

This is not a story about RAMs so I will not get into the details, but if you are interested then you can refer following links to know more:-

What is DDR (Double Data Rate) Memory and SDRAM Memory

DDR4 differences and advantages over previous generation modules

Here’s the conclusion from the above articles,
Main difference you need to know is that there is improved performance, the notch is present at a different length, and there are a different number of pins. And, you cannot use one version of DDR RAM with another version of DDR RAM’s slot (DIMM). So, when you buy a motherboard(Desktop) or Laptop next time, be sure which version of RAM it supports, so that you will know the quality of upgrade you will be able to do in the future.

Now in 2020, almost every new laptops and desktops offers DDR4 type of memory.

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)& PCIe

PCI was developed by Intel in 1992. This port is widely used to connect external hardware to either upgrade or add new hardware components like Graphics/Video Card, USB ports, SSDs, Audio Cards, Networking interfaces, Modems, and many other supported electronic circuits. That means it allows us to have additional I/O ports. These ports are generally found on the motherboards of Desktops.

History speaks for itself and it is in the nature of the technology that it evolves into something better with time (or say improves over time). There were some limitations and issues with PCI to work with modern operating systems as well as evolving hardware components. In the year 2003, PCIe was created by Intel, IBM, HP, and Dell to replace the older PCI, PCI-X, and AGP bus standards/ports. PCIe has the same working functionality but improved design as well as performance. Similar to PCI, PCIe also has different versions as well as different types.

Now, it’s time for an important answer to the question I had mentioned above. Yes, you can have DDR6 or DDR5 based Graphics card with DDR4 based RAM. The reason is, The port that almost every Graphics card uses on the motherboard is PCIe and the DDR version mentioned with the Graphics card is the version of VRAM on that Graphics card. All you need is the PCIe slot on your motherboard.

I hope you have enjoyed this story and found something new. If you have any suggestions or points, do comment below or get in touch.

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