I recently purchased two Corsair Vengeance RAM sticks, both are 16GB of DDR5 at 6000 MT/s, but they have differing CAS latencies: one stick has a latency of 36-36-36-76, while the other has 40-40-40-77. I got them as a used deal on eBay for $270, but the listing didn't mention the latency differences, and I'm a bit of a novice buyer. I plan to use these with a 9800X3D processor for gaming, particularly high-speed shooters that benefit from fast RAM and CPU. I've seen mixed advice online about whether mismatched DDR5 kits work since most of the tests I found were for DDR4. I did see a video suggesting dual channel is generally safe, but I'm concerned about compatibility issues. What can I expect here? Am I stuck with this combo?
2 Answers
Generally, you should be okay! If you set both RAM sticks to operate at the slower speed and timings of the less efficient stick (the one with 40-40-40-77 latencies), they should work together without major issues. Just keep in mind that you may not get the full benefits of the faster one, but for gaming, that might not make a huge difference unless you're pushing the limits of your system.
I agree! Just make sure to monitor temps and performance after setting everything up.
It is a bit of a gamble when using mismatched RAM, especially with DDR5. Some setups work fine, while others can be finicky. I had a friend try a similar combo and they faced some instability, but they managed to make it work by sticking to the slower specs. Just remember to run a stress test to catch any potential issues after you get everything installed!
Exactly, it can vary from system to system. Always worth doing some tests to see if everything runs smoothly.
For sure! Just be proactive and if you notice any hiccups, you might need to tweak settings further.
Yeah, I’ve mixed RAM before, and while it's not guaranteed, a lot of people have luck with it. Just make sure to use your BIOS to set them to the slower timings and test it out.