I’m currently shopping for a laptop. What’s the difference between DDR2 memory and DDR3?
“DDR” stands for “double data rate” memory and is not to be confused with the Dance Dance Revolution video game. DDR means it can pump data to and from the processor twice as fast as older memory. Since DDR arrived back in 2001, two upgraded versions have been introduced — DDR2 is the most common type on the market today, and DDR3 is the successor to DDR2. DDR3 is faster and can consume less power and generate less heat. The tradeoff is that DDR3 may cost twice as much. At some point, this cost gap should shrink as DDR3 becomes more widely available. In the meantime, I wouldn’t let the DDR2 versus DDR3 memory choice be a big factor in your laptop decision. It’s unlikely to make a significant difference in the laptop’s overall performance.
