How to identify a DIMM that does not have DDR2 or DDR3 written over it

ddr3memory

The RAM I have has an identity code 'pc3-10600u-999 hf'
Upon searching for details I find only one result i.e. 'Ramaxel' DDR3. Alternatives such as Kingston or Corsair or Transcend does not show up.

Which may mean that a part of the number is manufacturer identity. I would like to replace a faulty RAM, but I would like to source from local market, perhaps a Kingston. I tried looking around for details and understood the part up to 'pc3-10600' i.e. it is DDR3-1333

Now the doubts I have are as follows:

  1. what is the difference between pc3-10600 and pc3-10666 ? Can I have both 10600 and 10666 on two channels of a motherboard?
  2. What does 'u-999 hf' part of 'pc3-10600u-999 hf' mean?
  3. What would be Kingston or Corsair equivalent for 'pc3-10600u-999 hf' ?

Best Answer

If you have any doubts which RAM will properly work in your system, you should visit the website http://www.crucial.com. They have a nice tool that tells you which RAM is compatible with your system (without any purchase obligation).

The main difference between pc3-10600 and pc3-10666 is the speed at which they work. You can combine the 2, but ALL your RAM will only work as fast as the slowest component.

The u-999 part of the naming is probably model number or so, nothing you should be worried about. The important part is the pc3-10600 or pc3-10666, which will indicate the type of RAM. DDR3 is usually noted as PC3-xxxx(x) and DDR2 is usually noted as PC2-xxxx. The xxxx indicates the performance of the DIMM, lower values are lower speeds. All brands use the same notation these days, so whether you go for Corsair, Kingston, Crucial or a white label, there won't be much of a difference.

Also, it doesn't matter all that much which brand you buy in terms of performance. There are very few companies in the world producing memory chips and they sell to all the major and minor vendors. The biggest difference between brands are the warranty, support and testing methods they use before shipping to the final customer. I always prefer a brand that offers lifetime warranty, but between all of them, I go for the cheapest one. That's just personal preference.

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