Memory Types, DDR3 Memory

DDR3 Memory stands for Double Data Rate Memory. It is the third and the latest generation of DDR Memory. DDR3 Memory started to arrive in technology in 2007. The appeal of the upgraded memory is its ability to transfer data at twice the highest speed of DDR2 Memory.

DDR3 Memory has the capacity to run its I/0 bus at four times the speed of the memory cells it contains. It also allows for chip capacities of 512 megabits to 8 gigabits, effectively enabling a maximum memory module size of 16 gigabytes. There are three speeds of DDR3; these speeds are PC3-8500 - 1066MHz, PC3-10600 - 1333MHz, and PC3-12800 - 1600MHz. With these improvements the DDR3 Memory has slightly improved latencies, measured in nanoseconds as the DDR2.

DDR3 Memory is part of the SDRAM family of technologies. But like the DDR1 and DDR2 memory, the DDR2 SDRAM is not compatible with DDR3 set up. Forcing it can damage the DIMM (Dual In-line Memory Module) or the motherboard.

DDR3 Memory does provide a reduction in power consumption of 30 compared to DDR2 modules, due to its 1.5 V supply voltage. It has a low power feature and thermal design that takes it a step above the DDR2. The DDR3 Memory modules are available in single, dual and triple-channel memory kits.

DDR3 Memory also has a higher bandwidth than the DDR2, up to 1600 Mbps. Bandwidth is calculated by taking transfers per second and multiplying by eight.