More commonly known as the RAM, Random Access Memory is one of your computer’s most important components. It stands second only to the CPU itself. Like any other component, RAM also has a certain life period, yet it seems that most of us take it for granted and consider its failure to be a defect when it could easily have been its time to retire. While most of us keep tabs on their hardware health and lasting period, RAM almost always escapes our minds.
This carelessness can also be attributed to the fact that RAM isn’t as expensive as the other component. Most of the time, even if it is expensive, it earns its keep by helping your computer reach its full potential without much trouble. How long does RAM last? And does the time limit vary or not? It still remains a mystery to the majority of the users.
How Long Does Ram Last?
Well, the carelessness about the lasting period of RAM is actually there for a reason. That reason is that sometimes RAM can last for up to 20 years or even more, and I think it probably outlives the majority of the computer components, that are far less used for software processing. According to many of the users, RAM can last forever, which is basically their way of saying that it can be used as long you want to. Here is the list of top branded ram.
The life of the RAM can vary because of the brand/manufacturers too. Especially, if you have bought a Chinese knock-off RAM stick instead from some of the renowned brands like Kingston or Corsair etc., then the chances of that RAM failing much earlier than the original one would be way higher. A branded RAM has a very low rate of failure, and it almost lasts for a remarkably long period of time.
A Branded RAM can last for a minimum of 2-3 years, which, if I were to say, isn’t so bad for how much it costs. But the 2-3 years life span can be unfortunate in most cases because it can easily survive up to 8-10 years, and if you are lucky enough, it can go right up to 20 years or even more. A study by HardWare.fr found astonishingly low incidences of RAM returns, as low as 0.20% for Kingston and up to 1.08% for Corsair. If you consider it relatively, based on the tremendous amount of RAM being used around the world, then these numbers are fascinatingly low.
If you are amazed by the truth that it can last up to 20 years or more, then you have yet to figure out what the “more” in this case means. According to a safe majority of computer experts, RAM can easily outlive their usual life span. They have gone as far as to claim that it can live for 100 years, which explains why brands like Kingston offer a lifetime warranty on most of their new RAM sticks. In this case, the warranty becomes void because of how usually RAM is passed around in the market from one user to another, as the first one upgrades. Yet, the RAM still works just as fine, and the users do not indulge in the worries of a warranty.
What Causes RAM failure?
Most of you probably wonder if it can outlive our need, and can almost last a lifetime, then why does RAM failure still occur, even if it occurs rarely? And what causes can shorten its lifespan?
Non-Branded Makers
The first object to consider is the value of your product in this case. Branded RAMs are high-quality, which significantly lowers the rate of failure. In fact, as we have mentioned before, they come with a lifetime warranty, which means that they trust their RAM to last for a remarkably long period and take full-responsibility for any earlier failure. On the other hand, when you buy a RAM from a local or a Chinese knock manufacturers/brands, which are usually made with lower quality material to save up on costs and thus be more vulnerable to failure and cannot last as long as possible.
Heat-up or Power Surge
The lifespan of your RAM can also depend upon the ventilation of your computer. If you have a poor ventilation system and the heat-up issues occur way too often, then it is inevitable for the RAM to last a shorter period than expected. Like any other component, heating or rough-usage can cause RAM failures, which can easily be avoided otherwise. If you want your RAM to last longer, it is wiser to keep the conditions normal and improve your computer ventilation.
Like overheating, sudden power surges play a major role in shortening a RAM sticks’ lifespan. In most cases, it will not stop working right after the first surge, but instead, it will cause minor damage, which will become the leading cause of your RAM’s failure in the long run. You can avoid this by implementing a more stable power set-up for your computer or installing power surge protectors to help your RAM and other components last longer.
Overclocking
This one is not so common for RAMs, yet all of us have fallen into the seduction of pushing your components to generate more potential, almost forcefully. Overclocking is basically surpassing the original specification of a product and forcing it to generate more power than it is originally capable of, which in turn causes a RAM stick to heat-up more easily because of the higher processing and ultimately leads to RAM failure. This issue can also be avoided by having better ventilation or cooling system for all your components, especially RAM in this case. Still, it would wiser to avoid it by not overclocking in the first place.
Conclusion
In Conclusion, RAM can last forever or either breaks down very early on. It can last a lifetime under normal usage and conditions, but depending on the varying uses and conditions, the lifespan will climb down to a much shorter period. RAM isn’t that expensive, but it would wise to use it considerably, just like the other components, because lasting a lifetime doesn’t mean that it will not break down in the face of terrible circumstances.
