I remember hearing that mixing RAM kits could cause problems, even when the specifications looked similar, and that it was best to use one matched kit. A friend is running a 2x8GB DDR4-3200 G.Skill Ripjaws kit alongside a 2x16GB DDR4-3200 Ripjaws kit. The kits are different colors, though they come from the same product line and have the same rated speed. Did he get lucky, or is mixing RAM generally fine?
4 Answers
A matched kit is still the safest choice, especially if you are buying new RAM. Kits are tested together, while two separately purchased kits are not guaranteed to cooperate. If you already own the extra sticks, install them, make sure the modules are in the motherboard's recommended dual-channel slots, and run a proper memory test before trusting the system with important work.
You absolutely can mix RAM, and plenty of systems work fine that way. The modules will usually run at the slowest common speed and timings. The concern is that different kits may not be stable together, even if their labels match, so it is more accurate to say mixing is not recommended rather than impossible.
Your friend probably has a decent chance of being fine because the sticks are from the same manufacturer and run at the same rated speed, but the kit capacities and possibly the memory chips or timings differ. If the system has trouble posting, crashes, or shows memory errors, lowering the memory speed or relaxing the timings can often help.
Capacity differences are not automatically a problem. Some platforms support asymmetric or flex memory, where part of the memory runs in dual channel and the remainder runs differently. You may lose a little performance in certain workloads, but mixing RAM does not suddenly damage the computer. The real issue is stability and whether the motherboard's memory controller can handle the configuration.
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