I'm considering upgrading my RAM and found two different kits that are priced well. The first kit is G.Skill TridentZ RGB 16GB (2x8GB) running at 4600MHz with CL19 timing. The second kit is G.Skill TridentZ RGB 32GB (2x16GB) running at 4400MHz, also with CL19 timing. I plan to use them in an ASUS TUF Z790-PLUS D4 with an i9-14900KF processor. I've seen mixed opinions online about whether these will work well together, especially given the difference in speeds. Any advice on compatibility would be really helpful!
2 Answers
You should be fine mixing those kits! Since both are G.Skill and have similar timing, you can likely run the 4600MHz XMP profile for both. However, keep in mind that stability can vary with four sticks, but your board should handle it. Worst-case scenario, running everything at 4400MHz should work without issues. It's much better than trying some crazy DDR5 setup!
Be cautious about mixing different RAM kits. It can lead to boot failures, especially since they don't always fall back to JEDEC speeds reliably. It's generally safer to stick to identical kits if possible. Even small differences in specs can cause problems down the line!
What's the reasoning behind that? It seems okay to buy different kits with similar specs, but why is mixing them considered risky?
I'm okay with running it at 4400MHz as well, so that sounds good to me!