Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does CL28-35-35-72 mean?

CL stands for CAS Latency. These four numbers represent the values of each latency type, namely tCL–tRCD–tRP–tRAS.

The CAS (Column Address Strobe or Signal) latency of a memory module refers to the number of clock cycles required for the RAM module to access a specific set of data in its columns and make the data available on its output pins, starting from the initiation of the operation by the memory controller.

CAS latency can be expressed in several different ways. For example, a memory module with a CAS latency of 28 can be described as CAS 28, CL28, or having CAS 28 timings.

The lower the CAS latency, the faster the RAM (relatively speaking, and the higher the cost). When choosing memory modules with different frequencies, those with higher frequencies perform better; when selecting memory modules with the same frequency, those with lower CAS latency are faster.

2. What is the difference between DDR4-3200 and PC4-25600?

Both describe the same memory performance but use two different expression methods. When starting with "DDR4-", it usually refers to the memory frequency; when starting with "PC4-", it usually refers to the memory bandwidth. The same applies to "DDR5-" and "PC5-".

If you divide the (memory bandwidth) by 8 or multiply the (memory frequency) by 8, you will find that the resulting numbers are consistent. For example, 3200 * 8 = 25600, and 25600 / 8 = 3200.

3. Can the memory heat sink be removed?

Removing the heat sink will invalidate the warranty service of your GLOWAY memory module.

4. What is dual-channel memory?

Dual-channel memory is a type of multi-channel memory. All versions of multi-channel RAM improve data transfer speed by adding more communication channels between the memory and the memory controller.

In memory-intensive applications, dual-channel mode can enhance computer performance.

5. What is Intel XMP, and how do I enable this feature?

XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) is a pre-programmed memory configuration profile developed by Intel. You can enable this feature in the BIOS through a simple one-step operation to activate the correct memory settings (timings and voltage).

The name XMP only applies to Intel platforms, while the equivalent product (working in a similar way) for AMD platforms is called DOCP or A-XMP.

6. Why does the CPU-Z memory information show a frequency that is only half of the memory module's frequency?

CPU-Z only reports the operating frequency of the DRAM. DDR (Double Data Rate) memory can carry two bits of information per cycle, so its effective frequency is twice the operating frequency.

DDR memory is usually labeled by its effective frequency. If a memory kit has a rated frequency of 3200MHz, it will be displayed as 1600MHz in the CPU-Z memory information.

7. After installing the newly purchased GLOWAY memory module, the system fails to start

Ensure that your motherboard supports the corresponding memory capacity and frequency (please check the motherboard manual or the supplier's website) and that the memory module is correctly installed in the memory slot.

Use the "ClearCMOS" jumper/button on the motherboard to clear the BIOS settings and restore all BIOS settings to their default values.

Ensure that the motherboard is running the latest BIOS version.

Use memory testing software (such as Memtest86 or Windows Memory Diagnostic) to check the memory module individually to see if it is functioning properly.

8. What is an SSD?

SSD is the abbreviation of Solid-State Drive. Solid-state drives have advantages over traditional mechanical hard drives (HDDs), including higher speed and reliability (no moving parts inside). An HDD consists of multiple rotating platters and a read/write head on a mechanical arm; the platters are used to store data, and the mechanical arm moves across the surface of the platters. SSDs operate on a completely different principle from HDDs. They use NAND (commonly referred to as flash memory) as the solid-state storage medium, and the controller is responsible for writing data to or reading data from the NAND. You can think of the controller as the "brain" of the SSD.

More and more people choose solid-state drives as the main storage hard drive for computer devices. According to the latest data released by IT market intelligence firm CONTEXT, by the end of 2020, in mature markets such as Western Europe, no newly launched laptops will be sold with HDDs as the main storage device. Whether for desktop computers or laptops, solid-state drives provide users with a good opportunity to upgrade their computer systems.

9. Which operating systems support SSDs?

All operating systems support SSDs, but not all operating systems are optimized to ensure that SSDs operate at their maximum performance. In fact, older operating systems (Windows XP and Windows Vista) do not support certain SSD maintenance functions, such as TRIM.

10. What is IOPS?

IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second) is a unit used to measure the amount of data a storage device (HDD or SSD) can process per second. IOPS (which should not be confused with read/write speed) is related to the workload of the computer host.

11. How to install Windows® on an SSD?

Before using a new SSD, it must be initialized and partitioned. If you are installing a new computer system or cloning the computer system to the SSD, there is no need to perform the following steps. A clean installation of the operating system or cloning it to the SSD will automatically initialize and partition the new SSD.

Note: If you only need to format/reformat the drive and your SSD has already been initialized, you only need to perform steps 5-9 below.

Connect the SSD as a secondary drive and load Windows from the existing drive.

In Windows 7 and earlier versions, open Disk Management by right-clicking "Computer", selecting "Manage", and then choosing "Disk Management". In Windows 8 and later versions, move the mouse to the bottom-left corner of the desktop, right-click the "Start" icon, and select "Disk Management".

When the Disk Management window opens, a prompt box will pop up, prompting you to initialize the SSD.

Select the GUID Partition Table (GPT) and click "OK". MBR (Master Boot Record) is the best choice for compatibility with some legacy software, but GPT is more suitable for modern systems and higher-capacity storage devices.

Right-click the area labeled "Unallocated" and select "New Simple Volume".

The New Simple Volume Wizard will open; click "Next".

Leave the "Specify Volume Size" at the maximum value (default) and click "Next".

Select a drive letter and click "Next".

On the Format Partition screen, select a volume label (the name you want to assign to the drive) and click "Next".

12. Why is the actual available space of my SSD smaller than what is advertised?

The available space of your SSD is smaller than the advertised space because the way storage drive capacity is calculated is slightly different from the way computer systems calculate capacity.

If you check the specifications of any storage device, you will see a note stating "1GB = 1 billion bytes", and the actual available capacity may vary. In other words, when reporting drive capacity, it is based on the premise that 1GB equals 1,000,000,000 bytes. A 480GB SSD is actually 48,000,000,000 bytes; these are what we call decimal bytes, which have become the industry standard when promoting storage space.

Unix®, macOS X-based operating systems®, or Linux® use decimal bytes when reporting storage space. Therefore, for example, in Mac Disk Utility, a 480GB SSD will be displayed as 480GB. The Windows® operating system uses binary bytes, with 1024 bytes per kilobyte, 1024KB per megabyte, and so on. This means that when you install a storage drive with 48,000,000,000 bytes into a Windows® computer, the computer will divide the number of bytes by 1024 instead of 1000 when converting it to gigabytes. The calculation is as follows:

48,000,000,000 bytes / 1024 = 46,875,000 actual kilobytes

46,875,000 KB / 1024 = 45,776 actual megabytes

45,776 MB / 1024 = 447 actual gigabytes

This is why a Windows computer will report a 480GB SSD as having 447GB of available capacity. The larger the designed capacity of the SSD, the greater the difference between the actual available capacity and the advertised capacity. For an 8GB USB drive, the difference between the stated capacity and the actual capacity is approximately 0.5GB, while in the above example, the difference reaches a significant 33GB.

However, the 33GB is not lost. The drive has a capacity of 48,000,000,000 bytes, and after the Windows computer converts it to gigabytes, the total capacity is 447GB. This indicates that the difference in available capacity is only caused by the different calculation methods.

13. How much faster is an SSD than an HDD?

There is no doubt that SSDs are faster, but "how much faster" depends on the user's computer, operating system, any drivers loaded, the applications being used, the speed and configuration of the processor, and many other factors. Testing websites and industry magazines have tested solid-state drives and hard drives and found that solid-state drives are much faster. For example, when comparing random read performance, SSDs are more than 20,000% faster than high-performance HDDs.

It is worth noting that SSDs are not affected by the physical limitations of hard drives. HDD platters are designed to be circular (just like CDs), and data access speed for data located at the center of the platter is slower than that for data at the edge. Data stored in different locations of an SSD has a uniform access time. HDD performance is affected by data fragmentation, while under similar circumstances, SSD performance is not significantly affected.

14. What is wear leveling?

SSDs use NAND flash memory as the storage medium. One of the drawbacks of NAND flash memory is that the flash memory cells wear out during operation. To extend the service life of the product, the memory controller of an SSD uses various algorithms to distribute data storage across all memory cells. This prevents any single cell (or group of cells) from being "overused". The application of wear leveling technology is very widespread and highly effective.

15. What does S.M.A.R.T. stand for?

S.M.A.R.T. stands for Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology. It is a monitoring technology integrated into computer hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), and eMMC drives.