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Can you put two different size RAM sticks?
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.
Can I use 8GB and 16GB RAM together?
Yes you can, but I wouldn’t recommend it, as the 16GB will be used as 8GB to run dual-channel with the 8GB you likely already have, and the other half will be used as single-channel. It’s also better to have the same type of ram, as to not affect performance via the voltage, controllers and whatnot.
Can I use 3 different RAM sticks?
Yes, you can but as others have stated today’s mainstream boards are dual channel and running a third stick would put it in single channel mode which means it would run at half the bandwidth of dual channel memory thereby slowing your system memory bandwidth by half its capability.
Is it better to have 1 or 2 sticks of RAM?
Most systems make use of unbuffered RAM modules. Eventually, installing four sticks of 2GB RAM is always better than using two sticks of 4GB RAM or a single 8GB RAM module. In addition to being reliable, the increase in the number of sticks will make the system faster.
Can you mix Ram sticks and RAM sizes?
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. 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.
How much faster is 4GB of RAM on one stick?
The remaining 4GB of the new stick will run in single-channel mode. Overall, it’s not as fast as using two sticks of the same size, but it’s still faster than what you had before. It’s the same with frequency or speed. Your RAM sticks will work together at the frequency of the lower stick by default.
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).
What are the different types of RAM sticks?
Consumer-grade RAM sticks are available in two major form factors: DIMM (Dual In-Line Memory Module): This is the standard RAM form factor of desktop computers, and you can easily recognize it by its length (133.35 mm).