When discussing “RAM speed” most users are actually referring to the frequency of the RAM – the number of commands it can process per second – so for the sake of this discussion, we’ll do the same. How fast your system RAM performs is actually dependent on several factors which include the frequency, bandwidth, total number of channels, quantity, dual data rate (DDR), latency, and even the speed/gen of your processor. To start, RAM speed is a bit of a misnomer, so let’s first clarify some terms.
So what is it exactly and how important is RAM speed? Read on to learn more. The answer is a little more complicated than simply higher number = better. We’re often asked questions about RAM speed, what we recommend, and how important it is for certain applications like gaming.