Hey everyone! I have an HP OMEN 880 with a DDR4 motherboard, and I'm currently running four RAM sticks. The original two sticks are capped at 2133 MHz, while the two additional sticks I installed can reach up to 3600 MHz. However, I noticed that Task Manager shows all my RAM is operating at 2133 MHz. Is this due to the slower sticks? Should I consider removing them to unlock the full speed potential of the 3600 MHz RAM?
5 Answers
If you take out the slower sticks and your RAM still runs at 2133 MHz, it could be that you need standard speed RAM. Most prebuilt systems, like those from HP, typically don't include XMP for overclocking.
You need to overclock your RAM to hit 3600 MHz. The default speed for your CPU is 2133 MHz. Just make sure your motherboard supports RAM overclocking, like XMP profiles.
Yes, memory sticks usually work at the slowest speed. Once you remove the older ones, just ensure the new sticks are installed in the right slots on your motherboard.
Yes, typically, the RAM will operate at the slowest speed of all the sticks to maintain stability. It's really up to you—do you prefer having more RAM or faster speeds?
I value faster speed. Thanks for the insight!
You might want to test it out. Some games might actually benefit more from faster 16GB instead of slower 32GB, depending on what you're using the PC for.
I suggest removing and selling your old lower MHz memory. If you ever need more RAM, consider getting faster memory for the other slots.
What exactly is standard speed RAM?