Hey everyone! I just upgraded my RAM to 32GB because I'm a heavy Chrome user with lots of tabs open, and it was consuming about 70% of my memory without anything else running. I noticed that my adblock extension can cause some tabs to use even more RAM. I ended up buying 2x16GB 3200MHz RAM sticks from Teamgroup T-Force to mix with my existing 2x8GB 3200MHz sticks. My goal is to be able to edit photos, listen to music or podcasts, and follow YouTube tutorials simultaneously without lag. I'm curious if mixing these different sizes will cause any issues and if my PC is capable of supporting all four sticks without problems. Should I return the new RAM while I still can? It cost me $61.
3 Answers
Pairing different sizes can be fine, but remember that the system may run off the lowest speed of the group. So while you'll still have 32GB, it might not perform as smoothly as you’d expect. Just be cautious!
It should work out as long as the RAM types (DDR3, DDR4, etc.) are the same. It doesn’t matter if the speeds vary; it’ll run at the slowest one. Just check your motherboard to ensure you have enough slots for all of it!
That's what I'm worried about! I read that the CPU might need to support all four sticks too. That's why I thought 32GB would be the safer option!
Before you dive in, make sure the timings of your RAM sticks match. They should ideally be the same speed and CAS latency. But since you've got them from the same brand, there's a good chance they'll work together well!
Got it! I wasn't really sure what you meant by timings, but both are 3200MHz, cl16, so hopefully that helps!
Yeah, exactly! That's why I went for 32GB instead of just getting another 16GB. It feels safer, and I think the dual-channel will help a bit too!