Mixing ram sticks

Hi nForce people
Tricky question to ask.
As you can see in my specs, I've 512 Mb Kingston DDR Ram pc 3200.... and an nForce2 mobo. Which may seem not so nice a mix, but it's working fair.
The point is that I'd like to have 1 Gb ram and this is troubling me a little. Mixing memories is bad, buying another 512 Mb Kingston is worse, buying 1 Gb of supported Corsair, Geil, Mushkin, whatever is good, but at present I cannot afford it. A friend of mine has just bought a new pc and he can give me his old Corsair stick (see below):
CMX512-3200C2 - Bus 400 MHz - CL2
# Timing Reference: 2-3-3-6-1 at +2.5V
I'd like to test it on my mobo, just to make a test (and if it works I'll be happy for a while).
As for now I'm pretty concerned by one issue: my Kingston stick works at 2.6 V, while the Corsair one is supposed to work at 2.5... does it mean troubles, tears and bad dreams? Apart the well known compatibility issues, may I risk to provoke any damage by mixing 2.5 V and 2.6 V ram sticks?
Thanks for advice and have you all a nice day.

Thanks sky_on for your answer.
Actually what you suggest was precisely my intention!
Well, if everything will work fine I'll keep both sticks, otherwise I'll say ciao-ciao to the Kingston thing and hello to the twin brother of my friend's Corsair stick.
Well, I'll let you know what happens.
See ya
Quote
Originally posted by sky_on
So: YES, it's ok!
Ok about the vdimm but not about the compatibility/stability, you must try it first for stability. If it's not stable, it's not because the vdimm but it's chip (different chip/manufacturer sometimes could lead to instability).
nb: in case not stable, just sell your RAM and bought a same RAM as your friend's.

Similar Messages

Mixing ram sizes

Hello,
I recently purchased a macbook pro i7 late 2011 edition. It currently has 4GB of ram(2x2GB). I am wondering if it is possible to purchase a single 8GB(1x8GB) stick of ram and trade out one of the old 2GB sticks in order to have a total of 10GB of ram. I am aware 16GB ram kits are available but they are currently too expensive for me so atleast this way I could purchase one stick of 8GB for now and then purchase another down the road.
8GB of ram is not enough for me. So my question is if whether or not I can mix ram sticks. Please only respond if you know for a fact and why, I don't appreciate people making guesses.
Thank you!

No one can answer your question with certainty. Some people mix different RAM brands and sizes and even speeds, and don't have any trouble. Others try it and have nothing BUT trouble. No two Macs or Mac users are alike in all respects, so there's no knowing why it works for one and not for another. It's a safer bet to use exactly matched pairs, but you might be fine with whatever mismatched modules you choose. If you buy from a vendor who offers a lifetime warranty, you'll probably be able to return anything that doesn't work out for you. But you can't eliminate the chance of getting bad RAM no matter what you buy, and you can't be sure that even a good module will behave perfectly when paired with a module that you have now.
There are some vendors who offer RAM modules in pairs from one manufacturer but in unmatched sizes, and warrant them to work properly together. You may want to consider buying a 4GB and an 8GB module from such a vendor, adding a small amount in cost but giving you 12GB and a solid warranty. Here's one dependable source:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/Apple_MacBook_MacBook_Pro/Upgrade/DDR3_133 3MHz_SDRAM
Note that the extra 4GB only costs $15 more than a single 8GB module.

Mixing RAM Modules (1gig + 2gig = 3gig)

Hello,
I am about to buy a Mac Mini and I am on a tight budget. The one thing I want to do for sure is upgrade the memory, but I'm in a quandary of sorts given my budget. The retailer where I want to buy the Mini from only sells the appropriate RAM for the Mini in 2gig modules. So here's my question: I know it is possible to mix the stock 1gig stick with a 2gig stick to get 3 gig of RAM total, but will it be worth it to me? I realize that the best configuration would be to slap in 2 2gig modules in and just be done with it, but with 3gig, would I be appreciatively shooting myself in the foot and killing the machine's performance, or wouldn't I notice? I need to have the memory installed at purchase because I am physically handicapped and adding the memory myself is out of the question. And after researching how to replace memory on the Mini, I wouldn't have the courage to ask anybody I know to attempt to do it after buying it. Is mixing RAM modules a good idea?
Thanks in advance.
Malcolm

Nope, I am not confused, There does have generation between Mac mini model. Maybe not official, but we all know. Check About This Mac ---> More Info ---> Model Identifier : Macmini2,1 (That means, 2nd generation)
Macmini 3,x (means 3rd generation I supposed)
And the 3rd generation doesn't support Dual Channel, referred to Crucial.com
http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Mac%20mini%20%28Intel%20Core%2 02%20Duo%202.0GHz%20DDR3%29%20MB463LL/A&pl=Apple&cat=RAM

Mixing RAM Manufacturers?

My apologies if this has been asked before; I searched the forum but couldn't find anything that answered my question properly. So-called 3rd party Memory is new territory for me.
I'm looking to upgrade the RAM in my iMac at home; it's a late 2006 20" 2.16 C2D.
I was wondering if anybody could tell me if mixing RAM by different manufactures will cause any adverse effects or instability? Of course taking into account that the memory is in perfect working order. Also, what manufacturers available in the U.K are most reputable with regards to stability and useful working life? I work in music production so good RAM and stability is a must.
Currently I am considering a single Crucial 2GB module, mainly because they seem to have a good reputation around the forum and it's very reasonable priced.
http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=5A5FD16EA5CA7304
I'm also considering buying a further 1GB module (possibly Kingston) soon after should 2.5GB in the computer not be enough.
Lastly; would there be any benefit to buying a second 2GB module (instead of the 1GB)? I know each slot can accept a 2GB stick, but I keep getting conflicting info as to whether 4GB can actually be addressed in the late 2006 white 20" iMac (despite the spec being 3 gigs).
Cheers.

£32 for one 2GB module! Now I feel seen-off. At the end of November I decided to buy just a 1GB SODIMM as that was £17 versus the £57 they wanted for a 2GB modules. Today I could have bought a full 4GB for £64. Nevermind, I don't actually need that much RAM.
At those prices I'd buy 2GB now and then 2GB later. You'll get to use 3.3GB as den.thed says and because you'll have two modules from the same OEM you'll be sure they will pair up and you'll get the benefit of matched RAM.
I'm also going to re-iterate my usual gripe about Kingston: Kingston Value RAM (slightly more than Crucial) doesn't work in Macs (Kingston themselves told me that). It caused Kernel Panics in my old iMac. If you use Kingston System Specific RAM (about twice the cost of Crucial) it'll work just as well as the Crucial.
mrtotes

Mixing ram whats best

hi im currently running 3 1gb sticks of ram but one of the sticks is older than the others and only runs at 533mhz the others usally run at 800mhz but because of the older stick all sticks run at 533mhz.
my question is.
is it better to run 3gb of ram at 533mhz or 2gb at 800mhz?
here are the sticks im mixing
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/98710 andhttp://www.ec.kingston.com/ecom/configurator_new/PartsInfo.asp?root=us&LinkBack=&ktcpartno=kvr533d2n4/1g
im running a p7n 750i sli platinum
cheers

Quote from: jimmi1 on 06-June-08, 18:27:11
hi im currently running 3 1gb sticks of ram but one of the sticks is older than the others and only runs at 533mhz the others usally run at 800mhz but because of the older stick all sticks run at 533mhz.
my question is.
is it better to run 3gb of ram at 533mhz or 2gb at 800mhz?
here are the sticks im mixing
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/98710 andhttp://www.ec.kingston.com/ecom/configurator_new/PartsInfo.asp?root=us&LinkBack=&ktcpartno=kvr533d2n4/1g
im running a p7n 750i sli platinum
cheers
I agree with everyone on mixing ram isn't the best idea in the world, but it's certainly not the worst either. Myself, I have mixed memory on several occasions with no problems at all. While you may lose a very small amount of spped from going from 800 down to 533, it is immesuarable without a benchmark to tell you. Also, losing dual channel is a very small decrease as well. I've tested it on many of my systems and the biggest loss was only 5%.
If you need all 3GB of RAM then I suggest, after you have thoroughly tested your new ram and make sure they are 100% stable, is that pop in your extra ram and run some stability programs such as memtest86+ for overnight or longer (8hrs minimum). If you get no errors then you should be good to go.
also, to compare speed loss I'd run some benchmarks before adding the extra memory such as 3dmark/pcmark and compare them afterwards and see if it is worth the loss to you. I'm sure you won't even notice it at all without running the benchmarks telling you they are running slow.
Good luck
-=Mark=-
ps. also if you start having issues down the road then remember to remove the old RAM and retest just to be sure they aren't the culprit.

Mixing ram pc2100 &pc3200

My system currently has one stick of PC2100 RAM, 512MB.
I would like to bring my system memory up to a gig of RAM, but I don't want to buy another stick of PC2100, cause it won't help me for future upgrades. but i of course don't want to just get rid of the PC2100 stick i already have.
would there be any harm in mixing the PC2100 with PC3200? I know the PC3200 would just run at 133/266, just wondering if any problems/instability might occur my mixing the two.
I'll WILL match brands however, and make sure they are both Kingston Technology, cause i've heard that this kind of mismatch can definitely cause problems.

Mixing RAM such as you are proposing, is always a crapshoot. It may work ok, but I would think very hard before trying it. You might be able to make it work by setting the timings manually, but even that does not always work.
I would hate to see you buy PC3200, and then not be able to use it with the existing RAM.
You may be better off buying enough PC3200 to replace the existing RAM, while upping the total amount of ram, and avoiding the trouble all together.
While some have claimed to have no problems mixing RAM, most have had bad luck with trying it.

Mixing Ram with different CAS latencies in K7n2 Delta-L?

I have been using 512mb Kingston Value Ram in my computer, pc3200, with CAS latency of 3.0. I just purchased some Corsair value select 512mb ram pc3200 with CAS latency of 2.5. I know you are not supposed to mix ram with different speeds (like 400 vs. 333) but does it matter if the CAS latencies are different?
I'm running an AMD XP 1800+, K7n2 delta-L, nforce2 motherboard from MSI. Someone at a computer shop told me they tried mixing Kingston 3.0 CAS with Corsair 2.5 CAS, and said his computer wouldn't even post. So I'm wondering if this is an isolated problem, or you will always run into this problem if you mix ram with different CAS latencies.
If anyone has experience with this issue, please share with the board. Thanks!
Chris

The age old question, will the components I bought be compatible ? There are those that have bought identical matching memory that didn't work. In my case, I had an ECS K7S5A that used PC2100 Crucial memory, the sticks neither matched (at one time they did, but one stick died and they sent me the closest thing they had.). Neither of these Crucial sticks was identified by a configurator as being compatible with the K7N2 Delta L that I decided to buy. In the end, not only did both sticks work, but I put them in as single channel mode (ram slots 1 & 2), but later changed the configuration to dual channel mode (ram slots 1 & 3, even 2 & 3). It worked flawlessly in all three configurations. Sorry for the long answer, but in essence, there are no guarantees and your worries will drive you crazy. When memory is mixed, you reduce the likelihood of compatibility, even when you go beyond the recommended products that were specifically identified.
That guy at the computer shop, did he ever indicate or isolate the true reason why the memory wouldn't work ? Maybe, maybe not. I would think with a disparity in memory, the bios is the key to setting the settings for the worst stick of the bunch. Then again, the products you get might overclock to what the better sticks run at. My assumption is that mixed sticks, the bios retards settings to this in "auto" mode. When you force it manually, it may work or it may fail. One thing you oughta know, each and every stick has the manufacturers id encoded onto them at the very least, just like the firmware on other items indicates a manufacturer code and other data that allows these things to be compatible. So know you face that battle going in with any of them. If the bios programming doesn't allow it to work, from that perspective, there'll be problems.

Mixing ram SIZES in Late 2013 i7 27" iMac

Just assume all ram sticks are the same specs.......
Can I mix ram SIZES in Late 2013 i7 27" iMac? I.E. : two - 4 GB and two - 8 GB?

You should try to balance RAM out as equally as possible between available slots.
For example, 2 4 4 4, 2 2 4 4, 2 2 2 4, but not 2,4,8,0. And where you only have two slots, 2 2, 2 4, 4 4, and so on.

Mixing ram brand ok?

http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4292564
Id like to get some of that ram but right now I have Corsair Value Select 512. The board seemed real picky as to where I put the ram and it only liked it in the 3rd slot so I figure maybe its real picky about the ram in general. I dont overclock but is mixing ram like that ok? Or should I just get another stick or value select.

Yes it does work i've just done it over the weekend. Mty son's just upgraded his PC so I pinched his old memory 2x256mb 3500 Geil.Golden Dragon 433.
Put my ballistix in slot 1 & the 2 single sided eil in 2 & 3.
at stock ballistix run 2,2,2,6 geil 2,3,3,6 so tried it at stock 1st at the lowest speed module 2,3,3,6. I upped the memory voltage a notch & jobs done. Can't get back yet to the 225 I had (dropping Cas to 2.5) but have got to 220.
Think In your case it depends what you value most 1GB or 512MB good performance memory MUSHKIN 512 MB 3200C2. Forgive the pun but its a bit like harnessing a racehorse & carthorse together. You will have to manually set your timings to slowest module Value & so won't see the benefit of the MUSHKIN. Alternatively put in the MUSHKIN & enjoy the faster timigs you can now get.
luck

Mixing ram

recently got my new imac, and since i use it mostly with logic, and i respect most opinions here, i'll ask this here.
i am thinking about buying a 512 for my imac from someone on craigslist . he pulled it from a MACBOOK. i know both are sodimm and both are pc-5300 - his is hynix, i don't know what mine is. for $75 i could bump my ram by 100% which sounds great, but i've heard some people have reservations about mixing ram. thoughts?
ps. i know matched ram gives a slight performance boost, but i just need more breathing room, and $75 seems like the right price.

yeah kid i'm with jord on this
i just had a big thing with RAMS not long ago leading me to deleting everything on my harddrive and also not being able to install DVD and app been crashing alot
but after I removed them rams things runs smooth
so RAMS plays a big roll in your system, so get the best and make sure they match and work as well
stash

After RAM upgrade on Satellite L30-10S only one RAM stick is recognized

I just added an 1GB Crucial Ram stick into the L30-10S (PSL33E), but only the 1GB get recognized, the Hyundai stick (512MB), which was supplied with the laptop, isn't been used by the system anymore.
I tried switch around, but I can only get 1 RAM stick to work at the time, either 1GB, when both rams are placed in the slots or if only the 1GB is installed or 512MB when I leave the 1GB out.
Did anyone actually managed to get 2 Stick running simultaneously, on this system?
BTW CPU-z did recognize both sticks and reports correctly 1536MB, the BIOS however only 1GB, actually less, since some is taking by the graphics card.
The BIOS version on my system is V2.80, dated 03/05/2007 and both memory are the same speed PC2-4200.

Did you really read all those topics???
From http://forums.computers.toshiba-europe.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=22405:
"I heard about a user how has Samsung 512mb and Kingmax 1gb ram in his L30 and everything is fine, he has no problem with it.
I have two 512mb Samsung modules and have no problem."
From http://forums.computers.toshiba-europe.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=23014:
"You can use 667Mhz modules, but they'll work on 533 Mhz. I read in another forum about a guy, how has 533Mhz and 667Mhz RAM in his L30, and he has no problem."
L30 series supports memory up to 2gb, and if you use memory from a reliable brand, you'll have no (compatibility) problem. Maybe Crucial ram is not the best choice. As I see all those guys have problem with Crucial ram. Something's wrong with it...
And don't forget something: opening a new topic won't help you, if nobody can solve the problem in another topics...
PS: Try Kingmax, Kingston, Samsung, Corsair modules. I never had problem with those brands.
Message was edited by: Abe83

Mixing RAM Speeds...No Ben Hur jokes please ;)

Is it ok to mix RAM speeds. Somehow I purchased some RAM awhile back that was PC2-3200U-255 for my Quad. Oops, I never noticed that is wasn't what came with the computer, the 4200-444. Well, I just bought some more RAM at 4200-444, and noticed that I had varying speeds. Will this variation pose any problems?
Thanks!!

Thanks for the link Josef. Very informative. Unfortunately, I am still confused (my permanent state).
So I checked my invoice from my purchase and it looks like I purchased 5300 instead of the 3200 that is showing in "System Profiler". I opened up the computer and indeed it is 5300. So, is mixing the 4200 and 5300 a no no? Is the 5300 in fact being read as 3200? And doesn't the other RAM automatically run at the lowest speed, no matter what speed is highest?
Thanks, sorry that I don't get it. I did searches and am still confused.
Slow learner,
fatlanglois

P35 Neo-FI memory problem with 4 ram sticks

Hi,
I have a problem to get my 4 ram sticks to work. a1 and a2 works but soon as i put another ram in to motherboard example to b1 or b2 it wont post anything on the screen. I know that my 4 rams works ok and i dont have any problem with them. I have also tryied to turn up the dimm voltage but with out luck. Please help me!
CPU = Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz (bios 1.3)
Motherboard = MSI P35 NEO-FI, P35, Socket-775, DDR2,
Memory= 4 * Corsair Value S. PC5300 DDR2 2048MB, 256Meg x 64, CL5, 667MHz, 240-pin
Grafic card = Gainward GeForce 8400GS 256MB DDR2, PCI-Express, DVI/Tv-Out, SilentFX

I'm not sure if the board can directly support 8GB instantly, which may also explain that it can run 4GB without a hitch.

Macbook pro won't boot with two new 4GB RAM sticks.

I have a mid 2010 Macbook Pro. It came with two 2GB RAM sticks. After downloading Lion, my computer started to get sluggish so I thought I would upgrade the ram. I bought two 4GB Corsair RAM sticks and tried to install them. My computer will boot up if I install one of the new 4GB sticks and leave an old 2GB stick; but it won't boot with both of the new 4GB sticks. Any ideas?

rdsvs wrote:
all specs are the same. old and new has code as below
pc2-5300 ddr2 667 200pin
Unless I misread your reply, that is not quite accurate.
Late 2008 Macbooks uses DDR3 1066MHz 204 PIN.
Late 2011 Macbooks uses DDR3 1333MHz 204 PIN.
Late 2012 Macbooks uses DDR3 1600MHz 204 PIN.

PowerMac DP G4 Won't Boot With All RAM Sticks Installed

A few weeks ago, my 800 MHz dual-processor G4 started having frequent kernel panics. I tried all sorts of things, including changing the PRAM battery, resetting the firmware, and resetting the PMU. Then, one day, it would only power up but not boot, so I took it in for repairs.
The shop I took it to determined that the logic board was malfunctioning and replaced it. The computer no longer has any kernel panics.
The machine was designed for three 500 MB RAM sticks, which is what it had ever since I bought it over five years ago. Now, apparently, it won't boot with the last one installed, though it will with two. The shop replaced the new logic board and and even swapped RAM, but the problem still persists. Neither the power supply nor the hard drive appear to be malfunctioning.
Does anyone have any ideas what's going on? Any ideas or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
G4 800 MHz Dual Processor Mac OS X (10.4.9)

squeakmaster, welcome to Apple Discussions.
Have you tried the following with one 512MB RAM stick:
1. Palce it in the first RAM slot. Does the Mac boot?
2. If so, remove the stick & place it in the second RAM slot. Does it boot?
3. If so, remove the stick & place it in the third RAM slot. Does it boot?
The results of this test should reveal (1) if the stick boots in one or more RAM slots, the RAM is good and (2) if it fails to boot in a RAM slot, there is a problem with that slot.
Do this with each of the tree RAM sticks & post back the results.
When the logic board was replaced, was the firmware updated to be compliant with OS X. (Note - The firmware is installed on a chip on the logic board.) Check your Mac's firmware (Boot ROM version) version. Mac OS X: Available firmware updates
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86117 If an update is required, the update must be installed (using OS 9) BEFORE you install OS X.
Can you boot up in OS 9.x? If so you can use DIMM First Aid - Check & recover disabled (missing) RAM from Apple's latest firmware updates http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macos/10415
 Cheers, Tom

Mixing ram sticks

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