Adding extra RAM

Ralphie6 · May 19, 2014

Hi,

I would like to upgrade my RAM from 4GB to 8GB by buying an extra 4GB.
Is it necessary to buy the same speed ddr3 or the same brand?

this is my build:

CPU: AMD A8-5600k
Mobo: FM2A75m pro4+
RAM: Kingston HyperX Blu KHX1600C9AD3B1K2/4G

other parts don't matter i think.
what is the best thing i can do?

Thanks

plaintuts · May 19, 2014

The same brand is preferred.

The same speed absolutely needed. Ex.1600mhz with 1600mhz

Danbuscus25 · May 19, 2014

with an apu such as an A-8 you want lots of ram, and fast ram if you can too. i would buy another 4gb stick of 1600 cas 9, and preferably an identical stick as you already have. you CAN have ram at different speeds and latencies, but that can cause a lot of problems.

Ralphie6 · May 19, 2014

but will other brands work too?
the only ram i can find from kingston with the same specs has no reviews so i don't know if its good...
will this work too: Corsair Vengeance LP CML4GX3M2A1600C9

EDIT: the one i have now is btw dual channel so i would like the new one to be that too

plaintuts · May 19, 2014

The kingston ram model?

Ralphie6 · May 19, 2014

plaintuts :

Kingston HyperX Blu KHX1600C9D3B1K2/4GX

EDIT: But can't buy it anywhere... live in the netherlands

Danbuscus25 · May 19, 2014

get kingston if you can, also check the voltages, get the same on that aswell. pretty much, if any 2 ddr3 sticks have identical specs they will work just fine, but from the same brand ensures optimal performance and reliability.

Ralphie6 · May 19, 2014

Danbuscus25 :

Thanks!
getting the kingston is impossible so i will just look for the same specs.

Danbuscus25 · May 19, 2014

ok, sounds good

make sure to check all 4 timings, frequency (duh) same voltage, and it should be just fine.

Tradesman1 · May 19, 2014

Chances are about 50-50 the sticks will play together, mixing DRAM can be problematic even with the same exact model sticks, the forums are full of people that have tried and had had problems or failed entirely....If you do try and have problems give me a shout, can often get them to play with voltage/timing adjustments

Danbuscus25 · May 19, 2014

well, i doubt its 50/50, from what ive experienced, heard, and read about, its more like 99/1

Danbuscus25 · May 19, 2014

well, you probably know more about ram than me, so maybe ive just gotten lucky. ive added ram that is different speed and latency before with no problems though o.o

Tradesman1 · May 19, 2014

I've been doing DRAM support at Gskill for about 6 years now, and mixing sticks is prob the biggest reason for RMA's, ask any of the manufacturers of DRAM (or even mobos), trying to mix DRAM can be and often is problematic, that's one of the reasons a 4 stick set of DRAM generally cost more than 2 sets of 2 sticks, it takes more testing to find 4 sticks that will all play nice together, additionally, especially with sticks 1600 and up XMP is programmed into the sticks by the packaged set, say you get a 2 stick package of 2133/9, it may need te advanced timing tRFC at 208, with 4 sticks it may call for the tRFC to be 278...Look through the forums, I see people every day have problems with mixing sticks....It was a lot easier in the old days with DDR and DDR2 when there were so few choices in DRAM as far as freqs and most all stayed to JEDEC specs, but with DDR3, DRAM has long been advancing much faster (freq wise) than JEDEC has even been able to pop out 'standards' and in cases they have based their published 'standards' from working off specs of DRAM that is already out in the market....originally DDR3 was projected to go UP TO 1600 ---- now you have sticks 1866- 3200

Danbuscus25 · May 19, 2014

ah ok, i see, but i still dont think its 50/50, i think that maybe because you do support for g.skill you hear about problems all day everyday, and dont hear about working drams much.

Tradesman1 · May 19, 2014

I also have a systems business, and work on rigs daily, many of my 'new' clients are those with this exact problem, as I said often one can make timing or voltage adjustments to get them to play....the 50/50 comes mainly from sticks 1600 and under, getting into higher freqs the possibility of them playing out of the packages goes down....I had many sets that play nice from the get-go but many more don't and there aren't a lot of folks out there that have any idea of what or how to make DRAM adjustments (and many that are scared to

). As mentioned it's one of the biggest reasons for DRAM RMAs, the next biggest is people buying DRAM at 1600 or better and it not starting right up at 1600 or the spec freq, they don't know that DRAM goes to the mobos default when first installed (which in part comes from folks in the forums telling them it will just start right up at 1600, 1866 or whatever. The next biggest thing is people buying DRAM that is a higher freq than their CPU can handle, (another problem coming from bad advice on forums quite often), the DRAM memory controller used to be part of a chipset on the mobo, so people equated mobo specs to what DRAM they could run, these days the MC is in the CPU, so while any say Z87 mobo may have support for 2800 DRAM you basically need a 4770K to run those sticks at 2800 (maybe with a 4670K), but the locked CPUs are going to do it (with very few exceptions, very talented OCers)

Danbuscus25 · May 19, 2014

yeah, i agree with everything you said, except the 50/50 chance of same spec ram working, if it was really that low of a chance then there would be all kinds of warnings on ram, and a lot more people would just use 1 stick.

Tradesman1 · May 19, 2014

Sorry, that doesn't make sense " people would just use 1 stick" , as mentioned above the sticks that come in a package have been TESTED to work together, therefore they are guaranteed....the manufacturers won't guarantee mixing sticks from different individual packages

Danbuscus25 · May 19, 2014

i meant that people would not buy ram unless it is specifically in a kit, so all the people that have 1 stick, like the OP, would have to either buy another same spec stick and hope he is lucky, or buy a kit of 2 sticks.

Tradesman1 · May 19, 2014

That sums it up nicely - the best bet is to buy a set of the full amount you want, from there you can try adding the DRAM you have and if it will play, it's a bonus, if not can put it in another computer, sell it, or I just hang onto it for upgrades in a different rig...Problem you run into if trying the 'lucky' approach - it doesn't work and can't be made to play nice, then you are stuck or may have to go through a return/rma process that may include shipping charges and/or restocking fees and still be stuck with only the DRAM you started with

Danbuscus25 · May 19, 2014

alrighty, so if OP is there, i guess you could try to buy 1 stick of same spec ram, and hope you dont get unlucky with it, or just buy a new kit.

Adding extra RAM

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