RAM: Is mixing brands OK?

[WaLLy]

Hey dudes,

Is it OK to mix RAM brands? I'd really like/need to upgrade from the 4GB Patriot G series I currently have

I'd like to avoid buying completely new RAM unless it's really necessary. For my next build, I'll go all-out. For now, is it OK to run say another brand of 2 x 2GB sticks of the same DDR3 Mhz (need to look up the correct Mhz)? I would assume so, as long as it's in sets.

If I can do that, I'll probably pull the trigger early next week.

PS. I don't really see a need of more than 8GB (total) right now.

 

[animal66]

I've got 2 different brands in my pc at the moment (corsair and hynix i think) and there are no problems. I did read somewhere about keeping ram all the same brand so that the latency timings are all in sync, but to be honest it was a difference of milliseconds, so not really a huge problem.

 

[Nate]

I believe, not 100% sure here, but when u put different speed ram into your system they all run as fast as the slowest stick in the system. So if you have different brand and speed ram, it should still work.

 

[Cryogenic Flare]

16GB RAM

 

[BluBirD78]

I don't think it's a problem either, like Nate said I think it'll run as fast as the slowest stick but I would just mix them and see what happens, if it works then go for it until you get what you want

 

[Kreubs]

when u put different speed ram into your system they all run as fast as the slowest stick in the system. So if you have different brand and speed ram, it should still work.

This is true.

AFAIK, there are 2 primary ram module manufacturers, not like Corsair or Kingston, but the makers of the chips themselves, and they are not compatible. Usually mixing brands is ok. Upping the MHz wont make a difference unless you are only on 1066. I thought I would never need 8GB, and now I can't really live without it

 

[Pugsport]

as said before mixing brands makes no real odds altho some times you can run in to issues where they wont run together, they will just run at the speed of the slowest stick. you may be able to up the speed by over clocking/manually adjusting the setting in the bios

timing dont matter to much to an i5 or i7 as long as the speed is good then they work happy. a friend of mine is running is 16gb of ddr3 ram but the speed is only 1333mhz and performance wise my 6gb of ddr3 1666mhz over clocked to 1800mhz seems to perform better than his 16gb.

if your planning on upgrading you pc any time soon tho i would consider not buying any new ddr3 ram as ddr4 will become the norm in the not to distant future

 

[BluBirD78]

This is true.

AFAIK, there are 2 primary ram module manufacturers, not like Corsair or Kingston, but the makers of the chips themselves, and they are not compatible. Usually mixing brands is ok. Upping the MHz wont make a difference unless you are only on 1066. I thought I would never need 8GB, and now I can't really live without it

It's funny you said that, I never thought I would need 8GB either but the other day I noticed that my desktop was using at least 7GB of that 8, and I think mainly it's the browsers I had open, those suckers use a lot more memory than you realize. If I was going to upgrade again anytime soon I would probably go with 16GB, assuming my mobo would handle it, it's an old model and I don't remember if it does or not, good info

 

[stevo]

It's funny you said that, I never thought I would need 8GB either but the other day I noticed that my desktop was using at least 7GB of that 8, and I think mainly it's the browsers I had open, those suckers use a lot more memory than you realize. If I was going to upgrade again anytime soon I would probably go with 16GB, assuming my mobo would handle it, it's an old model and I don't remember if it does or not, good info

Same I run 3 browsers sometimes and use more then 8GB ram. 16GB is minimum for me now a days, well for my work machine anyways.

 

[WaLLy]

I kinda want to jump on this deal: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...pl=item_page.content1&rrstr=ClickCP&rrindex=1

Just need to see if it'll work with the current sticks I have before pulling the trigger. I'm fairly certain my sticks run at 9-9-9-24(?).

 

[DamageINC]

You can download CPUID and find out what your timings etc. are.

http://www.cpuid.com/

 

[SiloHunter]

Or just download more RAM of the same brand!
http://www.downloadmoreram.com/

 

[Pugsport]

I kinda want to jump on this deal: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...pl=item_page.content1&rrstr=ClickCP&rrindex=1

Just need to see if it'll work with the current sticks I have before pulling the trigger. I'm fairly certain my sticks run at 9-9-9-24(?).

thats only dual channel memory and you need triple for the LGA1366 socket cpu's

 

[WaLLy]

Or just download more RAM of the same brand!
http://www.downloadmoreram.com/

thats only dual channel memory and you need triple for the LGA1366 socket cpu's

dual channel works fine. that's what I currently have.

You can download CPUID and find out what your timings etc. are.

http://www.cpuid.com/

I did a few days ago, that's how I sorta remembered the 9-9-9, but don't recall the last one I'll post a screenshot of it tomorrow.

 

[Pugsport]

yer it all the same stuff

dual channel memory is a pack of 2 sticks
triple channel memory is a pack of 3 sticks
quad channel memory is a pack of 4 sticks

when i was running a 1366 socket them seemed to work when there was 3 sticks or 6 sticks

also if the ram you have is old watch out for the new ram voltage, the old stuff used to run 1.65 volts and the new stuff is 1.5 volts

 

[DamageINC]

dual channel works fine. that's what I currently have.

I did a few days ago, that's how I sorta remembered the 9-9-9, but don't recall the last one I'll post a screenshot of it tomorrow.

It's most likely 9-9-9-24

 

[WaLLy]

Here are my specs: http://valid.x86.fr/5hv7pd