Should you still buy DDR3 RAM?
Only for a PC that already uses it. DDR3 arrived in 2007 and DDR4 replaced it from 2014, so the boards that take DDR3 are old ones. For such a machine, a larger DDR3 kit is the only memory upgrade available. Moving to DDR4 means a new motherboard and often a new processor as well, as Lexar points out.
This page is the DDR3 part of our RAM prices overview and lists desktop kits only. This week we count 50 DDR3 desktop kits in stock across 4 shops. The cheapest costs $14.99 and the median kit $38.49. DDR3 is a small group in our data, so a single listing that sells out can change the cheapest price from one week to the next.
Which DDR3 kit fits your PC?
Check three things before you compare prices. First the generation: DDR3 desktop modules have 240 pins and DDR4 modules 288, with the notch in a different spot, so the two do not fit each other's slots.
Second the form factor. Desktop boards take full size DIMMs, while laptops and many small PCs use the shorter SO-DIMM, and the two are not interchangeable. DDR3 laptop modules are on our laptop RAM page.
Third the speed. DDR3 runs at 1.5V, with typical speeds between 800 and 2133 MT/s. Your board manual lists the speeds and the maximum capacity it supports, so match those instead of paying for a faster rating. An 8GB DDR3 kit starts at $19.99 this week and a 16GB kit at $37.99. If your board has free slots, one kit with the full capacity is easier to get running than sticks bought separately.
Look up the memory type of your motherboard first. A DDR4 or DDR5 kit will not go into a DDR3 slot, however good the price looks.
Is DDR3 still cheap, or should you move to DDR4?
Look at the price per GB. The median DDR3 desktop kit costs $3.65 per GB this week, against $8.44 per GB for DDR4 on our DDR4 prices page. The stick is only part of the bill, though: switching to DDR4 also means a new board and usually a new processor.
Supply of older memory is thin. TrendForce reports that the big makers are pulling back from consumer DRAM and that Taiwanese makers such as Nanya, Winbond and PSMC fill part of the DDR4 and DDR3 gap, but not all of it. TrendForce also reported that some device makers moved designs from DDR4 back to DDR3 because of shortages. Our weekly check will show how that reaches DDR3 kit prices in shops. Change in the median price per GB over the last 4 weeks: not measured yet.