Hey everyone! My son's gaming PC is having trouble, and I found out that one of the two DIMMs is faulty. I plan to replace both DIMMs with a different brand. Should I keep the working DIMM and use it in single-channel mode, or might that mess with the new dual-channel DIMMs? Also, I'm curious if having different timings between the old and new RAM will make a difference. Here are the specs:
**Motherboard:** ASRock B550M-C
**Old RAM:** G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4-3200 16GB (CL16-18-18-38)
**New RAM:** Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200 16GB x 2 (CL16-20-20-38)
6 Answers
Get that G.Skill Ripjaws RMA'd. Most RAM comes with a lifetime warranty, so just swap it out and you'll be good!
Absolutely, it's a smart move.
Using mismatched RAM can definitely lead to stability problems. It's probably best to put that working DIMM away for future use instead of mixing it with the new sticks.
From my experience, adding the old RAM will usually let you run the first 16GB in dual-channel, and then the extra 8GB in single-channel. If it works well enough, I say go for it!
Honestly, if the old G.Skill Ripjaws is still under warranty, you should totally get it replaced. That way you can run all your RAM without any worries!
If you want to try it, you could run the new RAM while keeping the timings set to the slower ones. I had a mixture of Crucial and Corsair without any issues, but it's all about what works best for your setup!
I wouldn't bother keeping the old DIMM, especially since the timings don't match. It's just not worth the potential stability issues.
Yeah, I agree! It's worth getting it replaced.