Is cheap, unbranded RAM really good?

Brand value is almost always a major driving factor in any purchasing decision, especially when upgrading a PC. While GPUs, CPUs, motherboards, and storage drives are well-known brands, you'll find a fair amount of unbranded RAM on the market.

Why buy unbranded RAM?

If you don't want to spend a fortune upgrading your old machine, off-brand RAM can be one of the cheapest upgrades you can make. That's why I decided to pair the 8GB Kingston DDR4 memory module in my old laptop with an off-brand RAM stick of the same specifications.

DDR4 SODIMM RAM modules, for example, aren't that expensive. An 8GB Kingston module in a laptop costs around $23, and cheaper options from lesser-known brands are all over Amazon. So you're not saving hundreds of dollars, but every penny counts.

The exact price and value you get from a stick of off-brand RAM will change as you look for older options. Typically, as you look for older RAM, the price difference between branded and off-brand RAM narrows.

Do same specs mean same performance?

In most cases, yes. As long as the specs between your two (or more) sticks of RAM match, you should get good performance. This list of the best laptop RAM of 2024 is a good starting point for the specs you should look for.

However, unless you're replacing all the RAM in your computer with new RAM, you'll want to match the specs to the RAM sticks currently in your device. Pay attention to capacity, speed, and, if possible, latency.

Generally speaking, the more RAM you have in your PC, the better it will perform. Sometimes faster RAM is better than more RAM, but if you're upgrading an older machine to make it more reliable, adding 8GB of memory can make a big difference, regardless of speed.

Things to note

If off-brand RAM sounds like a good idea, keep in mind that not all of it is a good choice. Here are some things to keep in mind.

1. Beware of false advertising

The unbranded market is rife with knockoffs and counterfeits, so it's best to be wary of false advertising or fake specs, especially when shopping online. A good way to spot a fake is to stop and consider whether the price seems too good to be true. If you see a 16GB DDR5 CL8 RAM stick for $10, chances are something fishy is going on.

It's always a good idea to look up the exact brand and model online to see if you can find any reviews, spec sheets or alternative listings that can confirm the specs for you. You should also take the specs of off-brand modules with a grain of salt - there's a reason they're significantly cheaper, and the accuracy of the specs isn't always the reason.

2. Pay attention to quality

Another reason why off-brand RAM modules are cheap is because they use lower-quality specifications, which often results in poor performance or a shorter lifespan. While you can't physically inspect the small components soldered to the RAM stick, checking things like the connector material can help you decide whether or not to buy it.

For example, the RAM module the author purchased has tinned connectors instead of the usual copper connectors. This doesn't have much of an impact on speed, and the RAM isn't something you'll be removing and installing every day, but it does affect longevity. Sometimes this can also affect performance, so it's worth checking regularly.

3. Pay attention to the design

Finally, it's important to pay attention to the style or type of RAM you need. This is similar to being aware of false advertising, as online listings for off-brand RAM modules can sometimes list the wrong type of memory, like DDR5 instead of DDR4, or the wrong style, like SODIMM instead of DIMM.

These cases are not very common, but you can encounter them. The best way to avoid this is to know the exact make, model, and specifications of the memory module you want, read the entire product description carefully, and pay close attention.

Off-brand RAM can be a quick and easy upgrade for your old or current machine, giving you more performance while saving you unnecessary expense. Make sure you know what you need in advance, do a little research, and you'll find the right upgrade in no time.