Hey folks! I'm a bit puzzled about the RAM speeds I'm seeing on my Dell Optiplex 7000. I have 2x16GB of DDR5 4800 from SK Hynix and I recently added another 2x16GB of DDR5 from Integral. The BIOS shows it's running in dual channel at "2000MHz", while Windows reports it as "2000MTs" and Memtest states it's at "4800MHz". I'm aware that memory operates differently between MT and MHz, but with four sticks in, is it basically running at half bandwidth (2000MTs) while still being at full speed (4800MHz)? Also, I noticed there are no XMP options in the BIOS, which leaves me a bit stuck. Thanks in advance for any insights! 🙂
2 Answers
Yeah, it’s a tricky situation. When you add mismatched RAM, the system often defaults to the lowest speed among them to ensure stability. That's why you're seeing 2000MTs in the BIOS and Windows. But don't worry too much; you're not necessarily losing performance, especially if the RAM is capable of running faster under ideal conditions, even if it's not fully recognized right now. Just keep monitoring it, and if in the future you find matching RAM, that should solve the speed issue!
Mixing RAM sticks can definitely lead to some confusion with speeds. Typically, when you combine different RAM modules, there's no guarantee that you'll hit the higher rated speeds if they don’t match perfectly in specs. Your BIOS might be trying to run at those speeds, but it's possible that the Dell BIOS is just reporting differently. Also, sometimes OEM BIOS settings can be limited or not fully optimized for every kind of RAM. So, it might be a reporting glitch; you could actually be running at 4800MHz but the BIOS just isn't reflecting it properly!
So, if I were to upgrade later and pick matching sticks, would that help me achieve those higher speeds?
What about upgrading the BIOS? Could that make a difference in how it handles RAM speeds?