Mixing RAM Speed

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boatymcbeerface

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Jul 26, 2016
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I have a Lenovo T460 laptop for work. It currently has 2 8GB DDR3 (according to CPU-Z, 800MHz), and two open slots. I'd like to add memory, but I'm not sure what my best options are. The memory option I can order through work is:

Lenovo 8GB PC3-12800 DDR3L-1600MHz SODIMM Memory

I know I'll get approved for 2 additional sticks, that's easy. I'm not sure I could as easily get approved for 4 sticks to make everything match. Any negatives to adding 2 sticks of 1600MHz to my 2 sticks of 800?

Thanks!
 
Solution
P
It will be fine because you are actually not mixing different speeds.
800MHz reported by CPU-Z is actually 1600MHz as you buy from shop.

So just add those 2 new 1600MHz to old ones and it should work.

What CPU-Z reports is actual memory clock frequency (speed) which is 800MHz but is marketed as 1600MHz which is actually transfer rate of data. Reason why it is doubled is that DDR stands for double data rate which means that at each cycle it can transfer 2 chunks of data hence effectively doubling data transfered which is marketed as if you had memory of double frequency (probably it sells better this way). If you want to read more about this, just find "DDR memory" on wikipedia.
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pm4

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Apr 28, 2014
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It will be fine because you are actually not mixing different speeds.
800MHz reported by CPU-Z is actually 1600MHz as you buy from shop.

So just add those 2 new 1600MHz to old ones and it should work.

What CPU-Z reports is actual memory clock frequency (speed) which is 800MHz but is marketed as 1600MHz which is actually transfer rate of data. Reason why it is doubled is that DDR stands for double data rate which means that at each cycle it can transfer 2 chunks of data hence effectively doubling data transfered which is marketed as if you had memory of double frequency (probably it sells better this way). If you want to read more about this, just find "DDR memory" on wikipedia.
 
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