Working memory is one of the main components stable operation computer. Without it, PC operation is impossible, and without enough RAM, the user will not be able to run some of the programs. Consider how RAM works, how to increase the volume random access memory and other points.

First, let's figure out what the reduction in RAM or RAM means. In Russian it sounds like "Random Access Memory", and in English - "Random Access Memory". The features of the part lie in the fact that it only works when the computer is turned on. RAM stores data processed by the processor and executable codes.

The principle of operation of the RAM is as follows:

1. Each memory cell has its own row and column.
2. When running, the computer sends a signal to one of the strings.
3. Due to the electrical signal, the transistor opens.
4. The sent charge from the capacitor goes to one of the available columns, to which a sensitive amplifier is connected.
5. The flow supplied by the discharged capacitor is registered through the amplifier, after which the required command is issued.

Due to the fact that random access memory runs on semiconductors, it cannot store information in the absence of current.

How to increase RAM in a computer and laptop?

Briefly, there are several ways to increase the amount of RAM. The main one is adding new brackets to the motherboard. Alternatively, you can change the page file data. Let's consider each method in more detail.

Expanding capacity with memory modules

Modern computers need at least 2 GB of RAM to run smoothly, depending on the operating system installed. For example, the same amount is required for Windows 10 64 bit. The main way to increase this figure is to add or replace RAM sticks.

It is important to understand that the module must fit a computer or laptop. For example, PCs with older processors do not support 1666 MHz RAM. The same applies to motherboards - most older models cannot work with parts that have more than 4 GB of memory.

In order not to miscalculate, the owner of the PC needs to know the name of the model motherboard and processor.

To check the processor, you need to perform a few other steps:

In this way, you can check the compatibility of the RAM with other parts of the PC.

How to determine the type of RAM

Before buying new devices, it is also important to know their type. If you buy the wrong bar, you will have to return it.

There are 4 types of RAM:

• Ddr1 - the most "ancient";

• Ddr2 is also obsolete;

• Ddr3 - still in use today;

• Ddr4 is the latest development:

There are several ways to determine which type is installed on a computer. First of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the sticker on the front side of the bar, if there is one. Most often, it indicates the type of memory, volume and other information. If the type is not directly specified, then other marks can be used. For example, if "PC3" is written, then it is ddr3, and if "PC2" - ddr2.

The most reliable method is to look at the cutouts between the yellow pads. The diagram below will help you understand this:

The last method: using a special software to scan installed components. For example, this is perfect for AIDA64.

Laptops use the same markings, but a slightly different scheme. The planks are much smaller.

Installing RAM modules

First of all, you need to open the computer case from the side where you can access the motherboard. Necessarily completely turn off the computer, pull the wire from the outlet and de-energize it by holding the "Start" button. Depending on the type of case you are using, you will have to unscrew the screws on the back of the PC and remove the cover, remove the latches, or simply open it like a door.

We find slots for RAM on the motherboard. They should look something like this:

If there are already modules that should be replaced by new ones, you need to dismantle them. To do this, press the latches on the sides and remove the slats. You need to be very careful, as this is a very sensitive, fragile part.

Now we take a new RAM and install it in a free slot. To do this, insert the bar so that the groove coincides with the protrusion in the connector. It is necessary to slightly press on the module so that it fully enters the connector. During installation, a click may be heard - this means that the latches are automatically latched and the memory is installed correctly. If this did not happen, but the bar is installed, manually “snap” it.

Paired RAMs are recommended to be inserted into slots of the same color, if any. On most motherboards, the connectors are painted in two colors - 2 in one, 2 in another. Installing two identical parts in slots with the same coloring will allow devices to work in dual-channel mode.

After that, close the case cover, tighten the bolts and connect the PC to electricity. We try to start the computer - if the system starts up as usual, then everything is done correctly. If there is any doubt about the performance, it is recommended to check the new parts using.

In laptops, the principle is almost the same, but there are slight differences. First you need to turn off the laptop and unplug it from the network. Next, remove the battery - depending on the model of the device, you will have to unscrew the screws on the back cover or use another method to open the case. After the battery is removed, you need to press the power button - this will get rid of static charges.

To find the RAM slot, you need to remove the panel on the bottom of the device. There may be several panels, therefore, for reliability, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the documents received upon purchase or search the network for a disassembly of a particular model.

Most often, two slots for RAM are available. Budget models can boast only one connector. More expensive devices may have more room for more RAM. To remove the old strips, you need to open the latches on the sides. Once they are released, the part will rise at a 45° angle.

Carefully insert the new module at the same angle, making sure that it fits correctly into the slot. Next, you need to press down on the bar so that the latches on the sides automatically close. Then we return all the panels to their place, install the battery and close the case cover. Trying to turn on the device. If there are doubts about the performance of the laptop, we check it with

Alternative ways to increase RAM

In addition to installing new components, you can use other methods to increase the computer's RAM.

Expanding RAM using a flash drive

The easiest and most affordable way to add RAM to a computer or laptop is to use a flash drive.

Starting with Windows 7, it is possible to use the utility "Ready Boost".

1. First you need to insert the USB flash drive into the USB port on your computer.
2. We open "Conductor" and right-click on the name of the flash drive in the left menu.
3. Choose an item "Properties" and go to section "Ready Boost".
4. Check the box "Use this device".
5. We indicate the volume of the flash drive that will be used as RAM, you can specify the entire volume at once.
6. click "Apply", Then "OK" and close the window.

This method is good because it does not require additional costs if you have a free flash drive. Before buying new modules, you can safely use it.

Changing BIOS settings

Change BIOS settings Needed to overclock RAM. In general, the main task of BIOS is to enable the user to configure the operation of components, a computer, and so on.

1. Reboot the computer and press the key to enter the BIOS - Del,Esc,F2 etc. You can press several keys at once, so as not to restart the PC again later.
2. Click Ctrl+F1, the advanced settings window will open, if it doesn’t exit, go to the item "Advanced BIOS Features".
3. Choose an item System Memory Multiplier or "Advanced DRAM Configuration".
4. In section DRAM Timing Selectable set the mode Manual, i.e. manual setting.
5. We save the changes, if desired, experiment with changing the timings.
6. Restart the computer in special programs(for example, AIDA64) change the settings.

Thus, you can customize the PC for yourself. It is important to understand that changes in the settings should be made by a person who is at least a little versed in this.

We hope that after that you understand the principle of increasing the computer's RAM. If you have any questions, be sure to ask them in the comments!

Introduction

With the introduction of the new Intel Skylake processors this year, many are thinking about upgrading their computer to a new platform. And for this you need to buy not only new processor, but also a motherboard based on a new chipset. In addition, many new motherboards have slots for a new standard of RAM - DDR4, the prices for which differ from those for DDR3 by an average of 20-40%.

But regardless of whether you want to build a computer on your own new platform using DDR4 or upgrading your system with DDR3 memory installed, you are probably wondering, “How much memory do I need? 8 or 16 gigabytes?

When the price of an 8Gb DDR3-2400 memory kit averages $55 - less than many of you will spend on a piece of aluminum that your processor is made of - you probably don't think much about saving big on memory and put 16Gb, the average price for a set of which is $90. For DDR4 those numbers will be $65 for 8Gb and $130 if you want 16Gb.

In fact, if you buy a computer with a Corei7 processor, a top-end graphics card and a fast SSD drive oh, spending on RAM will seem like nothing to you. However, if you're going to get the most bang for your buck by choosing parts for the best price-performance ratio, building a PC based on Core i5, Core i3, or whatever, then you really want to know if adding an extra 8Gb will do you any good. And how much will this improve performance?

It makes little sense to take a large amount of memory "for the future", because on the motherboard, as a rule, you will have free slots and, at any time, you can buy a memory bar and insert it into your computer.

The last time I asked myself the question of comparing the performance of different amounts of RAM was in 2007. Back then, DDR2 memory was all the rage. And I found that at the time, doubling the memory from two gigabytes to four gigabytes was almost no advantage in games.

Today's games can consume over 4 gigabytes, so there's no reason not to set the bar at 8Gb. But the need to upgrade to 16 Gb has become a topic of discussion on the Internet, and today we will figure out when such a large amount of memory will be useful and for how much.

Test Bench Specifications:

System unit based on Intel Skylake

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K (4.0GHz - 4.2GHz)

Motherboard: Asrock Z170 Gaming K6+

RAM kit(Dual Channel): 16GB DDR4-2666 RAM

RAM kit(Dual Channel): 8GB DDR4-2666 RAM

RAM stick: 4GB DDR4-2666 RAM

video card: GeForce GTX 980

Winchester: Crucial MX200 1TB

Power Supply: SilverStone Essential Gold 750w

Operating system: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit

Working with Applications

After spending several hours going through the popular applications used to perform typical tasks, it was difficult to find one that would use more than 4 gigabytes.

For example, running on Windows computer 10, a couple of browsers with a dozen open tabs in each, Postbox mail client, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Word and Excel, a couple of IM clients, Sublime Text, SFTP application, Plex Server, Dropbox, OneDrive, and more system utilities running in the background, memory usage was no more than 70%.

When you have enough memory installed to run all the applications you use at the same time, further increase in memory will not lead to an increase in performance. In other words, working on a computer with ordinary programs, it will be difficult to catch any significant performance differences between 8Gb and 16Gb.

Among the programs we tested, the Adobe Premier CC video editor turned out to be the most demanding on RAM. And you can see it in the chart below:

As an experiment, we edited a 17-minute video made up of several small clips, pictures and audio recordings. In order to use the RAM to the maximum, we made the necessary settings for the program, which can use up to 12Gb when encoding.

With 16Gb of memory installed, the job was completed in 290 seconds. Surprisingly, with 8Gb of memory, the encoding time almost did not increase and amounted to 300 seconds. And only when we replaced the memory with 4Gb, we saw a significant loss in performance. To be precise, 4Gb was 38% slower than 8Gb.

Let's move on to the 7-Zip archiver. By default, the benchmark settings use a dictionary length of 32Mb, which is usually enough to carry out compression. But if you are going to compress several files, the size of which is measured in gigabytes, then it is preferable to set the size of the dictionary to a larger one. This will slow down the compression process, but will give a better result. The larger you set the size of the dictionary, the smaller the resulting archive will be. And the more your RAM will be involved.

When running the benchmark with a dictionary length of 32Mb, our Intel Skylake-based computer used about 1.7Gb of system memory, while showing a performance rating of 25120 MIPS (millions of instructions per second). Increasing the length of the dictionary twice, up to 64Mb, required 3.1Gb of system memory, up to 128Mb - 6.1Gb.

We conducted our test by setting the length of the dictionary to 512Mb, which gave a staggering load on the system memory. The required amount of memory was determined as 24Gb and the system began to use the file Windows paging to handle this process. The more we load data onto the SSD drive, the slower our system becomes.

With 16Gb of memory on board, the system produces 9290 MIPS, and a system with 8Gb becomes more than three times slower.

If we compare the compression speed measured in kilobytes per second, we will see that the configuration with 8 gigabytes is 11 times slower than the configuration with 16 gigabytes.

Although in this test we saw a significant difference between 8Gb and 16Gb, we still created a very unlikely scenario for using the archiver. Of course, those people who are engaged in compressing large amounts of information are well aware of the need to install as much RAM as possible, but the average user is unlikely to need it.

Application Performance Test

We have tested with the SPECwpc V1.2 benchmark. There are not many tests in this program that are related to applications regularly used by ordinary users. However, this benchmark is one of the few that allows you to run tests that use more than 8Gb of system memory. We have carefully selected some of them that most strongly reflect the difference in memory performance, although it should be noted that not all of them used more than 8Gb.

Blender- free program open source 3D graphics software used by professionals around the world. Unfortunately, during our testing, the benchmark used a maximum of 6.1 Gb of memory, so it would be incorrect to compare the performance of 8 and 16 gigabytes in this test. Still, we didn't see any significant performance gain between 4Gb and 8Gb.

LAMMPS is a software package for calculations in molecular dynamics. The performance test in this program using the SPECwpc benchmark used 10.5Gb of memory. And this means that it will suit us for comparing 8Gb and 16gb.

According to the results, you can see that the use of an additional 2.5Gb of memory gave an increase of 10%. This is a pretty significant difference. It can be seen more clearly when comparing 4Gb and 8Gb. The difference in the productivity of these volumes was 306%.

NAMD is another software package used in molecular dynamics. It uses only 7.2Gb, so we will compare the results of 4Gb and 8Gb. Looking at the test results, we can say that increasing the amount of memory does not significantly affect performance in the NAND program. 8Gb is only 10% ahead of 4Gb.

And the last of the application tests is a test of the Rodinia program, which is created for developers who study architecture. GPUs and other platforms.

Our test shows a slight performance increase with additional memory. Installing 16Gb instead of 8Gb only increased system performance by 4%.

Gaming performance

As expected, many gamers consider 8Gb to be sufficient. The last time we talked about the potential of memory, many of you wanted to see tests with a browser running in parallel. Google Chrome with a large number of tabs, expecting that this will affect the conclusions drawn from the testing.

Given the way Windows allocates system memory, we don't think this will have a huge impact on gaming performance. However, this time we launched game tests along with a browser running in the background, loaded with 65 tabs and consuming 2.26Gb of memory with 16Gb available.

With 16Gb of memory installed, we saw that Chrome and GTA V consumed 9Gb of memory, but did not see any difference between the 16Gb and 8Gb configurations. Moreover, the configuration with 4Gb in single-channel mode showed a result only 1 fps less than with 8Gb.

Batman: Arkham Knight might not be the smartest choice, but this test allows you to test a significant amount of memory, almost 10Gb with Google Chrome open in the background. Despite this, the configuration with 16Gb was only 1 fps faster than the configuration with 8Gb, and with 8Gb it was 4 fps faster than with 4Gb. That is, sixteen gigabytes were only 4% faster than four.

Of the next twenty games tested, only one test consumed more than 6Gb. It was an F1 2015 game that had no effect on memory stick changes.

Drawing conclusions

For those who collect new system or just thinking of upgrading the existing one to 16Gb, the answer is simple: don't throw money away. For ordinary users and gamers, there are no special advantages in using 16Gb.

In game scenarios, 4Gb of memory, as a rule, produces an acceptable fps, but 8Gb still remains the ideal choice. For those of you who are solely focused on gaming and don't have the budget for 16Gb, don't worry, you're not missing out on anything. For people who will insist that certain game mods use more than 8Gb, well, go ahead, but so far we have not been able to find any modern game without extra mods that required more than 8Gb.

Moreover, in the test, where we used almost 10Gb of memory by running the Batman game and Google browser Chrome with a lot of loaded tabs, reducing the amount of memory from 16 to 8 gigabytes did not lead to a decrease in frame rate.

Gaming aside, even an application like Adobe Premier CC, which used 12Gb in our test, didn't run much faster when we upgraded from 16GB to 8GB. However, we saw significant system slowdown with 4GB. For users who are engaged in video encoding, we recommend setting at least 8Gb.

Only one SPECwpc test showed an advantage in using 16Gb of memory instead of 8Gb, although the gap was not that significant. And for those people who use professional software, the $100 extra cost of RAM is unlikely to bother you at all.

The only application that really benefited from 16Gb was the 7-Zip archiver, although at the same time we set an unrealistically large dictionary length in the settings in order to use the maximum amount of memory. With a dictionary length of 128Mb, the system needs 6Gb of memory, and it is unlikely that many of you will ever need more. Of course, I am not an expert in file compression and do this very rarely, so I can not give one hundred percent reliable advice, but I think if you regularly compress files of crazy sizes, then you probably know what is required from your system.

Virtualization is another case where you may need a lot of RAM. If you create several virtual machines, then I must say, you want to have a ton of RAM in your computer, but this has nothing to do with ordinary users.

Summing up, let's say that 8Gb is the standard now that you need to stick to. Whether you are building a budget system or a powerful gaming computer- 8 gigabytes will be good choice, and 16 gigabytes today are needed only for some highly specialized tasks.

You can find the original article at techspot.com. Translated text for you

Then it will not be possible to replace it with a newer and more advanced DDR4 - along with the memory, you will have to change the motherboard and processor. When assembling a new computer, the most current type of memory at the moment is recommended - DDR4.

Memory

IN modern computer It is recommended to install at least 4 GB of RAM. The standard now is 8 GB - this amount is enough for the user for most everyday tasks. A professional who often works in "heavy" programs, such as Autocad and 3DSMax, is recommended to install modules of 16 GB and higher.

Memory is often sold in sets of two , four or more modules . Two modules with the same parameters, inserted into the slots of the motherboard of the same color, will work in "dual-channel mode" - this will give an increase in data transfer speed and increase the speed of the system and applications.

Clock frequency

The memory clock rate determines the speed at which data is exchanged with motherboard. The higher the frequency, the faster the computer runs. The memory bandwidth and the price of the module directly depend on it. You need to choose memory based on what frequencies are supported by the motherboard and processor.

Form factor

Most home computers use the DIMM form factor. Laptops most often have SODIMM memory installed. The remaining form factors are unlikely to be of interest to a simple user - they are installed either on servers or on old PCs.

Random Access Memory, commonly referred to as RAM or RAM, is one of the most important parts of any computer. But how much is needed for the device to work well? Current new PCs and similar devices offer values ​​from 2 GB to 16 GB or more.

The amount of memory required depends on two factors - what you intend to do and how much you are willing to spend.

Introduction to RAM

Memory capacity is often confused with the long-term storage offered by a solid state or mechanical hard drive. Sometimes even manufacturers or retailers confuse the two. To understand how much RAM is needed for the normal operation of the device, you need to figure out what its value is.

A table is a useful analogy to consider the difference between RAM and memory. Think of RAM as the top of the table. The larger its surface, the more papers you can lay out and read at once. Hard drives are more like drawers under your desk, capable of storing documents you don't use.

The more your system has, the more programs it can handle at the same time. RAM is not the only determining factor and you can technically have dozens of programs open at the same time with even very little RAM and it will slow down your system. Now imagine the table again. If it's too small, it gets cluttered and your work will slow down as you try to find whatever paper you need at any given moment. You will often have to dig through the drawers to fit things that won't fit on the desk surface, and to get the papers you need.

A computer with more RAM runs noticeably faster, but only up to a point. Having a large table won't help you if you only have a few articles to read.

Optimal ratio

How much RAM does your device need? Your goal is to have enough RAM for all the apps you use on that particular device. If it is too small - the work slows down. Too much RAM can only mean that you paid a lot of money for something that you will never be able to use.

Difference from other characteristics

Standard RAM should not be confused with video memory, but these concepts are closely related to computer graphic cards. High performance 3D games are based on video memory (VRAM), often referred to as GDDR5, while standard memory is referred to as RAM or DDR3. In fact, most manufacturers are very good at identifying VRAM and don't confuse it with other parameters. Therefore, to determine how much RAM is needed for GTA 5, for example, you need to consider both of the above indicators in combination.

Heavy applications

The largest services on most home computers is itself operating system and web browser. You can't make Windows or MacOS consume less memory, but more RAM on your computer means you can open more tabs in Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer etc. Also, some websites use more RAM than others. Simple text news takes up almost no resources, while something like Gmail or Netflix requires a little more power.

Programs are generally used because they increase the complexity of the job. A chat program or game (such as Minesweeper) will use almost no RAM, while a giant electronic Excel spreadsheet or a huge Photoshop project may use more than one gigabyte. Professional and engineering software is designed to solve very complex projects and tend to consume the most RAM of all programs. Modern 3D games can also use quite a lot of RAM and VRAM. In other words, your need for how much RAM to install depends on the programs you use.

• 2GB RAM: Good for tablets and netbooks only.
• RAM 4 GB: Minimum for budget Windows systems and macOS.
• 8 GB: Great for Windows and MacOS systems.
• 16 GB: Probably too much; ideal for mid-range workstations.
• 32 GB or more: Enthusiasts and dedicated workstations only.

For tablet

Tablets are not supposed to deal with complex software tasks, so their RAM requirements tend to be quite low. However, as tabbed browsers and more complex software continue to evolve, the needs of tablets are becoming more and more similar to those of laptops. Current spec options typically range from 2GB to 16GB of RAM, with processor speed playing an important role in determining the range.

For example, the iPad Air 2, which has about 2GB of RAM, puts a lot of emphasis on a versatile processor. And a device like the Microsoft Surface Pro can hold up to 16GB of RAM because users of the device may want to run a lot of professional software as well as a desktop OS.

And it gives you guidelines for choosing RAM - what do you use your tablet for? If you're only browsing one site at a time and aren't using the device for any big projects or work software, then 4GB of RAM will probably be enough. However, if you are also using your tablet as your primary PC, you must equip it with the required RAM. As a rule, this means that you will need 4 to 8 GB.

The choice of RAM for laptops

How Much You Need New laptops have between 2GB and 16GB of RAM, while high-end gaming models offer up to 32GB. As mentioned earlier, the needs for tablets and laptops converge, but most users are comfortable with running more complex programs on laptops, which means that RAM plays a more important role here.

For something like a Chromebook that runs mostly in the cloud and has very little storage space, you won't need a lot of RAM. It is enough to choose 4 GB of RAM, especially since you can use the Google Play Store to download android applications right on your computer.

How much RAM do you need for Windows 10 and new MacBook models? You should consider increasing this number to the standard 8 GB. Most of the best laptops come with this value for good reason. Of course, if you do a lot graphic works or want to open multiple tabs at once, you might want to consider upgrading your RAM to 16GB. This is especially true for gamers - the question of how much RAM is needed for games always remains relevant.

Desktop computers

RAM in desktops is cheap, so it's fairly easy to find PCs with more memory at lower prices. Also, having more RAM on PCs can be beneficial as people tend to use them longer than tablets or laptops.

How much RAM do you need for a PC? 8 GB is a good value to start with. Upgrading to 16GB is recommended for enthusiasts, hardcore gamers, and the average workstation user. Serious workstation users can upgrade to 32 GB. Even talking about how much RAM you need for games, you can make sure that too significant parameters are not required.

Anything more is the edge of extreme specialties, equipped to process huge amounts of data, huge video files, or niche programs designed for researchers, corporations, or government.

Please note that the amount of RAM and the type and speed supported by your system will depend on your motherboard.

Smartphones with 8 GB of RAM began to appear on the market only in 2017, but quickly gained popularity. Interestingly, one of the pioneers was the Chinese manufacturer OnePlus, whose flagship solutions are much cheaper than the top models of A-brands. In a poll that we launched back in the summer when we created 68Bit to find out how much RAM a modern user needs, the 8GB option came in second with 23% of the vote. Honestly, we assumed that the second line would go to the “6 GB” option. It would seem, who needs so much memory?! Not every computer had similar volumes about 5 years ago, but here smartphones flaunt them. Probably the reason for such interest in 8 GB was OnePlus 5, which gave this volume for relatively little money.

Although we still believe that such amounts of RAM are simply not needed mobile phone, the market dictates other rules. Last year, only flagship solutions had 4 GB of RAM, this year - a huge amount Chinese smartphones up to 10000-15000 rubles. It is expected that next year smartphones with 8 GB of RAM will become the absolute norm, and smartphones with 6 GB will begin to fill the budget class. While 2018 has not yet arrived, there are not many smartphones on the market that are equipped with 8 GB of RAM, so we decided to tell you about them. You may want to please yourself with the most powerful device for the New Year.

OnePlus 5 is by far the most interesting solution in the ranking best smartphones with 8 GB of RAM. The Chinese company borrowed the design from the iPhone 7 Plus, which some will like, some will not. The body of the smartphone is completely made of metal, OnePlus 5 is quite ergonomic and pretty. Naturally, it stands out with a very powerful "stuffing". The top processor, huge amounts of RAM, proper optimization of the software part and not the highest screen resolution allowed OnePlus 5 to be placed at the top of the top of the most powerful Android smartphones according to AnTuTu.

But the apparatus is not attracted by its performance alone. It is equipped with a dual camera, the algorithms of which are also borrowed from the iPhone 7 Plus. Interestingly, in many respects, OnePlus 5 bypasses the American competitor, which allowed it to take its place among. It has a quality display, impressive time battery life demonstrates the battery, the device was not left without modern “chips”, including USB Type-C and.

Be that as it may, OnePlus 5 will not lose its relevance. It's just that, as reported, production is suspended, which means that only stocks remain in warehouses. Considering the price of OnePlus 5, now is the time to order it. Hurry up!

On AnTuTu, the older OnePlus 5 scores over 180,000 points.

Nubia Z17/Z17S

In the summer of 2017, ZTE released its flagship Nubia Z17, which received the most advanced processor from Qualcomm at that time, as well as impressive memory capacities up to 8 GB. Already in the fall, the company decided to slightly update the flagship line by introducing. In terms of hardware, smartphones do not differ, but a more recent solution has received an almost frameless screen. Cameras have also been changed. The more recent model now has a dual front-facing camera, which will appeal to selfie lovers.

Both smartphones place themselves in the flagship segment, offering a truly premium look and impressive specs. Naturally, it looks more modern, which got a 5.73-inch display with thin frames. Both solutions boast high image quality, both for the main and for front camera. Of course, smartphones are presented in versions with 8 GB of RAM. Together with the top chipset, the system demonstrates high performance in any task.

In AnTuTu, both Nubia Z17 solutions score over 170,000 points.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Special Edition

Fresh from Xiaomi, which has become even more frameless and even more powerful than its predecessor, which, in fact, is at the origins of the trend to reduce frames. In the top of the best smartphones with 8 GB of RAM, we included the Special Edition solution, since the regular Mi Mix 2 is presented with 6 GB.

In fact, you won't notice any difference in performance unless you start running the appropriate tests. Smartphones are very fast. What's more, they're also beautiful. The screen with FHD + resolution occupies almost the entire front part, leaving a small strip at the bottom. The main camera of the smartphone is represented by a single sensor, which was even surprising. It uses the same sensor as the Xiaomi Mi6, so the photos are quite high quality. Following the example of other companies, the manufacturer abandoned the 3.5 mm audio jack for headphones.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Special Edition is a really beautiful and flagship smartphone. However, we would recommend considering the 6 GB option. You will lose a little in performance, but save decently. In addition, for the price of Special Edition (even a little less), you can buy original xiaomi Mi Mix 2 with 256 GB storage.

In AnTuTu, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Special Edition scores over 170,000 points.

Archos Diamond Omega

No, this is not Nubia Z17S. Here is a rather similar smartphone from another Chinese firm. Well, as quite similar, identical in features and design. Yes, and it was presented shortly after the announcement of Nubia Z17S. It's not on sale yet, but it will be available soon.

A place in the ranking of the best smartphones with 8 GB of RAM, the Archos Diamond Omega deserved, despite the similarity with the eminent competitor. Now only one version is known, which will have 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of permanent memory. The price is expected in the region of 500 euros (34,000-35,000 rubles), which makes it one of the most affordable flagships with impressive features. The smartphone received, which is important, an almost frameless screen with a diagonal of 5.73 inches. Like flagships from more well-known brands, the Archos Diamond Omega has a modern USB Type-C port with support for fast charging, as well as an NFC interface.

It's definitely worth taking a closer look at the Archos Diamond Omega. The smartphone is really flagship, beautiful and inexpensive. However, do not chase him at the very start of sales. Wait a bit, take a closer look, read the reviews, it will probably be even cheaper.

In AnTuTu, the Archos Diamond Omega scores over 170,000 points.

An unusual smartphone, which was the very first to get 8 GB of RAM. They showed it back in early 2017, so he got the Snapdragon 821, which at that time was still the oldest in the line. The main focus of the manufacturer in Asus ZenFone AR was on. The smartphone got Google's proprietary Project Tango platform, as well as a set of necessary depth and motion sensors. It also supports Daydream (another platform from Google, but for working with virtual reality).

The screen of Asus ZenFone AR has a high resolution, “stuffing”, despite the fact that the processor of 2016, still copes with any tasks. The smartphone has good camera and quite stylish design. However, we will not recommend Asus ZenFone AR to everyone. Firstly, the smartphone is sharpened to work with VR and AR, which not everyone needs. Secondly, ZenFone AR is worth it, like many flagships of A-brands with more interesting characteristics, not to mention top-end solutions from China. Be that as it may, its place among best phones with 8 GB of RAM from deserved.