NB: It arrived in July, and I wrote about it then, but I only made the post publicly available now.
I’ve been looking forward to this since I started my Home Lab. I wanted to put as much RAM as possible in each ESXi server. RAM used to be really expensive, about $900, but now it’s much cheaper, around $100.
I was surprised how fast the RAM got here from the US to Europe, only a few days. I found a really good deal on https://memory.net, better than other places. Did you know there are only three big companies that make memory – Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron? Big brands like HPE, Dell, or Cisco use the same memory but put their own sticker on it and charge more.
I chose the Samsung M386A8K40BM2-CTD, a 64GB DDR4-2666 LRDIMM PC4-21300V-L module. I noticed that using this RAM makes my ESXi server use more electricity. Before, it was around 90-120W, but now it’s 180-200W.
I also tested it with Windows 11 on a regular computer. It looks like new RAM uses only the power it needs for the job. But with Windows 11, the power used changes. With 3x 64GB RAM, it’s about 120-144W, and with 8x 64GB, it’s 160-170W.
The power consumption of DDR4 RAM modules is a critical aspect often overlooked. RAM power usage is influenced by factors like data transfer rates, operating frequency, and task complexity. Load plays a direct role, with RAM drawing more power during intensive tasks and less during idle moments. Comparing DDR4 RAM types, LRDIMMs offer efficiency by reducing memory controller load, RDIMMs strike a balance, SODIMMs excel in mobile devices with lower power demands, and UDIMMs consume slightly more power due to their simplicity. For optimal efficiency, SODIMMs stand out for mobile computing, while LRDIMMs and RDIMMs enhance efficiency for high-capacity scenarios. Making the right RAM choice aligns performance with power needs, shaping an efficient computing experience.
Also, I added an extra fan inside to keep things cool. It was easy to do for two of my servers, but the third one was a bit hard. I had to add something to control the fan because it was going too slow, only 300 RPM, and then suddenly going fast for a few seconds. That was annoying! But the extra fan helped cool the RAM and made my server quieter, so that’s good.