We must know in each case that we will have a different situation that we will explain below.
different abilities
Let’s say our gaming computer has a single module RAM memory 8 GB. The price of this component is at its lowest and games have become demanding, so we want install a module of 16 GBto go leftovers.
Initially, there is no problem mixing the two modules, but the result will not be as expected. Having different capacities, the system automatically adjusts it. How does he do? In a simple way “dividing” one of the modules into two.
What the system does is 16 GB module divide it in two, as if they were two 8 GB. Thus, the module is combined there with 8 GB of the 16 GB available in the second module. create a config 8+8 GB dual channel and leave 8 GB freetherefore, to say.
what we have is 16 GB (8 GB of the first module and half of the 16 GB module) running on Dual channel and delivering the best possible performance. On the other hand we have 8 GB much slower than they work Single channel.
And this has an important drawback and that is that those The “free” 8 GB will be underutilized. Being slower, the system will leave them “forgotten” and they will be used to store low priority data.
But, in short, you can, although there is an obvious performance cost.
different frequencies
Here, things change radically. Although it is possible to mix two RAM modules of different frequencies, it is not recommended. There are two possible scenarios.
Down-frequency synchronization
Let’s say we have a bicycle and a motorcycle. The cyclist will have a maximum speed at which they can pedal steadily without breaking down. The motorcycle can go 60 km/h without any problem, but not the cyclist. Thus, whoever adapts his speed makes the motorcycle run at the same speed as the bicycle.
The same goes for the RAM, since the slower module cannot reach the speed of the faster one. Therefore, the fastest adjust your frequency work (speed) down.
Of course, when this happens, we get a performance hit. Will this loss of performance be very significant? Well, it depends on the working frequencies. The difference between the 3000 MHz and 3200 MHz modules is much smaller than the 2666 MHz and 3200 MHz modules, of course, it will be less noticeable in the first case than in the second.
Note that frequency synchronization is usually possible between modules from the same manufacturer. They can be synchronized if they come from different manufacturers, yes, but that’s quite rare.
Module incompatibility
The most frequent occurrence is this, that No Campus compatibility between the different frequency modules. What generates this point are problems much more serious than a simple loss of performance. They will normally be generated random blue screens or the inability to start the system.
There The BIOS detects the bone separate modules and given the impossibility of synchronizing their frequencies, it generates constant reboots. If it were to match, something quite common will be blue screens and they will be random.
In fact, this is the most common case. This will happen in most cases where the memories come from different manufacturers. Although it is also very likely to happen when the modules are from the same manufacturer.
identical hours
Timing, simply explained, is the latency or waiting time. Without going into technical details and explained in a very simplified way, it would be the time taken by the RAM to find a stored data and to give it to the processor, when it requests it.
Delays are measured in four different values separated by hyphens, such as: 16-18-18-40. Two modules with the same number sequence do not guarantee compatibility.
First of all, if the timings and the rest of the settings are the same, it should work fine. But this is rarely the case. If the products are of the same range and from the same manufacturer, the likelihood of problems is reduced. When the manufacturer and the range are different, the possibilities of errors increase. And we can almost certainly guarantee issues with different brands.
What problems can arise?
- blue screenshots constant and random
- the ORcomputer will stay “frozen” without motive
- Long waiting times when we open or close programs
When the timings differ, the motherboard adjusts them to the most unfavorable, as happens with frequency. This does not mean that the problems we mentioned in this paragraph may appear.
So what should I do?
If you have a RAM module, buy a set of two and remove the old one. Undoubtedly, this will guarantee the proper functioning of our computer. RAM is currently at its lowest price in years, and 16GB DDR4 costs around $50. Here we leave you several interesting options:
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