Sage-Tips

Can you mix and match PC RAM?

There’s a prevailing misconception you cannot use different RAM sizes together or that you cannot mix RAM brands. The answer is Yes, you can mix RAM sticks and RAM sizes and even different RAM speeds—but mixing and matching RAM modules isn’t the best for system performance.

What happens if you install RAM with different speed ratings?

Nothing exciting. While you can technically mix speeds, there is one important thing to note: your DRAM would all run at the speed of the slowest module. For example, if you have a DDR3 1333MHz system and install a second module at 1600MHz, they would both run at the 1333MHz speed.

Do both RAM sticks need to be the same?

You can usually use RAM sticks with differing specs without issue, but you will not have peak performance. You can have any size, any brand RAM together, as long as it’s the same DDR. DDR3 won’t work with DDR4 slots and so on because the ports are shaped differently.

Can I use both together 1333mhz and 1600mhz RAM?

Well, yes DDR3 1600 is compatible with DDR3 1333 MHz. But using them together both will have same speed.

Is it OK to put different RAM?

Your computer is likely to run fine if you mix different RAM brands, different RAM speeds, and different RAM sizes. However, if you are going to buy a new RAM stick, it would benefit you to just buy something that is compatible. So at the end of the day, yes you can mix RAM brands as long as you are careful.

Can I install RAM with higher frequency?

Rick’s answer: Eric, the short answer to your questions is yes. Your computer will work just fine if you install the faster RAM. It will simply run at the slower 1333Mhz speed. For example, if your motherboard supports a maximum of 8GB then you won’t be able to install any more than that..

Can I use different frequencies of RAM on the same motherboard?

The potential problem is not related to using different frequencies of RAM; any motherboard will fall back to the speed of the slower memory module (DIMM).

Can you mix RAM sizes on a PC?

If you do mix RAM sizes, you should use them together. For example, you can use one RAM stick that is 3GB and another that is 6 GB. When you are in Flex Mode (or dual-channel mode), the RAM will perform like two 3GB RAM sticks in order to optimize performance.

Can I mix and match different ram speeds?

You can mix and match RAM sure, but just know your PC will run using the slower RAM speeds. So if you have two running off of a 3000Mhz frequency, and the other two running at 2400Mhz, your PC would run at the 24000Mhz stick speed.

What happens if you have two RAM modules on one motherboard?

There are two things that can happen depending on the specific RAM modules. (brand, timing and motherboard compatibility), The two modules will work effectively at the lower speed this is safe and will only make you lose the speed edge of the faster module.