Guidance

Our sales department is always ready to guide you in your choice and to provide you with appropriate advice. We provide advice on frequently asked questions here:

• What should I look out for if I want to purchase memory (expansion)?

  Consider carefully which memory is suitable for your device. The memory module for your device must be of the correct type to function. You can find this in the specifications in the manual of the motherboard. Consider carefully which type of memory fits in your device.

  SERVER / DESKTOP / NOTEBOOK
  First of all, pay attention to the following rules of thumb:

  Desktop memory	DIMM (UDIMM)	UNBUFFERED	NON REGISTERED
  Notebook memory	SO-DIMM	UNBUFFERED	NON REGISTERED
  Server/Workstation memory	DIMM (RDIMM)	ECC BUFFERED	REGISTERED

  DIMM and SO-DIMM
  Desktop memory and Server memory is also called DIMM

  Memory modules for notebooks are indicated with SO-DIMM

  However, each type of DDR memory has a different shape and a different number of connection points. These connection points are called pins. Different types of DDR memory cannot be combined with each other in one system.

  (S)DRAM and SRAM
  Modern computers almost always use dynamic RAM, the abbreviation for dynamic RAM is DRAM.

  SDRAM is the current DRAM generation and can be found in almost every computer, smartphone or tablet.

  The term SDRAM is followed by the addition DDR. We make a distinction between DDR-2 / DDR-3 / DDR-4

  SRAM stands for static RAM and is often used in a computer as a CPU cache, a kind of memory aid for the processor in the computer.

  MHz
  In addition to the SDRAM type, it is also important to look at the clock frequency or clock speed of the memory. This is indicated in MHz (megahertz). A motherboard usually only supports a certain number of clock frequency types, so you have to buy memory that is supported by your motherboard.

  Pairs
  It is recommended that you install RAM in pairs because this improves performance. If you have the choice, also choose two modules from the same manufacturer with the same specifications. For example, if you want a total of 8 gigabytes of main memory, you are better off buying two modules of 4 gigabytes than one of 8 gigabytes. This is advantageous because the motherboard can activate the dual-channel functionality this way, which improves the transfer speed.

• Example of differences in memory modules

  

• What should I consider if I want to purchase a Hard Drive?

  
  

  Hard drive part number
  

  If you are going to replace your hard drive, you can find the replacement item the quickest based on the item code that is on your hard drive.

  There are multiple article codes and serial numbers on each hard drive.

  In our webshop we usually use the item code that you can find here (1):
  

  

  If you do not know this code, you can also search for a 'Bare Drive' (2) or 'Assembly' (3) Harddisk number 

  

  On our invoices, we usually use the serial number (4) that starts with 'CT:' 

  SSD and HDD

  The most common drives are the HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and the SSD (Solid State Drive)

  Unlike an HDD, an SSD contains no moving parts. The data is stored and read from memory chips, instead of a rotating magnetic disk. An SSD is therefore more advanced and faster than an HDD.

  The storage capacity of an HDD is usually larger than that of an SSD in a comparable price range.

  LFF and SFF

  Hard drives come in various sizes. The most common ones are:

  LFF	Large Form Factor	3.5 inch
  SFF	Small Form Factor	2.5 inch

  SAS / SATA and SCSI

  Hard drives have different types of connections.

  The most common ones are:

  SATA	This is mainly used with desktops and notebooks
  SAS/SATA	This is mainly used with servers and workstations
  SCSI	Precursor to SAS, was used in older-generation servers

  

  example of an SCSI disk