DDR is a version of random-access memory used by computers to store temporary data. Nowadays, DDR is universally used in computers. SDRAM was used before DDR but has not been used for a while.
DDR comes in different versions, for example, DDR3 and DDR4. In computers, these different versions of RAM memory have specific slots where you can insert the RAM sticks. This begs the question: can you insert a DDR3 RAM stick into a DDR4 RAM slot?
Unfortunately, DDR3 RAM sticks do not fit into DDR4 RAM slots. DDR4 RAM slots are made specifically for DDR4 RAM, and a DDR3 RAM stick simply isn’t physically made to fit into other slots than DDR3 slots. Don’t try to cram RAM sticks in slots they do not fit into, because you risk messing up both the slot and RAM stick.
Why is this? Is DDR4, at least, backward compatible? Let’s go through it in detail below. Read more to find out all you need to know about DDR.
Can You Put DDR3 In a DDR4 RAM Slot?
As I mentioned previously, you can’t insert a DDR3 RAM stick into a DDR4 RAM slot. There are multiple physical reasons why you can’t do this, but let’s pretend that you did, in fact, manage to get the DDR3 stick in the DDR4 slot.
The DDR3 RAM stick still would not be functional in your computer, because your motherboard is configured to recognize DDR4, not 3.
DDR3 RAM sticks have 240 pins, while DDR4 sticks have 288. As you can imagine, a DDR4 slot is made to make room for a stick with 288 pins. Moreover, the notch that’s on RAM sticks to make sure that they’re seated correctly, is not in the same place for DDR3 and 4.
Finally, DDR4 RAM sticks have a slightly curved edge where the pins are to make it easier to put the stick into the RAM slot. All these factors make it so you can’t physically insert a DDR3 stick in a DDR4 slot without breaking something.
Are There Motherboards With DDR3 and DDR4 Slots?
There are a few motherboards that have both DDR3 and DDR4 slots. These motherboards are known as “combo boards”. These are few and far between, but a few examples of motherboards that support both DDR3 and 4 are ASRock B150M Combo G and Biostar Hi-Fi series H170Z3.
There is something to keep in mind here, however: not even the combo motherboards will allow you to run a DDR3 and DDR4 at the same time. Why? Well, the RAM versions use different voltages, and only one voltage regulator is used for RAM.
For example, DDR4 RAM generally runs at 1.2 volts and DDR3 RAM uses 1.5. Since the motherboard only has one voltage regulator for the RAM memory, it can’t assign the proper voltages for both RAM types.
Running the two RAM types regardless of this fact could result in you damaging both performance and possible hardware.
Can You Put DDR4 In a DDR3 RAM Slot?
Just as you can’t put a DDR3 stick in a DDR4 slot, you can’t put a DDR4 RAM stick into a DDR3 RAM slot. This is because of the reasons mentioned earlier:
DDR3 slots and DDR4 sticks are simply not constructed to fit together, and even if you could physically push a DDR4 stick into a DDR3 slot, your motherboard wouldn’t be able to recognize the stick properly.
As a general rule, only use sticks with their respective slots. Don’t experiment with trying to push the sticks in regardless of the slot version. This might damage your RAM sticks since the pins are fairly fragile.
Can You Use DDR3 and DDR4 RAM Together?
I touched on this earlier. You can not use DDR3 and DDR4 together, since they operate on different voltages. Some motherboards support both DDR3 and DDR4, but not together at the same time.
It isn’t theoretically impossible to do this, but the incentive to create a motherboard that supports two DDR versions at the same time just isn’t there for manufacturers.
As I mentioned earlier: don’t try to use DDR3 and DDR4 at the same time if you have a combo board. You might damage your RAM sticks.
Is DDR4 Better Than DDR3?
So, is DDR4 better than DDR3? It’s a newer version, so surely it’s “better”, right? Well, there are a lot of factors to consider here. Let’s go through some of them.
First of all, if you are concerned about power saving, then DDR4 is better. It simply consumes less power. This is one of the benefits that DDR4 has by virtue of it being a newer RAM version.
Also, DDR4 supports higher frequencies than DDR3. This allows for higher bandwidth which means faster processing. However, if we were to compare DDR3 RAM with DDR4 of the same MHz frequency, there wouldn’t be a big difference in performance.
In fact, DDR4 has higher latency than DDR3 and so it’s arguable that DDR3 is better in this regard. Of course, DDR3 still consumes more power.
The pricing is something to consider, too. Generally, DDR3 isn’t cheaper than DDR4, but instead, it’s more expensive. This probably has to do with the differences in supply between the two.
DDR4 is produced at a higher rate these days while DDR3 is barely produced, and this can lead to a shortage in supply.
Summing up: “better” is a subjective word that depends on what you’re looking for. Both RAM versions have their benefits and deficits, but most people these days use DDR4. By 2023, we will probably see a massive uptick in DDR5 usage, but we’re not quite there yet.
Can You Convert DDR3 to DDR4?
That is unfortunately not possible. DDR3 and DDR4 are not only different externally (for example, DDR4 has more pins) but internally as well. They work differently.
As I have touched on earlier, DDR3 pulls more power than DDR4, and this is one of the reasons why you can’t modify a DDR3 memory to be like a DDR4.
I’m not sure that this would be the best solution even if this was possible, either. If it was possible, it would take a lot of work. Instead, you could just buy a DDR4 RAM stick. RAM sticks are luckily one of the more affordable PC components.
The earlier mentioned difference both externally and internally is also the reason why adapters are not possible with DDR3 to DDR4.
Is DDR3 Good For Today’s Games?
Let’s answer the question first and then elaborate: Yes. DDR3 RAM is good enough for today’s games, although it’s not the most optimal version of RAM. However, it’s not the most important factor when it comes to games’ performance.
The difference between DDR4 and DDR3 when it comes to gaming isn’t massive, although DDR4 is generally capable of transferring data quicker than DDR3. Also, RAM speed has an impact on other components’ performance, such as the CPU.
The RAM version is not the biggest issue when it comes to performance in-game. If you run DDR3 RAM with a good CPU, GPU, and sufficient RAM size, then you won’t have any problems gaming, at all.
As I said, DDR3 is slightly worse than DDR4 (in most cases), but if you have a motherboard that runs DDR3, you shouldn’t buy a new motherboard just because of this.
If you’re having issues that can be traced to your RAM, there’s a chance that you have an insufficient amount of RAM installed on your PC, but it doesn’t mean that you have to switch from DDR3 to DDR4. 16 GB of RAM is considered to be the sweet spot for modern games, generally.