Is DRAM really that important for NVMe SSDs in a Gaming PC?

Posted by OkSatisfaction3924@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 16 comments

Looking at SSD options and came across some drives like the CRAS C910G that don’t seem to have DRAM. For gaming + general use (no heavy editing), does it actually make a noticeable difference? I’ve seen mixed opinions; some say DRAM is essential and others say for gaming it doesn’t matter Would appreciate real-world input before I decide.

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16 Comments

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HopefulNose4158@reddit

DRAM isn’t really that necessary for gaming. I’m using the 2TB version of the C910G, and with prices going crazy right now, it’s hard to find better quality for the money.

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Viking2151@reddit

I don't have any that are DRAM cache and I can't tell a difference, even if I'm moving say 50gb or more, its usually to a HDD which is slow and makes like no difference.

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littleemp@reddit

How much are you going to save by going with a worse DRAMless drive? Keep in mind that this is something that you'll likely keep for 10 years or more. Saving a few bucks for a worse performing drive makes no sense in that context.

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jschreck032512@reddit

It can if the performance isn’t noticed in your normal use of the PC. That’s the point of the question. They don’t do any work that would require a high performance drive so if the reliability is the same and the specific use case isn’t impacted then the “worse” drive is really just not spending money on something you’ll never realize the benefit of. If you get the same experience anyway and the drive is just as reliable then there’s no need to spend the extra money. Save it here and spend it on something that will get you the better gaming performance you want.

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VersaceUpholstery@reddit

No, only SATA

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Beneficial-Ranger238@reddit

Not even sata, I have a bx500 holding all my games on one system and it has absolutely no stutters or loading issues whatsoever.

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Academic-Business-45@reddit

Dram less nvme slow down more when the drive is full. If you go dram less, buy more space that you need

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Beneficial-Ranger238@reddit

No.

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venom21685@reddit

It doesn't matter nearly as much anymore when using drives that support Host Memory Buffer (HMB).

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1rkella@reddit

It used to be a lot more of an issue, but with the advent of HMB (Host Memory Buffer) technology, it's not as much of a concern at all. This allows the drive to utilize a portion of your system RAM as a cache.

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Naerven@reddit

No, but if it's available it's nice to have and drives with a dram cache tend to have a higher TBW rating.

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mycheese@reddit

I don’t think DRAM is essentially not relevant to TBW. That’s purely on the NAND layers and binning. Higher end drives just tend to have a guarantee of TLC, good binning, and DRAM. What’s most relevant in my experience is the controller, the channels, and the binning. On top of this, manufacturers vary in the amount of ram they apply per TB. SSDs are a tricky product to navigate if you’re actually looking to use them for anything besides gaming.

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Is DRAM really that important for NVMe SSDs in a Gaming PC?

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16 Comments

HopefulNose4158@reddit

Viking2151@reddit

littleemp@reddit

jschreck032512@reddit

VersaceUpholstery@reddit

Beneficial-Ranger238@reddit

Academic-Business-45@reddit

Beneficial-Ranger238@reddit

venom21685@reddit

1rkella@reddit

Naerven@reddit

mycheese@reddit

9okm@reddit

PembyVillageIdiot@reddit

pyroserenus@reddit

Dwarf-Eater@reddit