Adding additional RAM. Quick question

[Fizwawiz]

I recently bought a new desktop with an asus motherboard

Amazon.com

It came with two 8gb teamforce ddr4 3200 with CL 16-20-20-40. I was thinking of getting another 2x 8g so I have 32gb of ram. I found these options online

TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z DDR4 32GB Kit (2x16GB) 3200MHz (PC4-25600) CL16 Desktop Memory Module Ram (Gray) - TLZGD432G3200HC16FDC01 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NVQZ9XQ/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_G0GZ1XD5D5BM37VV2JK9?psc=1

That one has the same 20 20 40 but it's 32gb. Which would bring me up to 48gb. Probably overkill for a simple gamer who plays new titles on max graphics (this rig came with a 3080) but doesn't mess around with editing software.

The only 16gb ones I could find are

TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z DDR4 16GB Kit (2x8GB) 3200MHz (PC4-25600) CL16 Desktop Memory Module Ram (Gray) - TLZGD416G3200HC16CDC01 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T637L7T/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_YQ1VRMAW6VZS0JQTMNWK?psc=1

From my research the cl16 is the 16 prong so it'll fit the same, and the 18-18-38 is faster than the 20 20 40 but are they compatible? Will I have any issues? Also I'm assuming I can't buy the 3600 instead of 3200 teamforce Ram cards and plug them in? Thanks in advance

 

[sneekypeet]

With mixing ram, what usually happens is that the motherboard matches the specs of the higher timed kit.

So in essence, if you keep the 3200 CAS 16 stuff, and then add in some 3200 CAS 20 stuff, all sticks will likely run at 3200 CAS 20.

My advice, is to go with a new kit if you can, as it eliminates so many variables. Also keep in mind that running more sticks is tougher on the IMC of the CPU, and in itself can be a limiting factor depending on the quality of the CPU in question.

 

[Fizwawiz]

With mixing ram, what usually happens is that the motherboard matches the specs of the higher timed kit.

So in essence, if you keep the 3200 CAS 16 stuff, and then add in some 3200 CAS 20 stuff, all sticks will likely run at 3200 CAS 20.

My advice, is to go with a new kit if you can, as it eliminates so many variables. Also keep in mind that running more sticks is tougher on the IMC of the CPU, and in itself can be a limiting factor depending on the quality of the CPU in question.

here is a link to my CPU - https://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-127...cphy=9073406&hvtargid=pla-1459270487262&psc=1

so if im already running the c16 20-20-40s (8gbx2) and add two 8gb c16 18 18 38 for a total of 32, i would assume it would help me overall? or are you saying, buy 32gb that are all the same, as replace what i have in there, since its only about 100$ anyway?

 

[sneekypeet]

32GB is 32GB however you go about it.

Even with a 12700, anything beyond the SPD of DDR4 is considered overclocking, and there is no guarantee that your chip can run more than 2400/2666MHz (SPD Value) when all slots are polulated. This is what I was getting at. With just two sticks at play, those limits are more easily dealt with.

If it were me, and you seem to say its affordable, why not go the way with less potential issues, and sell the set you use currently to help offset this investment.

 

[ir_cow]

Mixing ram does weird stuff to stabilty. Its not just about brand or size, but frequency, timings, single or dual rank and ICs used.

Unless you just want to run at 2133 for maximum amount of memory, just buy a replamacment kit at the size and speed you want.

 

[mstenholm]

Subbed. Just because I want to follow the proces of getting mis-matched RAM to work on this new platform.

 

[ir_cow]

Are we talking about Alder Lake here? I can fire up my ASUS Z690 Tuf which is DDR4 and play along

I believe 11th and 12th gen supports 3200 natively. Everything above is "overclocking"

 

[Fizwawiz]

32GB is 32GB however you go about it.

Even with a 12700, anything beyond the SPD of DDR4 is considered overclocking, and there is no guarantee that your chip can run more than 2400/2666MHz (SPD Value) when all slots are polulated. This is what I was getting at. With just two sticks at play, those limits are more easily dealt with.

If it were me, and you seem to say its affordable, why not go the way with less potential issues, and sell the set you use currently to help offset this investment.

good idea, as a final question, any brands or types you'd recommend? i did some research on my MB and it says "DDR4 5333 (OC)" and my processor says "DDR4 up to 4800MHz" so from what ive seen itll support quite a bit? I dont want to spend a ton of money, i dont think its really necessary with what im doing. So something Cas16, 2x 16gb, 3600-4200 ish? am i way off on all this?

Are we talking about Alder Lake here? I can fire up my ASUS Z690 Tuf which is DDR4 and play along

I believe 11th and 12th gen supports 3200 natively. Everything above is "overclocking"

i looked up my MB online and i think you are correct about native 3200 "4 x DIMM, Max. 128GB, DDR4 5333(OC)/5133(OC)/5000(OC)/4800(OC)/4600(OC)/4400(OC)/4266(OC)/4133(OC)/4000(OC)/3866(OC)/3733(OC)/3600(OC)/3466(OC)/3400(OC)/3333(OC)/3200/3000/2933/2800/2666/2400/2133 Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory*"

PRIME Z690-P D4 - Tech Specs｜Motherboards｜ASUS Global

ASUS Prime Z690-P D4 Intel® Z690 (LGA 1700) ATX motherboard features PCIe® 5.0, DDR4, three M.2 slots, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C®, front panel USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C®, Thunderbolt™ 4 support and 2.5 Gb Ethernet. Prime Z690-P D4 caters to daily users and all builders looking for well-rounded specs and...

www.asus.com

Are we talking about Alder Lake here? I can fire up my ASUS Z690 Tuf which is DDR4 and play along

I believe 11th and 12th gen supports 3200 natively. Everything above is "overclocking"

Intel® Core™ i7-12700KF Processor (25M Cache, up to 5.00 GHz) - Product Specifications | Intel

Intel® Core™ i7-12700KF Processor (25M Cache, up to 5.00 GHz) quick reference with specifications, features, and technologies.

ark.intel.com

 

[sneekypeet]

TEAM is fine, I had Vulcan sets, noce kits. G.Skill, Patriot, HyperX/FURY are all fairly decent.

Also, just because it isnt on the memory list doesnt mean it wont work, it just means it wasnt tested when the manual was printed.

 

[Fizwawiz]

TEAM is fine, I had Vulcan sets, noce kits. G.Skill, Patriot, HyperX/FURY are all fairly decent.

Also, just because it isnt on the memory list doesnt mean it wont work, it just means it wasnt tested when the manual was printed.

would you recommend staying in the 3200 level or going higher? i dont know anything about overclocking ram or any of that...

 

[sneekypeet]

would you recommend staying in the 3200 level or going higher? i dont know anything about overclocking ram or any of that...

If you would like to buy a faster set, that is up to you. There is a memory support list on that motherboard product page, which you can reference for known faster kits that work. the XMP profile does all of the overclocking to reach the rated speed shown on the box, and should take npo input other than enabling XMP to get what you buy.

 

[theFOoL]

So in essence, if you keep the 3200 CAS 16 stuff, and then add in some 3200 CAS 20 stuff, all sticks will likely run at 3200 CAS 20.

That to me makes no sense. Please explain. Should be the other way around right? All should change to Cas 16 not 20 unless... The 3 others have cas 20 so in turn would have the 1st to cas 20

 

[junglist724]

That to me makes no sense. Please explain. Should be the other way around right? All should change to Cas 16 not 20 unless... The 3 others have cas 20 so in turn would have the 1st to cas 20

CAS is a measure of latency, lower is faster. Fast ram can run slower, but slow ram can't necessarily go faster so your motherboard will always pick the slowest common speed/latencies.

 

[freeagent]

If you want to get into overclocking later.. just grab a kit of 3200C14. It is a top bin, and will go much, much faster..

 

[Fizwawiz]

CAS is a measure of latency, lower is faster. Fast ram can run slower, but slow ram can't necessarily go faster so your motherboard will always slowest common speed/latencies.

The original comment was about going to 2x 16s that were cas20 instead of 16s. but now im looking at getting two additional of basically the same ram. I didnt know if 2x 16s would run differently than 4x 8s but from what ive read, these dual channels from intel it doesnt make much of a difference... The ones i found are ddr4 8gb x2, c16 18 18 38 instead of the installed ones c16 20 20 40. my question is would those little number changes (both cas 16) make a big difference? should i just buy something like this instead?

CORSAIR Vengeance RGB RT 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3600 (PC4 28800) AMD Optimized Desktop Memory Model CMN32GX4M2Z3600C16 - Newegg.com

Buy CORSAIR Vengeance RGB RT 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3600 (PC4 28800) AMD Optimized Desktop Memory Model CMN32GX4M2Z3600C16 with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

 

[sneekypeet]

If you want to get into overclocking later.. just grab a kit of 3200C14. It is a top bin, and will go much, much faster..

but may cost quite a bit more than what he is currently pondering. I wouldnt suggest Vengeance (affordable) and the G.Skill is near $200 for a 32GB kit of that.

I cannot argue about its unicorn status though.

As to what to buy, I say buy the best you can with the money you have. Lower timings will perform better on average, but it is not a set rule. Secondary and tertiary timings play a larger role in performance than the average guy thinks about. The difference between CAS16 and CAS18 matters very little to the average Joe walking around, that is not heart set on scoring points in a benchmark to beat another score.

 

[ir_cow]

@Fizwawiz can you say again your end goal? It will be easier to give you a exact recommendation based on your needs for the Alder Lake platform. The sweet stop for hassle free is 3200 since it runs in 1:1 ratio. 3600 is "best" for nearly plug n play, but may not run without the newest BIOS. Some Alder Lake CPUs can reach 4266 1:1 Ratio. Mine tops out at 4133 for 2x. I think 3600 is my limit for 4x DIMM (1:1). I would have to go back and check again.

The highest I can go with 4x is 4600. That takes a lots of playing with SA and IMC voltages to get it just right. Also its in Gear 2... so not the best.

I just do not suggest mixing ram kits. You will most likely end up with it stuck at JEDEC 2666 because of stability issues.

1: Must have 4x DIMMs? (Follow up if yes; why?)
2: Need 32GB?
3: Need more than 32GB?
4: How much money you want to spend?
5: What are you doing with the memory, playing games, rendering video, etc?

 

[Fizwawiz]

@Fizwawiz can you say again your end goal? It will be easier to give you a exact recommendation based on your needs for the Alder Lake platform. The sweet stop for hassle free is 3200 since it runs in 1:1 ratio. 3600 is "best" for nearly plug n play, but may not run without the newest BIOS. Some Alder Lake CPUs can reach 4266 1:1 Ratio. Mine tops out at 4133 for 2x. I think 3600 is my limit for 4x DIMM (1:1). I would have to go back and check again.

The highest I can go with 4x is 4600. That takes a lots of playing with SA and IMC voltages to get it just right. Also its in Gear 2... so not the best.

I just do not suggest mixing ram kits. You will most likely end up with it stuck at JEDEC 2666 because of stability issues.

1: Must have 4x DIMMs? (Follow up if yes; why?)
2: Need 32GB?
3: Need more than 32GB?
4: How much money you want to spend?
5: What are you doing with the memory, playing games, rendering video, etc?

Hey thanks for the response. Definitely doesn't need to be 4. I was thinking 2x16 makes more sense. Just gaming so i wouldn't need more than 32. I probably don't even have to upgrade what I have at the moment anyway. I think the big reason I wanted to upgrade is because my old PC had 32gb and my new one only has 16. Of course ddr4 vs ddr3 so it's still much faster than the old one. Just figured if speed it up more. I've noticed in some games like vanguard I can't run everything on max and still get 144 fps. I took some screenshots and have been meaning to check how the memory is doing during that.

 

[Fizwawiz]

Do you think these sticks would run together?

 

[mechtech]

What you are looking for is this

PRIME Z690-P D4｜Motherboards｜ASUS Global

ASUS Prime Z690-P D4 Intel® Z690 (LGA 1700) ATX motherboard features PCIe® 5.0, DDR4, three M.2 slots, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C®, front panel USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C®, Thunderbolt™ 4 support and 2.5 Gb Ethernet. Prime Z690-P D4 caters to daily users and all builders looking for well-rounded specs and...

www.asus.com

It's not the end all be all, but will give you an idea of what has been tested and verified.

 

[Fizwawiz]

What you are looking for is this

PRIME Z690-P D4｜Motherboards｜ASUS Global

ASUS Prime Z690-P D4 Intel® Z690 (LGA 1700) ATX motherboard features PCIe® 5.0, DDR4, three M.2 slots, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C®, front panel USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C®, Thunderbolt™ 4 support and 2.5 Gb Ethernet. Prime Z690-P D4 caters to daily users and all builders looking for well-rounded specs and...

www.asus.com

It's not the end all be all, but will give you an idea of what has been tested and verified.

Thank you. I know it runs the teamforce because that's what I have in there. I just have an option of free ram (the XPG) and was wondering if it would work together.