I have a Dell laptop with a pre-installed Dell Rx16 8GB RAM stick and I'm looking to upgrade to a total of 16GB by adding another 8GB stick. Do I need to get another Dell Rx16 8GB RAM to achieve dual-channel performance, or can I use a stick from a different brand, like Crucial? By the way, I've got two SODIMM slots, and one of them is currently empty.
2 Answers
You can use different RAM brands and still achieve dual-channel mode if you have both slots filled. If the two sticks are the same size, you'll get full dual-channel performance. However, if they differ in size, you'll only get dual-channel for the smallest stick's capacity, and the rest will operate in single channel mode. Keep in mind, mixing RAM can sometimes lead to stability issues. For the best results, it's recommended to buy a matched kit.
Exactly! It's best to stick with matched RAM if possible to avoid any potential instability.
While it's generally better to use matching RAM sticks, you can mix brands like Crucial with your Dell RAM. Just keep in mind that the performance difference is usually minimal, so buying a whole new 8x2 kit just to match may not be worth it. You should be fine with the Crucial stick as long as it's compatible!
So even if both sticks are the same size, speed, and voltage but from different brands, it might cause issues? That sounds risky!