I recently upgraded my PC and noticed that I added two sticks of 3200 RAM alongside my existing 3600 RAM. Both sets are from the same brand, G.Skill Trident Z Neo RGB. To avoid issues, I set the RAM speed in the BIOS to 3000 MHz and left the power settings on auto. Am I likely to run into problems with this setup?
5 Answers
Here we go again with the mixing RAM debate! Honestly, combining different RAM speeds can be risky and might even stop your system from booting altogether.
I’ve had a similar situation where I mixed 2x8 GB 3600 CL16 with 2x16 GB 3600 CL18. After some tweaking, it’s been stable at 3400 for half a year now without crashes!
While it's not advisable to mix RAM speeds, you should still be okay as long as you're ready for some manual tuning if things go sideways. It’s definitely easier than when DDR3 was around!
Mixing RAM speeds isn't the best approach, but ultimately your faster 3600 RAM will just downclock to match the slower 3200 sticks.
Compatibility mainly depends on the actual memory chips in the sticks, not just the brand. You should be able to get all four sticks running together at 3200 MHz without much hassle. If you run into issues, check out a guide for manual tuning to fine-tune your setup.
Related Questions
Lenovo Thinkpad Stuck In Update Loop Install FilterDriverU2_Reload