I have a Biostar B460 motherboard, an Intel i5-10400F CPU, and currently, I'm using two 8GB RAM sticks at 2666MHz. I'm considering adding two more 8GB sticks to total 32GB, but I want to know if using all four RAM slots will significantly impact performance, particularly regarding RAM frequency and CPU performance. Are there any downsides to mixing RAM sticks?
5 Answers
You probably won't even notice a performance difference honestly. Just be aware that while using more sticks doesn't hurt performance, it can make overclocking and running RAM at higher frequencies trickier.
2666MHz is on the slower side, but running four sticks at that speed shouldn't present any issues. Just keep in mind that mixing different kits could lead to compatibility problems, so try to match the specs as closely as possible!
DDR4 is pretty flexible compared to DDR5, so you should be okay. Since you're already at 2666MHz, that's the speed you'll have to stick with even if you add new sticks—the slowest speed limits everything. Just try to find RAM that's as close to your current sticks in terms of latency for the best chance of compatibility.
It’s unlikely you'll face major issues, but keep in mind that mixing RAM might not always work perfectly. Different chips could lead to compatibility problems, despite having the same speed and latency.
Using four sticks shouldn't hurt your performance too much. Since you're at default low speeds, as long as everything posts properly, you likely won't see any noticeable drop in performance.
Related Questions
Lenovo Thinkpad Stuck In Update Loop Install FilterDriverU2_Reload