Where I live the only way I'm able to get a pair of 8gb ram (I want 16gb for my setup), is buy buying from overseas with weeks of shipping. All the places near me only sell pairs of 8gb ram for DDR4 (I can only use ddr3 due to my mobo), or ram that wouldn't work for me for other reasons. Would buying two 8gb ram sticks that DONT come as a pair (the two sticks are the same however) be okay? can this cause any issues?
Can't buy ram in pairs, is 2 single sticks okay?
- Thread starter Cullen_1
- Start date
Solution
weberdarren97
Glorious
- Aug 10, 2015
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If they're matching sticks from the same product line made by the same company, 90% chance you'll be fine. Just to be safe, order from a place that accepts returns.
weberdarren97
Glorious
- Aug 10, 2015
- 8,137
- 6
- 45,615
Can it cause issues? Yes it can. Will it likely cause any issues if they're matching models, probably not.
Symptoms of incompatible RAM: system refuses to POST (does not boot), erratic system behavior, unstable system, seemingly random errors, etc.
Symptoms of incompatible RAM: system refuses to POST (does not boot), erratic system behavior, unstable system, seemingly random errors, etc.
geofelt
Titan
- Oct 9, 2006
- 54,333
- 4,162
- 174,240
Ram is sold in kits for a reason.
A motherboard must manage all the ram using the same specs of voltage, cas and speed.
Ram from the same vendor and part number can be made up of differing manufacturing components over time.
Some motherboards can be very sensitive to this.
This is more difficult when 4 sticks are involved.
That is why ram vendors will NOT support ram that is not bought in one kit.
It is safer to get what you need in one kit.
But, it is a bit more expensive because of the added matching of all the sticks to insure compatibility.
What are the odds of success??
I really do not know.
For modern Intel motherboards perhaps > 80%
For older motherboards or amd motherboards, the ram is more tightly linked so perhaps not so good.
The chance of success is high enough that I might, in your situation, try it.
If it did not work properly, 8gb will still run reasonably well.
And, let you run while you order something guaranteed to work.
Look on a ram vendor's web site and use their ram selection app.
Enter your motherboard and you will get a list of compatible ram.
Pick a 8gb stick that is compatible and then buy a second.
If you have a problem, raising the ram voltage a bit more than the default may work.
Also, favor stock speed ram running at stock voltages. Faster ram is not that helpful anyway.
A motherboard must manage all the ram using the same specs of voltage, cas and speed.
Ram from the same vendor and part number can be made up of differing manufacturing components over time.
Some motherboards can be very sensitive to this.
This is more difficult when 4 sticks are involved.
That is why ram vendors will NOT support ram that is not bought in one kit.
It is safer to get what you need in one kit.
But, it is a bit more expensive because of the added matching of all the sticks to insure compatibility.
What are the odds of success??
I really do not know.
For modern Intel motherboards perhaps > 80%
For older motherboards or amd motherboards, the ram is more tightly linked so perhaps not so good.
The chance of success is high enough that I might, in your situation, try it.
If it did not work properly, 8gb will still run reasonably well.
And, let you run while you order something guaranteed to work.
Look on a ram vendor's web site and use their ram selection app.
Enter your motherboard and you will get a list of compatible ram.
Pick a 8gb stick that is compatible and then buy a second.
If you have a problem, raising the ram voltage a bit more than the default may work.
Also, favor stock speed ram running at stock voltages. Faster ram is not that helpful anyway.
Tradesman1
Legenda in Aeternum
- Jun 5, 2013
- 67,883
- 40
- 126,960
__________________
+1 - mixing DRAM is a 50/50 crapshoot, even of the same exact model. Also notable, mixed sticks might work fine on one rig and not another. I've gotten matching sets direct from manufacturers that wouldn't play nice
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