Can i mix 2 different rams?

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manalo.wigmond07

Apr 16, 2018
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Hello. I want to buy another ram stick because I only have 1 x4gb ram. Someone offered me a Spectek 4gb ddr4 2133 mhz for 20$.

I want to mix it with my Avexir core series 4gb ddr4 Red breathing led. My avexir ram has two xmp profiles. One is 2133mhz and another is 2400mhz.

Will this work fine?
My specs:
Ryzen 3 2200g
Msi a320m pro vh plus
Gtx1050ti
4gb ddr4 @ 2133mhz
 
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Karadjgne
I've had ram, identical ram from same vendor, same color, same speeds, same timings, same everything, be totally incompatible as in it did not work. And that ram was 10 serial numbers different. Just 10. It all has to do with the batch of silicon. Silicon itself is not pure, it has impurities like nickel, copper etc all it takes is a different batch or even 1 stick from center (more pure area) and one stick from an edge of the sheet (heaviest impurities) and they could be bunk. This is why the sticks are factory tested before they are added to kits, and why 2x single sticks costs less than 1x kit of 2 sticks. Gotta pay for the testing.

But being as there are no guarantees, there's also no guarantee that they won't work either. They may...
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R_1

R_1

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yes. no.
you will really need to test the modules to know for sure. its like throwing dice, snake eyes or sixes, will they work or will they not?

no harm in testing though, add the ram and run memtest overnight or through three passes. if there was no reboot and no errors they ram SHOULD play well together.

differing speeds will complicate the mix as they will all run at the slowest speed stick, so 2133.
 
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R_1

R_1

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same answer. test.
Matched sets are sold that way for a reason, they are tested to work together.
Mixing any ram is a gamble, even two sticks off the same assembly line made one right after the other will need to be tested and they still may not work together.
 
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Karadjgne

Karadjgne

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There's only one guarantee about mixing ram from different kits, be it exact same sticks or totally different vendors. There are no guarantees. On anything. It might play nice. It might need tweaking, it might be totally incompatible. There's simply no way of knowing until you plug the sticks in and see for yourself. The only way to know for sure that the Gb you want is fully compatible is to buy 1 kit that's the Gb you want. That's factory tested. Anything else is pot-luck.
 
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CaptainCretin

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Jul 18, 2016
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No, that is why they sell sets at a premium, the makers test them together to make sure they work together.

TBH, unless you are looking at the extreme edges of the mobo capabilities, or want to seriously overclock, the chances are they will work.

The only thing to be REALLY careful with, it to make sure they both run at the same voltage.
 
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Karadjgne

Karadjgne

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I've had ram, identical ram from same vendor, same color, same speeds, same timings, same everything, be totally incompatible as in it did not work. And that ram was 10 serial numbers different. Just 10. It all has to do with the batch of silicon. Silicon itself is not pure, it has impurities like nickel, copper etc all it takes is a different batch or even 1 stick from center (more pure area) and one stick from an edge of the sheet (heaviest impurities) and they could be bunk. This is why the sticks are factory tested before they are added to kits, and why 2x single sticks costs less than 1x kit of 2 sticks. Gotta pay for the testing.

But being as there are no guarantees, there's also no guarantee that they won't work either. They may run perfectly at 2133 and since the Avexir is 2400, it's also possible that you could manually set both sticks to the same as the Avexir xmp values and run both at a 2400MHz OC just fine. No way of knowing unless you take that $20 gamble.

Since it's a friend, I'd ask to try the ram, before paying, just to make sure they work together as both ram already works separately.
 
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