Give your PC a quick and easy boost with these upgrades…
When building a system, it’s a common mistake to overlook the memory and storage components in favour of faster processors and graphics cards. But you might be surprised to learn that slow memory and inadequate storage can cause significant bottlenecks, the likes of which no faster processors will be able to remedy. No matter how fast the data can be processed, it still has to be moved to a processor – from the storage, via the RAM.
Think of it as being a bit like a coal furnace on a train: a bigger furnace will burn faster, giving more speed, but eventually you reach a point where you can’t burn coal any faster. What you need is someone to shovel coal quicker. This, roughly, illustrates the problem with many systems. Slow hard drives and small RAM capacities mean that the fastest processors are forced to idle while waiting for data to be transferred. And that’s why we’ve come up with this selection of memory and storage recommendations for you to help speed up your system.
Memory: What To Look For
No matter how much RAM you’ve got, it seems like a computer can always benefit from more. Of course, this isn’t true. Around 8GB of memory should be sufficient to render any modern system capable throughout its lifespan, and 16GB will future-proof it for years to come. But there are still ways you can improve performance – not by buying more RAM, but by buying better RAM, and knowing how to tweak it for speed.
Adding RAM is one of the better ways to give your computer a general performance boost. In some cases, a RAM upgrade might even lead to more tangible improvements than a new CPU, since the visible effects of additional RAM are most apparent when performing some of the most common tasks, such as web browsing and multi-tasking.
The RAM market can seem deceptively simple from the outside. On the surface, there’s not much to select – capacity, brand and speed rating – but what else is there? We’ll get to that in a moment. Buying RAM is easy, but buying good RAM or the right RAM? That’s a challenge.
Cost-wise, it’s important to recognise that the difference between cheap RAM and expensive RAM is largely down to quality control. High-end manufacturers add things like heatsinks or lights to distinguish their components for a different market, but unless you’re into overclocking, there shouldn’t be much difference once it’s in the actual PC. Remember that it’s advantageous to buy RAM in pairs rather than singles, where possible. Singles are often cheaper, but two 4GB sticks of RAM will give faster performance than one 8GB stick.
Generally speaking, it’s not a good idea to reuse RAM. Mixing and matching modules from old systems can lead to performance clashes. Unless you have a good reason for keeping hold of your existing memory modules, it’s not a terrible idea to simply replace them, rather than run slower/older modules alongside your new hardware. This will minimise any problems.
Overall, RAM speed is a combination of various factors, including latency, clock frequency and transfer rates. All you need to know when buying RAM is that latency timings are given as four numbers separated by hyphens, where lower numbers describe quicker communication between the RAM and the CPU. Clock frequencies are given as a more familiar megahertz value. As with CPUs, higher is better. You can overclock RAM (if your motherboard allows), but as with CPUs, this can potentially damage the hardware.
RAM transfer rates are given in MB/s, using codes such as ‘PC3-10666’. This, translated, tells you that the RAM is DDR3, capable of transferring data at a rate of 10,666 MB/s. Again, higher numbers here are better.
It’s worth pointing out, too, that DDR4 RAM is starting to reach the consumer market. Intel’s latest platforms support it, and AMD’s Zen platform, due later this year, is expected to as well. These systems are still compatible with DDR3, and it’s not impossible to find Skylake systems that require DDR3 memory, but generally speaking, if you have the option to use DDR4 you should.
DDR3 Deals
Budget: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1333MHz (£26.50)
Low prices and reliable performance mean Kingston’s ValueRAM is a smart choice for anyone building an entry-level system that isn’t going to be taxed much during its life. Aimed at generic system-builders, it’s plain, basic and priced to match. The only problem is that RAM prices are currently so low that the difference between this and more performance-oriented memory is very small. ValueRAM is aimed at bulk buyers, so it’s only great value in situations where £2-£3 differences will stack up. Still, it is cheaper, and day-today performance will be more than adequate, even though it’s 1333MHz.
Premium: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz (£31.50)
Although it doesn’t look especially hardcore, Crucial’s Ballistix Sport range is designed for committed enthusiasts. Although it features standard timings and voltages, its 1600MHz / PC3-12800 combination means it’s far from the worst kit on the market. The standard package can be overclocked a little without any problems, thanks to the heat spreaders, but performance maniacs will find it hitting limits slightly earlier than more expensive RAM from the likes of Kingston and Corsair. The 2 x 4GB configuration allows it to take full advantage of its speed and means that any all-purpose system will be kept in free memory for as long as you need. At least where DDR3 systems are concerned, it’s a much better value prospect than any overtly enthusiast RAM.
DDR4 Deals
Budget: Crucial 8GB (2x4GB) DDR4 2133MHz (£29)
Even the cheapest DDR4 kits on the market offer a considerable step up from the best DDR3 kits, which is why new system builds should look to incorporate the latest hardware as much as possible. Even at this basic level, DDR4 uses less power and has higher bandwidth (PC4-17000) than DDR3. This isn’t the absolute minimum you can spend on DDR4 modules, but you’ll only find single DIMMs if you spend any less, and it’s beneficial to buy a matched pair. Unlike DDR3, the price hike from this type of DDR4 RAM to some much better modules is more than a little tangible, so if you’re not building a high-fidelity gaming PC, it’s definitely worth considering Crucial’s entry-level offerings.
Premium: HyperX Savage Black (2x4GB) DDR4 2400MHz (£51)
If you want a premium DDR4 kit for your system, HyperX’s Savage Black should fit the bill. It has a lowlatency design combined with goldplated contacts to ensure clean and speedy communication between your memory and motherboard. Rated at 2400MHz, the extra speed is going to translate in obviously better performance where gaming systems are concerned, and the heat spreaders ensure that the modules aren’t negatively affected by high temperature systems. If you’re a gamer with a lot of hardware warming up your PC, it’s worth paying extra for.
Storage: What To Look For
Buying and installing storage is probably the easiest part of constructing a PC system, but you’re still faced with a choice: do you want a mechanical-based HDD or a solid-state SSD?
The real question here is whether you favour capacity or speed. Both drive types have other advantages, but overwhelmingly the selling point of HDDs is that you can get literally thousands of gigabytes for an incredibly low cost, while the selling point of SSDs is that they’re extremely fast and can speed up your computer – not just how quickly it boots, but also how fast data-heavy software like games run.
Overall, mechanical hard drives are cheap, reasonably fast, have substantially higher capacities than most storage methods and can remain functional for years without any significant errors. They remain a great choice for data storage, and whatever you want to use your PC for, you can be certain that an internal hard drive will do any job you throw at it to reasonably high standards.
But solid-state drives are undoubtedly where you should be looking if you’re building a new PC. The price of SSDs is falling fast, and while they’re some way off competing with mechanical HDDs, they’re good enough that you can run a system off one without paying a lot more. Compared to standard hard drives, SSDs have faster access times, make much less noise, run at a lower temperature and have lower power requirements, and that should be more than enough to make anyone with an eye on system quality consider them.
That said, it’s important to consider the rest of your system. SSDs might not be the best choice if you’re running a low-end CPU and don’t plan to do any gaming, not just because of their cost but because you won’t be able to see the full benefit of their faster transfer speeds. Similarly, while the amount of storage mechanical hard drives offer is incredibly tempting, they will cause bottlenecks on faster systems, especially as they age and the data becomes less organised.
Still, while we wouldn’t say there’s never a case for choosing a mechanical HDD over an SSD, if you only buy one, it should be an SSD, and if you can afford to buy two, get an SSD for your main drive and a mechanical hard drive for data storage.
SSD Deals
Budget: Toshiba 120GB Q300 (£34)
We wouldn’t be comfortable recommending anyone choose a drive smaller than 120GB as their main one, so if you’re looking to put an SSD in a budget system, we suggest you look at the Toshiba 120GB Q300. At £34 it’s one of the cheapest 120GB units you’ll find, and even though its overall read and write speeds are poor compared to most SSDs, it’ll still trounce any mechanical drive you’re using in every area except price. Time was you couldn’t justify an SSD in a budget system, but with hardware like this on the market, it’s a tough option to ignore.
Premium: Samsung 850 EVO 1TB (£250)
Samsung’s SSDs have a deservedly high reputation across the board, so once you decide to go for a high-end drive, it makes sense to spend the extra money they cost. The 850 EVO series is as impressive as any of its consumer models are, but it’s also got the chops to give enthusiast lines a run for their money, at least in terms of speed. The low price is slightly mitigated by the lack of adaptors and cabling (you’ll have to provide the kit yourself), but in all other ways it’s a purchase that justifies its high expense. If you’re putting a gaming system together, we wouldn’t want it to be running on anything worse, and especially if you’re planning to install a lot of games, that 1TB of space will be particularly important.
HDD Deals
Budget: Seagate Barracuda 1TB (£43)
It’s a bad idea to buy a hard drive cheaper than 1TB at retail, simply because the smaller the drive you buy, the greater the proportion of cost spent on materials and manufacturing becomes. Even 1TB drives aren’t especially good value, but buying anything cheaper puts you in the territory of being actively mugged. 1TB provides enough capacity for both running a system or making long-term storage, so it’s a good all-round purchase, which you can happily repurpose later on. You don’t even have to skimp on speed: even the cheapest drives are SATA-3 (6GB/s) and run at 7200rpm, meaning a competitive experience. You can maybe save a few pounds by going with another manufacturer, but we’d argue that Seagate’s reputation makes it worth the extra few quid.
Premium: Western Digital Blue 4TB (£115)
Mechanical drives currently go all the way up to 6TB, but you’ll find the best pricing around 4TB, and that’s more than enough space for all but the most committed data hoarders. In technical terms, there isn’t a huge difference between this larger drive and any smaller ones you care to mention, because hard drive technology is broadly at its limits. Premium drives tend to just be larger, as in this case, or optimised for specialist purposes, which isn’t much use to home users. Western Digital’s new Blue range replaces the old Western Digital Green line of low-power, generaluse read and write hardware, and between the drive’s pedigree, price and capacity, there’s no better choice around.