Key Takeaways
- Dummy RAM looks like real RAM but has no memory chips, it’s only for esthetic purposes.
- Empty RAM slots can be unsightly, dummy RAM can fill the gaps if you can’t get the right RAM combination.
- Despite having no practical use, dummy RAM can still enhance the RGB lighting and fill in empty slots economically.
For many people, a desktop PC is more than just a functional device. PC building has become a fine art in some circles, and in the pursuit of the perfect PC build, some enthusiasts have resorted to a mild kind of fakery, in the form of “dummy” RAM.
What Is Dummy RAM Anyway?
Dummy RAM looks like regular RAM sticks. You can plug them into your RAM slots, power them all up, and they’ll light up if it’s the kind with RGB lighting. However, there aren’t actually any memory chips on that stick. Your computer’s RAM count won’t go up, and you’ll enjoy no practical benefit from it at all. These dummy RAM sticks are marketed under different names, the best known likely being “Light Enhancement Kit”
Empty RAM Slots Are Ugly
As that more euphemistic name suggests, these dummy RAM sticks are all about esthetics. Most mainstream motherboards come with four memory slots, and some boards may even have six for a triple-channel setup. The thing is, most people don’t actually need that much RAM, so you may not be able to fill all the slots without wasting money on memory you don’t need. For example, if you only need 32GB of RAM, then a 2x16GB RAM kit will do the job nicely.
The alternative is to get a 4x8GB kit, which will fill all four slots. However, it might not be easy to get RAM of the right size and specifications. Also, the per-GB cost of RAM is usually less the higher the capacity of the stick. Alternatively, you may want the option to upgrade to more RAM one day, without wasting money on memory now when you’ll have to get rid of it later.
In the meantime, these empty slots make the computer look unfinished, and some people consider them an eyesore. Somewhat more cynically, using dummy sticks can also be a way to make a computer look more “tricked out” with hardware than it really is.
Dummy RAM Can Still Do Stuff
Although dummy RAM has no functional use from a performance standpoint, if you like RGB lighting, it still functions as fully-featured components of your RGB setup. You can use them as part of the decorative lighting display, and program them to enhance your lighting, just as the name promises.
Apart from RGB, you could also think of them as protective placeholder, keeping dust and other gunk out of your empty RAM slots, but honestly, that’s probably a stretch!
Why Not Just Buy Regular RAM?
I’ve sort of touched on this already, but there are many situations where getting the right number and combination of RAM sticks just isn’t possible for your build, and if you really can’t stand those open slots, then dummy RAM can be an affordable way to simply paper over the cracks. Of course, since not all RAM kits have a dummy kit version available, you’ll need to plan things ahead of your build if you want to use them. Ironically, this might also influence what brand and model of RAM you get, since you’ll need to stick to RAM models that have a dummy variant.
This also brings up an important point when buying used RAM, or when buying a used computer. You should verify that you’re buying real RAM and not just a lighting kit. If a used computer is equipped with some dummy RAM, that’s actually good news because it means upgrading your RAM will be cheap later. If someone is selling loose dummy RAM sticks as real RAM, that’s obviously yet another way to get scammed on the used component market.
Dummy RAM kits are really a niche product that only boutique system builders care about, but I still think it’s fascinating that such a product exists. It feels like the computer equivalent of fake exhaust tips on modern cars. They make the car look cool, but that’s about it!
