Memory in Lahore

Buying memory second-hand

Buy memory as a kit, not as sticks. Modules sold as a matched set were tested together at their rated speed; two single sticks of the same model bought separately frequently will not run at the advertised timings together, and the fix is to run them slower. If a seller is offering two sticks, ask whether they came in one box.

Speed only matters within limits. DDR4 above about 3600 and DDR5 above about 6000 gives diminishing returns on most builds, and a kit your motherboard cannot actually run at its rated speed is a kit you have overpaid for. Check your board's supported list, and remember that advertised speeds require enabling XMP or EXPO in the BIOS — plenty of people never do, and run expensive memory at base speed for years.

What to check before you pay

• Confirm DDR4 versus DDR5 — the slots are keyed differently and are not interchangeable.
• Run a full memory test pass; errors show up under sustained testing, not in a boot.
• Ask whether the sticks were sold as a matched kit or accumulated separately.
• Check the heat spreaders will physically clear your CPU cooler.

Read how to benchmark anything before you buy it →