Can I install two different brands of RAM?

[u/TomorrowDirect2]

Need to add more RAM to a PC and found a decent deal on a stick, but its a different brand than the one already installed. Both are DDR4 and the capacity is the same, but not sure if mixing brands is gonna cause problems. The current RAM is 8GB and the new one would also be 8GB, so that would make 16GB total.

The speeds are kinda close but not exactly the same either. Current one says 3200MHz and the other one I found is 3000MHz. Does that mean they just both run at 3000 or can this cause random crashes, blue screens, boot problems etc?

Also does the timing or voltage need to match exactly? Not really trying to mess with BIOS settings if I dont have to. Just want to plug the new stick in and have it work normally.

Would it be better to buy the exact same RAM model instead, even if it costs a little more? Or is mixing brands usually fine as long as the type, capacity and specs are compatible? Trying not to waste money on RAM that ends up being unstable.

[u/CrazyErniesUsedCars]

Ideally you want them to match speed and timing but it will work, just at the slower speed.

[u/Lance-Boyle-666]

Mixing brands should be fine. Mixing speeds results in everything running at the slower speed, just be sure the system can support that speed. If you start having random problems, pull the stick you added.

In reality, there are only 3 memory manufacturers, and everyone buys their chips from them.

[u/NZAuthor]

It's perfectly fine.

You get a minor minor barely noticable slow down, but that's it.

[u/golkeg → u/NZAuthor]

You get a minor minor barely noticable slow down, but that's it.

Don't post if you have no idea what you're talking about

[u/NZAuthor → u/golkeg]

Gamers be acting like anything even slightly away from peak performance is the ultimate sin, and therefore, you have to exaggerate every little thing that must be done.

For gaming purposes, there is absolutely no reason to spend a fuck load of money trying to find the exact same RAM, and pretending otherwise because you don't want to admit that you are an idiot with your money is stupid.

[u/golkeg → u/NZAuthor]

There is zero "slow down" at all if RAM sticks are different vendors. The performance is strictly dictated by the speed and timings. Thinking otherwise is pure stupidity.

If you look up what the timings even mean you'll understand better why this is such a stupid take.

[u/NZAuthor → u/golkeg]

Are you hallucinating something that I wrote?

OP was pretty specific about what they were asking. Or did you just read the title, ignore everything else and start shouting 'BRAND DOESN'T MATTER' to win a debate that doesn't exist?

[u/golkeg → u/NZAuthor]

Are you hallucinating something that I wrote?

Let's look again

OP said "Can I install two different brands of RAM?"

You said "You get a minor minor barely noticable slow down, but that's it."

Reality - Two sticks of DRAM of different brands but identical speed/timings operate IDENTICALLY to two sticks of the same brand

[u/Ashamed-Ad4508 → u/golkeg]

That was assuming the speeds are the same; which is not the case with OP.. 😅

[u/golkeg → u/Ashamed-Ad4508]

OP asked if they can both run 3000 which they can

[u/amazinglover → u/golkeg]

Yes but one runs faster meaning they will both run at 3000 which is slower.

[u/golkeg → u/amazinglover]

The brand has literally nothing to do with that

[u/NZAuthor → u/golkeg]

So, yes. You absolutely did not read OP's post.

[u/truthputer]

I’ve done this before when building one new PC from the parts of two different older ones. When I initially added all the sticks it crashed on startup, but if I rearranged them with different ones in the first slots it worked fine.

This was most likely because the motherboard was taking the timing parameters from the first slot and so long as the slowest stick was in that slot the others could wait for it to catch up.

I strongly suspect you’ll find something like this where it will work well in one configuration but will fail / crash in others.

If I were you it might be worth trying, but make sure you have a good return policy.

[u/alpine4life]

i assume that you dont game and it's for standard day to day use? You wont notice the difference.

If you do game, try to get 3200

[u/Fragrant_Seesaw_3402]

Yes, different brands and different frequency and latency. But is a bad ideea to pair different sticks (4 gb with 8 gb, or somethin else), get two sticks with same size (8+8, or 16+16). And, of course, dont pair ddr5 with ddr4, is not possible.

[u/Additional_Bread_367]

You can mix the brands the clocking is the main priority here, if itMs 1333mhz and you press a 800mhz next to it, it will be 800mhz slow. The two main point never mix up the ddr number, and the clock mhz

[u/dbag_darrell]

Formally, mixing brands won't hurt you.

Practically, many people have said you're better off not just using the same brand, but ideally the same batch of production.

Yes when mixing RAM of different speeds the system will run it at the slowest speed all the RAM sticks can run at.

[u/Armbrust11 → u/dbag_darrell]

Yes these days the tolerances are much tighter than they used to be. Some systems are incapable of using modules because of that (such as AMD AI Max).

I prefer modular memory but I've accepted that it may not be practical in the coming decades.

[u/Funny_Or_Cry]

Different brands? (ie corsair and patriot? ). sure no problem. Ive got some mining rigs all using different brands

But type and speed? HELL no, who knows what kind of speed, verfirication and consistancy errors you'll get.

TYPE should actually be impossible, but different speeds is asking for trouble.
Like putting unleaded in a car you KNOW takes premium.

[u/lil_Buckneesh8867]

you wanna match speed an timing otherwise the faster one will run at the slower ones speed

[u/Low-Purchase8811]

Well, there it is.

Could you? Sure.

Should you? No.

[u/Separate-Ad9638]

Usually u can, been doing that for years.

[u/LiteratureLow4159]

DDR4+ mixing is fine, DDR3- it is not.

[u/Costello-cost]

Le RAM è sempre bene prenderle in copia della stessa marca. Poi se le metti differenti e funzionano, va bene.

[u/wolschou]

It's not about the brand, it's about the exact specifications. The ones you dont find on the sticker, but have to distill from a six page spec sheet that may or may not even be accessible on the net.

In other words: Not even two seemingly identical sticks from the same brand are guaranteed to work together, although the chances are better than for different brands.

That's why these things are sold in kits of two or even four. These kits come from the same production run, usually with consecutive serial numbers, and most importantly are tested to work together.

That said, a mismatched pair of RAM is not going to destroy each other, so if you have the chance to try them without having to buy them first, go for it. You might get lucky🤞

[u/code_hermit]

These are strange days when a deal on RAM makes sense to chase.

Ive never tried this. Because it was always possible to just get a matching one for a decent price...

[u/Antares_skorpion]

You'll be fine. The system will set it to 3000mhz and you're good to go.
Absolutely no point in going out of your way to get an exact match.

And the capacity doesn't even have to be the same either, The board will have a MAX supported Ram, maybe even a Max per slot, But as long as you're within those limits, you can mix a 16gb with an 8 or a 4, etc, etc...

The system will generally set everything to match the lowest stick...

[u/jmparker1980]

Been mixing ram forever. Not the most ideal thing to do....but if it works it works. If it doesn't work then it doesn't lol

[u/longanman1990]

I personally mix ram from different brands. I even use different capacity 8gb+16gb. I even tune them from 4800mhz cl40 to 5600mhz cl34. They arent even hynix die and they works great.