I'm planning to switch my gaming PC from an ATX tower to a mini-ITX case to save space and make it look sleeker. Currently, I'm using a Gigabyte B550M K micro-ATX motherboard, but I'm also purchasing an ASRock B850i Lightning ITX motherboard. I found out that the new ITX motherboard requires DDR5 RAM, and I've realized that the RAM configuration is quite different. Can anyone explain the differences in RAM types for various motherboards?
4 Answers
Some ITX boards use SODIMM RAM, which is actually the type used in laptops. This could be an issue if you're switching between desktop RAM and SODIMM, so make sure your new motherboard takes the right type.
It's not just about your old motherboard; it's really about the RAM types you have and what your new motherboard needs. Stick to the same generation for compatibility.
Yes, there are differences in RAM types depending on the generation of the motherboard. For example, DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5 are all different. However, within the same generation like DDR4, the RAM sticks themselves will be the same size and just fit different motherboards as long as they're compatible with the same generation.
The key factor is knowing what type of RAM your ITX board requires. If your new board is an ITX variant that supports DDR4, you can keep your RAM. But if it's a very different board that requires something like soldered CPU or SODIMM modules, then you're out of luck and need to buy new RAM.
Yeah, in your case, since you're upgrading to an ITX board, you need to check if it's using SODIMM or standard DIMM slots for RAM.