Every component in your computer produces heat to some extent. Some produce more than others. RAM is a component that does produce some heat when it is on and functioning, which might lead you to ask the question. Does RAM need cooling?
RAM already has a built-in heatsink that uses the air circulation in your computer to spread the heat and prevent your RAM from overheating. So, RAM doesn’t need any dedicated cooling system to keep RAM cool because it already has its own system in place.
There is still a possibility that overclocking and general use might cause your RAM to hit up a bit more than usual which can cause overheating.
That’s why we made this article, to go in-depth on how RAM cools itself if you need cooling and how to prevent your RAM from overheating.
When Do You Need To Cool Down Your RAM?
As I said in the introduction in most cases you will not need an external dedicated RAM cooler and is actually considered pointless by many different computer enthusiasts. However, there are always exceptions for certain computer builds and people.
If you are considering doing some heavy overclocking to your computer and Random Access Memory specifically then this is a situation where you might want to find a way of cooling your RAM.
This is because overclocking your RAM will push it to the limits increasing its clock speed and the performance of the memory.
Doing so will also cause it to heat up much more and much faster. The pace at which it heats up might be much faster than the RAMs heatsink can keep it cool, so you will need to cool down your RAM.
Another reason you might need to cool down your RAM is technical issues. A defective motherboard or DIMM slots can cause your RAM to overheat. Although this is very unlikely it still could happen.
How Do I Cool Down My RAM?
There are two main ways of cooling down your RAM.
The first is air cooling.
When using air to cool your RAM you aren’t actually buying a dedicated RAM air cooler, but instead are using case fans that are directly in front or beside the DIMM slots on your motherboard.
This will allow for optimal airflow to keep your RAM cool and prevent it from overheating, especially if you are overclocking.
The next way of cooling your RAM is to use a dedicated Liquid Cooler.
With liquid cooling, you will have to purchase a liquid cooling set for your dedicated RAM. This usually attaches to the memory sticks and allows cold liquid to run through the hardware.
Just note that if you are doing this, then it might become fairly expensive because you will need to get liquid cooling for other parts of your computer as well for it to be compatible.
Just remember to note that you should only use these cooling techniques if the temperature of your RAM is going higher than 40 degrees celsius because this is the point where issues will start to appear.
If your RAM is not reaching this temperature, then there is no point in cooling your RAM.
Does RAM Have a Heatsink?
Yes, RAM does have a built-in heatsink and this is the reason why most of the time you won’t need to cool your RAM.
The heatsink in the RAM uses the airflow inside of your computer to run through the memory sticks and transfer the heat passively without the use of a cooler. This allows your RAM to run at an adequate temperature without the need for a dedicated cooler.
What is a Heatsink?
A heatsink is a device that helps prevent the temperature inside a computer part from overheating. In this example, we are talking about Random-Access-Memory.
With that being said, there are two main types of heatsinks; passive and active heatsinks.
Active Heatsinks
Active heatsinks use a fan or some sort of blower that either moves the air inside the heatsink or takes it out. The fans improve airflow which helps dissipate heat much faster.
Passive Heatsinks
With passive heatsinks, you don’t need any extra mechanical power, instead, they solely rely on the natural airflow around it and slowly dissipate heat.
What if My RAM Overheats?
If your RAM overheats then your will experience hardware issues that can also result in damaging your RAM.
At around 40 degrees celsius you will start to experience system errors and issues.
Some things that you might experience are:
- Screen Freezing
- Application Crashes
- Lowered Performance
- Slower Response Time
System damage and Major errors usually occur around 50 degrees Celcius and above
This includes:
- Application Crashes
- Blue or black screen of death
- RAM damage
This is why you really want to make sure that your RAM isn’t overheating so that you don’t experience these issues.
Benefits of Cool RAM
There are multiple reasons for keeping your RAM cool other than preventing it from overheating. Cool RAM can improve performance, and lifespan.
Increased Performance
The harder your computer hardware works the more performance it outputs. However, the harder it works the more heat it produces as well.
When computer hardware starts to heat up it usually decreases its performance because all modern components have a safety mechanism put in place to prevent it from overheating.
In this case we are talking about your RAM.
If your RAM is kept cool even while it is working really hard, then it won’t produce as much heat which means it can keep working and produce a lot more performance.
Less Issues When Overclocking
Overclocking produces a lot of heat. By keeping your RAM cool you will be able to overclock without the worry of overheating.
With a dedicated cooling system you will be able to overclock it even further increasing the performance of your RAM even more.
Increased Lifespan
One way to increase your RAMs lifespan is to keep it cool and prevent it from overheating. Even if your RAM is still functional, but running at unsafe temperatures, you can still be potentially ruining its lifespan.
However if it is always cooled down to a safe temperature it will keep it working better and longer.
Check out: “How Long Does RAM Last? If you want to learn more.
Conclusion
In conclusion, for most people you won’t need to do anything extra to keep your RAM cool, as it has a sufficient heatsink that prevents it from overheating. However, if you are looking to overclock and increase its performance, then you might want to consider upgrading the cooling system on your RAM sticks.
Even if you aren’t using an external cooling system to keep your RAM at a safe temperature make sure to monitor your RAM so that you don’t cause any longterm damage, that way you can increase its lifespan.
