Most desktops and notebooks use one of the three most popular types of synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) for the main system memory. Single data rate (SDR) SDRAM is the older type of memory, commonly used in computers prior to 2002. Double data rate (DDR) SDRAM hit the mainstream computer market around 2002, and DDR2-based systems hit the market in mid-2004. DDR SDRAM is a straightforward evolution from SDR SDRAM. The big difference between DDR SDRAM and SDR SDRAM is that DDR reads data on both the rising and falling edges of the clock signal, so the DDR module can transfer data twice as fast as SDR SDRAM. While DDR has a limited clock rate, the evolutionary changes to DDR architecture enable DDR2 to achieve speeds beyond that of DDR, delivering bandwidth of 5.3 GB per second and beyond! Because DDR2 is able to operate with faster bus speeds, your memory doesn’t hold back the performance of your processor.

Generally speaking, motherboards are built to support only one type of memory. You cannot mix and match SDRAM, DDR, or DDR2 memory on the same motherboard in any system. They will not function and will not even fit in the same sockets.The right type of memory to use is the one that your computer takes! The easiest way to find the right memory for your computer is to look up your system in Crucial’s Memory Advisor Tool.