Can i use 2X 4gb 1600mhz ddr3 in dual channel + 1 single ddr3 1333mhz?

holygaab · Dec 19, 2014

Hi i Actually Have in my computer a DDR3 1333mhz 4gb ram. I want to increase my capcity of memory so i thought going for a better clock speed which gives the 1600mhz ram.

Can I use 2x 4gb ddr3 1600mhz ram in dual channel and keep my single 1333mhz bar in a single slot without problem to the clock speed nor to the dual channeling?

Thanks for answers!

Lmah · Dec 19, 2014

no, you won't get dual channel with 3 sticks and they 1600mhz ram will run at 1333mhz

SkyBill40 · Dec 19, 2014

You will likely encounter an issue if your sticks are of differing sizes and it won't POST correctly, ie: You can't run a 4GB stick in one slot and a 2GB stick in another. It needs to be balanced. Also bear in mind that your system's RAM controller will downclock your 1600 Mhz sticks to match that of the 1333. The system will always do this to match the slowest speed.

As the above dude stated, you will NOT get dual channel seeing as you're blending unmatched sticks. If you want dual channel, stick with the two 4GB sticks you already have and call it good. On a last note, you're not going to see a significant increase in speed (if at all) by going from 1333 to 1600.

Tradesman1 · Dec 19, 2014

What mobo? If it supports flex and the bigger if - that being if the sticks play together - then in effect you would have 8GB running in dual channel and 4GB in single together...as far as freq - you should be able to run all at 1333 and possibly if your 1333 stick is a strong one - with slight adjustments you could possibly run all at 1600 - there is no hard and fast thing that they would absolutely run at the slower speed - it's all dependent on the sticks and how they are set up

holygaab · Dec 19, 2014

Tradesman1 :

Actually i got an ASUS M5a97 as MoBo and only one bar of ram 1333mhz of 4gb. So I was looking toward upgrading my RAM capacity and speed to suit my games demand. What would be best? To buy paired bars to dual channel them or can I only buy one to fit the one i already have?

holygaab · Dec 19, 2014

SkyBill40 :

So what would be the best solution if I only have my 1333mhz 4gb bar and i want to upgrade capacity to 8gb and have a gain in speed (can i dual channel with an other bar the one i already have.?)

Tradesman1 · Dec 19, 2014

I'd get a set to ensure at least 8GB, as I mentioned - IF the new DRAM will play with the old - mixing DRAM can be and often is problematic, was pointing out that if they will play you could use all three sticks and possibly even at 1600

SkyBill40 · Dec 19, 2014

holygaab :

Always buy your RAM in matched pairs if you can, that way you ensure that the timings and voltages are the same. As I said previously, there is a minimal and perhaps imperceptible speed difference between the two you're looking at. At best, you *might* pick up half an FPS. That's it. The only way you might see some difference is if you made a jump from 1333 to 2133 or higher. Even still, you likely wouldn't even notice it.

That said, either buy a single stick (or three others to fill all your DIMMS) that's rated at the same voltage and SPD as your current one or, conversely, ditch that and just buy a new paired 1600MHz setup.

What's more important to consider than the SPD rating is the actual timings: the lower the latency the better off you are. While SPD is a nice factor, it seems to be more about bragging rights than anything else as the differences are very, very slim and especially between shorter jumps (1333 to 1600, for example) than from a lower tier to a significantly higher one.

As a last note, buy the most you can afford. Seeing that many of the newer games are getting more and more intensive, the amount of both system RAM and graphics RAM is ever increasing. So if you can buy 16GB, go for it. The old mantra of "better to have something and not need it than to need it and not have it" fits well here. When I built my new rig, 16GB was the least I was going to even consider.

holygaab · Dec 20, 2014

SkyBill40 :

holygaab :

Always buy your RAM in matched pairs if you can, that way you ensure that the timings and voltages are the same. As I said previously, there is a minimal and perhaps imperceptible speed difference between the two you're looking at. At best, you *might* pick up half an FPS. That's it. The only way you might see some difference is if you made a jump from 1333 to 2133 or higher. Even still, you likely wouldn't even notice it.

That said, either buy a single stick (or three others to fill all your DIMMS) that's rated at the same voltage and SPD as your current one or, conversely, ditch that and just buy a new paired 1600MHz setup.

What's more important to consider than the SPD rating is the actual timings: the lower the latency the better off you are. While SPD is a nice factor, it seems to be more about bragging rights than anything else as the differences are very, very slim and especially between shorter jumps (1333 to 1600, for example) than from a lower tier to a significantly higher one.

As a last note, buy the most you can afford. Seeing that many of the newer games are getting more and more intensive, the amount of both system RAM and graphics RAM is ever increasing. So if you can buy 16GB, go for it. The old mantra of "better to have something and not need it than to need it and not have it" fits well here. When I built my new rig, 16GB was the least I was going to even consider.

Thanks a lot!
very usefull informations ; I would select your answer as best answer, but I am not familiar with the forum and i don't know how to do it after looking around a little bit.

SkyBill40 · Dec 20, 2014

holygaab :

You're welcome. No worries about the "best answer" thing. Once you select it, you can't change it. Silly, I know... but it is what it is.

Good luck.

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Can i use 2X 4gb 1600mhz ddr3 in dual channel + 1 single ddr3 1333mhz?

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