Will 2 4GB Stick Of RAM Work together no matter what brand / make / model they are

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Lam1080p

Lam1080p

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Nov 23, 2014
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I have 4GB of RAM and am planning to get another stick (I know my motherboard supports it).
Me and my friend are unsure whether the RAM sticks have to be the exact same brand / model. I would also like to add for future references, do they need to be the same amount (if they need to be the same stick).

Thanks :)
 
Solution
SkyBill40
As I just said to someone else with a similar question...

Maybe. There's no guarantee they're going to work together as you may expect. To get the best chance at a positive result, get the RAM that offers the closest SPD rating, timings, and voltage to your existing sticks. Also, make sure that the RAM value in each DIMM slot is the same size (ie, 4x4 GB and not 2X4gb + 2 @ 8GB) as your system probably won't POST.

As for the brands being different, that doesn't matter all that much. If and when possible, buy as much RAM as you want in a MATCHED SET. This way you are assured that the RAM you're getting has been tested to work together without incident. Even if it's the same vendor and the exact same timings but you bought it later...
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SkyBill40

SkyBill40

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Oct 11, 2013
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As I just said to someone else with a similar question...

Maybe. There's no guarantee they're going to work together as you may expect. To get the best chance at a positive result, get the RAM that offers the closest SPD rating, timings, and voltage to your existing sticks. Also, make sure that the RAM value in each DIMM slot is the same size (ie, 4x4 GB and not 2X4gb + 2 @ 8GB) as your system probably won't POST.

As for the brands being different, that doesn't matter all that much. If and when possible, buy as much RAM as you want in a MATCHED SET. This way you are assured that the RAM you're getting has been tested to work together without incident. Even if it's the same vendor and the exact same timings but you bought it later, there's still no promise as I've heard of people running into issues.
 
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Emerald

Emerald

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Aug 28, 2005
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usually when using two memory sticks you buy them as a kit since they are design to work together and give better performance.

however, since you already have one and want to add a second one, the next preferred way would be to get the exact same then you already have.

if you cannot find it on ebay or in the store, the last resort would be to get one that has the same technical specs (timing, speed, T cycles, voltage). The chance that this works is 50/50.
 
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