I have a laptop with 16GB DDR5 RAM rated at 5200 MT/s, and I did some digging to understand what MT/s means. If I'm correct, it seems that translates to around 2600 MHz for my RAM. Is it worth it to upgrade to RAM with a higher MHz, or would it be better to simply add another stick of the same speed? Any advice would be appreciated!
3 Answers
DDR stands for Double Data Rate, meaning it effectively reads data at both the high and low points of the clock cycle. So, MT/s ends up being double the base MHz. For your situation, if you're looking to add RAM, it's crucial to match the brand and speed of your existing stick to avoid compatibility issues. It’s often best to go with a pre-certified kit for your laptop model.
The terms MHz and MT/s refer to different things: MHz is the clock speed while MT/s is the actual data transfer rate. Since data is transferred twice per cycle, a RAM that’s 1800 MHz would have an MT/s of 3600. It’s usually more precise to talk in MT/s when discussing RAM. If you want to upgrade, check if your laptop supports faster sticks first!
So, RAM marketed as 5200 MHz is actually running at 2600 MHz/5200 MT/s. This terminology has been around for over 20 years since it reflects the effective speed compared to the older SDR RAM. Plus, keep in mind that your laptop might not handle RAM faster than 5200 MT/s anyway!
Right! Just remember, mixing RAM sticks can lead to issues if they're not certified to work together, even if they’re from the same brand.