I have a setup with four RAM sticks in my PC: a TeamGroup T-Create kit and two Corsair Vengeance sticks. They all run at the same voltage (1.20V), but have different speeds, timings, and CAS latencies. The TeamGroup RAM is DDR4-3200 with a CAS latency of 22, while the Corsair ones are tighter at CL16. I'm using an 8 GB and a 4 GB Corsair stick. Previously, I had a Crucial Ballistix 8 GB stick, but I suspected it was causing blue screens along with a specific hardware error in one game. All my installed RAM has Hynix chips, and while it seems compatible, I've overclocked everything to 3600 MHz, which might be pushing it too far. I'm trying to figure out if the mismatched capacities or differences in timings and latency are causing my system to be unstable. What's the best approach to using these mixed RAM sticks for a stable setup?
2 Answers
Have you checked your motherboard's compatibility list? Often, even if the specs seem correct, some brands just don’t play nicely together. Also, a BIOS update could solve some compatibility quirks, so keep that in mind. Changing to an approved list of RAM might fix your issues based on my own experience.
Do you really need that extra 12 GB of RAM? Mixing RAM isn't a surefire way to get better performance, and it might cause some issues depending on the brands and configurations. Sometimes keeping it simple with compatible sticks is the best way to ensure stability.
I get that, but I'm trying to diagnose the issues before pulling any RAM out. I wanted to future-proof my build since 32 GB is becoming the standard.
I updated the BIOS, but I don't see TeamGroup listed on the compatibility page. Seems like it's more about the general specs for compatibility.