Can my ram go dual channel

Ivan Komitovw · Jun 30, 2017

Okay so i have 4gb of HyperX Fury blue.Can i buy another 4gb HyperX Fury stick and make them dual channel.Or do i have to sell my ram and buy 2x4 ram?

frostedtim · Jun 30, 2017

For dual channel mode to work, the RAM sticks have to be matched pairs. It can not be just same capacity and vendor. Get the kit and you should be happy with that.

atomicWAR · Jun 30, 2017

frostedtim :

Not true. Now the OP would have to get the exact same make and model ram for dual channel to work and not end up in mixed memory mode which is bad IMHO. Now getting a dual channel kit increases the chances everything plays nice but it is not the only way. If the OP does get the same make and model ram (same speeds, same CL, same everything) it should work fine. I do it all the time upgrading. However there is a small chance things still won't play nice. Thus you would have to return and replace your new stick. In all my years building/upgrading PCs I have only once had to return my same make model ram for a different stick to get it working properly. I say give it a go if you can find your same ram.

frostedtim · Jun 30, 2017

atomicWAR :

Matched pair means "same speeds, same CL, same everything."

The problem is, RAM manufacturers make many kits with all the same specs, but there may be a tiny thing different, like say the voltage regulator, but otherwise everything performs the same. The matched kits take the guess work out of it. If the OP can find the EXACT matching stick, sure its possible, but does he want to risk that. Heck, he may not even notice the difference of having dual channel or not. But if dual channel is the goal, then the sticks have to match. My answer is correct, it just didnt go into the gritty detail. Im not looking to make the issue more complicated than it needs to be and the OP winds up not getting what he is looking for because he found a spec identical stick, but it doesnt work like he intended.

Jan_26 · Jun 30, 2017

The more similar the RAM modules are (specs wise), the higher chance you have it will work together. But unless you have a matching kit, it's always a lottery.

There is quite a risk of hidden corruption that won't appear obviously. Rare BSOD, driver crash, minor issues you blame Microsoft, Google, etc. for. I would definitely not try to dual channel non-matching modules on production machine. Entertainment only can be worth the risk.

Rexper · Jun 30, 2017

There is no guaranteed they will work together, though matching specifications increases the chanced. Even if you bought the exact same kit, there is still chance it won't be compatible. If it will work in dual channel or not depends on your CPU and motherboard.

frostedtim · Jun 30, 2017

Ivan, the simple answer to your question is: Get the 2x4 kit. This will make sure you can use dual channel mode.

Ignore all the other answers where they are telling you to just buy the additional stick, because MAYBE it will work.

BummerAfterSummer · Jun 30, 2017

Yeah Ivan, I agree with frostedtim. Get a dual channel kit of the same memory, because then it is GUARANTEED to work, and there will be 0 points of failure. Your mobo and BIOS will recognize this kit, and will run them in dual channel no problem.

atomicWAR · Jun 30, 2017

frostedtim :

First off you have some gall just saying ignore all other posts that don't agree with you. That is bad advice in general.

I am not arguing getting a dual channel kit will save some potential headaches, it will. And when I said same make model ram and specify same everything down to clock rate (cl) needs to be identical. Every spec must match ( speed, capacity, CL, all timings, voltage, memory chips used on the kit....everything) or mixed memory mode is a possibility and that is not a good outcome performance wise. All dual channel sets are, are two sticks guaranteed to play nice together. Something you don't get when buying the same exact identical ram. More times then not though if you do your homework and make sure everything is exactly the same, it is not a problem. So saying "MAYBE it will work" isn't right...most likely it will work just fine. Now if you don't get the exact same ram (same everything I mentioned early) then there is a lot of truth in your statement but I didn't encourage him to get kind of close ram where your statement would apply. Long story short, it is up to the OP if he wants to deal with a potential hassle (a very small potential if he purchases as I recommended and have done myself countless times over the last 20 years I have been building PCs) and save money or spend more money and save on a hassle that likely will never come. You never know that saved money could well be spent elsewhere. All that said if the OP cannot find identical make ram (again make model, speed, capacity, timings, CL, memory chips used) then he is better off getting a dual channel kit. If he can find the ram it would be worth it in my opinion to get it and save some money.

frostedtim · Jun 30, 2017

atomicWAR :

It was a simple answer to a simple question. And if you actually read ANY of what I had written, I was saying that for the purposes of ensuring dual channel mode worked, as intended, then go with the kit option.

You just had to go the full mega-nerd-fanboy route. Look, I didnt disagree that it was possible to find a matching stick for the existing one, but due to manufacturers making similar sticks with same specs and labeling, this makes things confusing for a lot of people. Im trying to be helpful to the OP. Long technical diatribes may work for fellow enthusiasts, but you tend to browbeat the technical specs to hard for most people.

My answer, for the OP's question is correct. Though the other answer might be correct, you have to be very sure you got the right module, otherwise its not going to work as intended. The RAM will still likely function, but not in dual channel mode, and the user may not even notice depending on his usage. Im not trying to wast the users time or money here.

The simple answer, the one that gives the least over all headache here, is for the OP to get the kit.

atomicWAR · Jun 30, 2017

frostedtim :

First off i did read every post you had in here. i never argued that a dual channel kit is the easiest way to ensure everything played nice. ALL I did was point out it is not the only way, which initially you said it was the only way in your very first post (matched pairs that is), I just called you out for being wrong, and wrong you were. Even later on you admitted it was possible. Now is it harder, yes. Is it to hard for the average user, maybe if they don't want to learn more about PCs and how they work. To call my advice mega-nerd-fanboy....well I take the first two as a compliment though you clearly meant them as a insult, which has no place on tom's for the record. I spent a very long time both on my own and in tech schools to learn all of this knowledge. The fanboy part...I don't even see how that applies here. I am not brow beating amd/intel/nvidia or any other vendor. If anything I am far from a fanboy. I think folks should get the best parts for there needs, regardless who makes them. While I do have some preferences, we all do, I make a point of being objective in my posts. Something you could learn a little about. Seriously anytime i hear someone say, ignore everyone else who doesn't agree with me/my post/etc. That tends to set me off. There is a lot to be learned from all of us who post on Toms if you take the time to read/listen.

frostedtim · Jun 30, 2017

atomicWAR :

frostedtim :

First off i did read every post you had in here. i never argued that a dual channel kit is the easiest way to ensure everything played nice. ALL I did was point out it is not the only way, which initially you said it was the only way in your very first post (matched pairs that is), I just called you out for being wrong, and wrong you were. Even later on you admitted it was possible. Now is it harder, yes. Is it to hard for the average user, maybe if they don't want to learn more about PCs and how they work. To call my advice mega-nerd-fanboy....well I take the first two as a compliment though you clearly meant them as a insult, which has no place on tom's for the record. I spent a very long time both on my own and in tech schools to learn all of this knowledge. The fanboy part...I don't even see how that applies here. I am not brow beating amd/intel/nvidia or any other vendor. If anything I am far from a fanboy. I think folks should get the best parts for there needs, regardless who makes them. While I do have some preferences, we all do, I make a point of being objective in my posts. Something you could learn a little about. Seriously anytime i hear someone say, ignore everyone else who doesn't agree with me/my post/etc. That tends to set me off. There is a lot to be learned from all of us who post on Toms if you take the time to read/listen.

Atomic, you are a mega-nerd-fanboy. You are way to invested in this thread and fighting over split hairs.

From one mega-nerd-fanboy to another (it takes one to know one, i dont mean it as an insult), RELAX. Im not here to fight with you. I come on here when I cant sleep but am feeling helpful. I do this stuff for a living. I went to school for this stuff too, but you are reading too much into this argument, and yes it has devolved that far, for it to be helpful. If you get pissed off because I told the OP to ignore you for your long winded, and ultimately not guaranteed to work answer, thats fine, I can live with that.

atomicWAR · Jun 30, 2017

frostedtim :

atomicWAR :

Atomic, you are a mega-nerd-fanboy. You are way to invested in this thread and fighting over split hairs.

From one mega-nerd-fanboy to another (it takes one to know one, i dont mean it as an insult), RELAX. Im not here to fight with you. I come on here when I cant sleep but am feeling helpful. I do this stuff for a living. I went to school for this stuff too, but you are reading too much into this argument, and yes it has devolved that far, for it to be helpful. If you get pissed off because I told the OP to ignore you for your long winded, and ultimately not guaranteed to work answer, thats fine, I can live with that.

All I am saying is there is more then one way to skin a cat as it were. I get I am not the only tech who volunteers their time to help out the up and coming nerds of the world. I don't mind being wrong, when I am actually wrong. I do see the value of your advice, for the most part. No I do not appreciate you telling the OP to ignore my advice (and I wasn't the only one to give similar advice) outright for exactly the reason I did state it was not guaranteed to work, just very likely to. Now had I given him (or anyone else) bad advice that was clearly not true or didn't state the caveats then I would have less reason to be pissed. All that said your right in the fact this has devolved and is highjacking the tread. So I am done on that front as you sound done too. Let bygones be bygones one nerd to another.

To the OP. If budget is a concern and you don't mind taking a risk of having to return a stick. Going with identical make model ram (same speeds, CL, all timings, capacity, memory chips used) may save you some cash you can spend else where. If you do not want do the research or rather just have a sure thing, going with a dual channel kit will be the least troublesome.

Search

Can my ram go dual channel

Ivan Komitovw

Reputable

atomicWAR

frostedtim

Reputable

atomicWAR

Glorious

frostedtim

Reputable

Jan_26

Commendable

Rexper

Respectable

frostedtim

Reputable

BummerAfterSummer

Reputable

atomicWAR

Glorious

frostedtim

Reputable

atomicWAR

Glorious

frostedtim

Reputable

atomicWAR

Glorious

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page