Should i change my Mixed Brand Ram?

[stuartb04]

Hey guys.

Finally im almost satisfied with my pc having done multiple upgrades this year.-Mobo, Psu ,Gfx ,Cpu, Monitor.

Next upgrade im thinking about is the ram.

I have 2 x 4gb of Kingston(1333mhz) and 4 x 2gb elpida (1066mhz)
The elpida ram is what my pc repair shop installed when they fixed my pc a while back.

now my question- is it ok to mix ram brands. a quick web search suggests it isn't due to possible stability issues.

In another post I have been having a few BSODs which I think is related to the cpu overclock (upped the voltage and its ok so far)...or would the ram contribute to this?

shall I just get one Brand and if so What is Recommended.

 

[27MaD]

Hey guys.

Finally im almost satisfied with my pc having done multiple upgrades this year.-Mobo, Psu ,Gfx ,Cpu, Monitor.

Next upgrade im thinking about is the ram.

I have 2 x 4gb of Kingston(1333mhz) and 4 x 2gb elpida (1066mhz)
The elpida ram is what my pc repair shop installed when they fixed my pc a while back.

now my question- is it ok to mix ram brands. a quick web search suggests it isn't due to possible stability issues.

In another post I have been having a few BSODs which I think is related to the cpu overclock (upped the voltage and its ok so far)...or would the ram contribute to this?

shall I just get one Brand and if so What is Recommended.

Well , if your PC is running fine (100% stable no BSOD's) then keep the RAM's.

 

[chaosmassive]

its totally fine, faster ram will lower clock for slower sticks
in your case, kingston ram will downclock itself to 1033 mhz to match elpida stick

 

[jboydgolfer]

i ran 2x4 crucial, & 2x4 Gskill in my nephews optiplex for a very long time with zero issues. ive done it other times as well with no issue. unless you have insability caused by Ram, why change it. The labels being the same color wont make the PC run smoother.

 

[ShurikN]

I have 2 x 4gb of Kingston(1333mhz) and 4 x 2gb elpida (1066mhz)

Mixing brands is fine as long as they have similar specs, but the thing you are mixing (2x4 + 4x2) is just begging for issues. Or the timings are gonna tank hard.

 

[stuartb04]

its totally fine, faster ram will lower clock for slower sticks
in your case, kingston ram will downclock itself to 1033 mhz to match elpida stick

But surely I want it to run the faster of the 2 rams timings?

Maybe I should get a 1600mhz Kit?

 

[jboydgolfer]

But surely I want it to run the faster of the 2 rams timings?

Maybe I should get a 1600mhz Kit?

The performance difference between the two is very minor , Even within specialized conditions ,the benefit would be what I would consider entirely not worth it. If you have money burning a hole in your pocket, I would suggest saving up for a more modern build. Something with DDR4.

I'm on mobile so I cant see your system specs, but overclocking would likely bring the base ram speed up , but the difference would be tiny

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

But surely I want it to run the faster of the 2 rams timings?

Maybe I should get a 1600mhz Kit?

Not the way it works, the best set gets downgraded to accommodate the settings for the worst.
Odd ram can work but never optimally, you Are best of using a matched set, plus the more sticks you fit the harder your chip and platform works, with two sticks you get optimal efficiency out of the memory controller.

 

[ShurikN]

with two sticks you get optimal efficiency out of the memory controller.

It's a triple channel X58 setup tho. I'm surprised, it even booted with those 6 sticks.

If I were in his shoes, I would sell all 6 sticks and get a paired set of 3 x 4GB (smth like THIS, not necessarily new ofc)

 

[micropage7]

Yep, keep that except you have err like bsod, random freezing

I have local brand rams that refuse mix n match and it always end freezing
So if your system runs well, just keep that

 

[Salty_sandwich]

how your mixed ram can/will depend on CPU memory controller for example with my A10-5800K and this HP Pro 6305 MT system the Ram has different modes depending on how it's installed for example:

this is what the manual says for my PC and ram

Populating DIMM Sockets

There are four DIMM sockets on the system board, with two sockets per channel. The sockets are labeled DIMM1, DIMM2, DIMM3,and DIMM4.
Sockets DIMM1 and DIMM2 operate in memory channel B. Sockets DIMM3 and DIMM4 operate in memory channel A.
The system will automatically operate in single channel mode, dual channel mode, or flex mode, depending on how the DIMMs are installed.
NOTE:
Single channel and unbalanced dual channel memory configurations will result in inferior graphics performance.( Refering to the APU's built in GPU)
●
The system will operate in single channel mode if the DIMM sockets are populated in one channel only.
●
The system will operate in a higher-performing dual channel mode if the total memory capacity of the DIMMs in Channel A is equal to the total memory capacity of the DIMMs in Channel B.
The technology and device width can vary between the channels. For example, if Channel A is populated with two 1-GB DIMMs and Channel B is populated with one 2-GB DIMM, the system will operate in dual channel mode.
●
The system will operate in flex mode if the total memory capacity of the DIMMs in Channel A is not equal to the total memory capacity of the DIMMs in Channel B. In flex mode, the channel populated with the least amount of memory describes the total amount of memory assigned to dual channel and the remainder is assigned to single channel. For optimal speed, the channels should be balanced so that the largest amount of memory is spread between the two channels.
If one channel will have more memory than the other, the larger amount should be assigned to Channel A. For example, if you are populating the sockets with one 2-GB DIMM, and three 1-GB
DIMMs, Channel A should be populated with the 2-GB DIMM and one 1-GB DIMM, and Channel B should be populated with the other two 1-GB DIMMs. With this configuration, 4-GB will run as dual channel and 1-GB will run as single channel.
●
In any mode, the maximum operational speed is determined by the slowest DIMM in the system