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Do you have to use the same brand RAM?

Most modern motherboards will provide four RAM slots. There's a prevailing misconception you cannot use different RAM sizes together or that you cannot mix RAM brands. For the best system performance, it is advisable to use RAM sticks by the same manufacturer, of the same size, and of the same frequency.

Similarly one may ask, is it OK to use different brands of 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.

Likewise, what happens if you mix and match RAM? 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.

Accordingly, can you use two different types of RAM?

You are right about mixing different RAM modules—if there's one thing you absolutely can't mix, it's DDR with DDR2, or DDR2 with DDR3, and so on (they won't even fit in the same slots).

Is it better to have 2 sticks of RAM or 4?

So, you get the most performance when you use at least one stick on each memory channel, so two memory sticks. If you install four memory sticks, you won't get better performance, it's still just two memory channels transferring data to the processor cores.

Related Question Answers

Is 32GB RAM overkill?

The short answer, for the most part, is No, you don't need 32GB RAM. I have been editing 4k videos on my desktop computer with 16GB RAM and it just works fine. For other daily day stuff, even playing latest games on ULTRA settings doesn't use the entire 16GB RAM ever.

Is it okay to put 4GB and 8GB RAM together?

Usually you can but it depends on the motherboard. There are chips which are 4GB and 8GB, in dual channel mode this will not work. But you would still get 12GB total only a little slower. Sometimes you will have to swap the RAM slots since the detection has bugs.

Which RAM slots should be filled first?

If you are installing memory in a dual-channel memory motherboard, install memory modules in pairs, filling the lowest numbered slots first. For example, if the motherboard has two slots each for channel A and channel B, numbered 0 and 1, fill the slots for channel A slot 0 and channel B slot 0 first.

Can I use 1333MHz and 1600MHz RAM together?

You can, both sticks will run at 1333MHz. As long as your motherboard supports more than 8gb of RAM, which most of them do.

What company makes the best RAM?

Top 10 Best RAM Brands for PC and Laptop
  • Corsair – Best RAM Brands.
  • G-Skill – Best RAM Brands.
  • Kingston (Hyper X) – Best RAM Brands.
  • Crucial – Best RAM Brands.
  • Patriot – Best RAM Brands.
  • Mushkin – Best RAM Brands.
  • Team's T-Force – Best RAM Brands.
  • Samsung – Best RAM Brands.

Does RAM speed matter?

Intel RAM speed performance

Faster RAM does show some some small minimum FPS gains, but a couple of percent here and there isn't significant. At 1080p we start to get a clearer picture. F1 2020 shows that faster RAM has a large impact on performance. It won't cost much more than 2,400MHz or 2,666MHz RAM.

Does MHz matter in RAM?

RAM frequency is measured in MHz and usually immediately follows the DDR version in the RAM spec. For example, 8GB DDR4-2400 RAM is running at a frequency of 2400MHz. This is why though higher frequency RAM is technically faster, that additional speed often does not translate into better actual real world performance.

Can RAM affect FPS?

Effects of RAM on FPS

Since RAM stores short-term information, having a higher RAM will help in producing more FPS. Why? Because RAM is an essential tool that will help increase the speed of your computer in general. It's not fast in itself, but it allows your computer to be fast with its storage capacity.

Can I use 3200 and 3600 Ram together?

RAM that is rated at 3600 MHz will definitely not be hurt by running at 3200 MHz instead.

Does RAM voltage need to match?

Yes the new RAM should have the same voltage,timings and speeds. You can sometimes get a different RAM and tweak its settings to have the similar specs of the older one but it may become unstable,therefore its recommended to get a RAM with same specs.

What is better more RAM or faster RAM?

While RAM speed is important, it's better to have more RAM than faster RAM. If you're configuring your PC and have budget constraints, then you might find it economical to buy more RAM that's rated at a slower speed than fewer, faster modules. If you're wondering how much RAM to buy, then check out our other RAM guide.