DDR3 RAM Upgrade compatibility and worth it?

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c0brakai

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Hi all,
I've got an older computer that I want to add more RAM to because I've heard it will help when editing video (4K GoPro footage). Is this true?

Assuming it's a worthwhile upgrade...

Motherboard: MSI P67-G43 (https://us.msi.com/Motherboard/P67AG43_B3/Overview)
CPU: Intel i7 2600K 3.4GHz
RAM: Currently 2X 4GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 PC12800 1600MHz (https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categ...l-Channel-DDR3-Memory-Kit/p/CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B)
SSD: Samsung 860EVO 500GB


The board supports up to 32GB RAM. I think I'd like to get 16GB more (2X 8GB) for a total of 24GB. Does it matter what type I get? Do I need to stick to the exact same size, speed and timing? Can I mix and match specs and brands? Would any faster RAM get reduced to the speed of the slowest RAM in the bank?

Also - in the specs of my mobo it says the speeds are: DDR3 1066/1333/1600*/1866*/2133*(OC). I don't recall doing any overclocking I just plugged this stuff in and it worked. What does this spec mean?
 
I don't recall doing any overclocking I just plugged this stuff in and it worked. What does this spec mean?
Click to expand...

This means the your CPU considers any ram faster than DDR1333 as overclocking the memory controller. Which is understandable since the 2600K came out before faster ram. If you just plugged it in your ram is likely running at DDR3 1333 speed.
 
Do I need to stick to the exact same size, speed and timing?
Click to expand...

Voltage is the most important. All slots will have to run at the same voltage, speed and timing.
 
drescherjm said:
Voltage is the most important. All slots will have to run at the same voltage, speed and timing.
Click to expand...

I see. So if I added some 2133 RAM, in slots 2 & 4, all four slots would run at whatever my current RAM is? 1333 or 1600 whatever I find out...

drescherjm said:
This means the your CPU considers any ram faster than DDR1333 as overclocking the memory controller. Which is understandable since the 2600K came out before faster ram. If you just plugged it in your ram is likely running at DDR3 1333 speed.
Click to expand...

Through HWInfo it does say that the RAM is operating at 1600MHz. How would I verify this?
 
Can anyone else confirm whether the additional ram (2x 8GB) needs to be exactly the same or just the voltage?

Edit: Also... will I run into any issues by running a 4GB stick in Channels 1 & 3, and an 8Gb stick in channels 2 & 4. (Total = 24GB)? It should still operate in dual channel and not be limited by the 4GB sticks, right?
 
Last edited:
c0brakai said:
Can anyone else confirm whether the additional ram (2x 8GB) needs to be exactly the same or just the voltage?

Edit: Also... will I run into any issues by running a 4GB stick in Channels 1 & 3, and an 8Gb stick in channels 2 & 4. (Total = 24GB)? It should still operate in dual channel and not be limited by the 4GB sticks, right?
Click to expand...

Corsair uses a "verx.xx" system for coding the ICs used to produce the memory modules. Matching these ICs improves your chances of all the modules working well together. If you post a close-up pic of the label side of your modules I can easily tell you the manufacturer of the memory chips used, and perhaps even the specific ICs. If you can't match the exact ICs you will have at least identified them and be able to look for ICs that share the same general attributes (timings / voltage, etc) so as to improve the chances of them working together.

As for running 24 gigs, as long as you have 12GB in each channel you will be able to operate in dual-channel. Check your manual to see which slots are recommended when running just two modules and populate these with the 8GB sticks, then add the 4GB sticks to the other slots.
 
will you use 24Gb? make more sense to me to match it all, I always try to. so 4x4 for 16gb. that's really all youll need for almost everything.
 
^what pendragon1 said, also that's the way to keep Dual Channel working on, unmatched RAM sizes mean the machine will run in single channel (half of your current bandwidth which it's just terrible).. you can either go to 16GB or sell your current RAM kit and go big to 32GB.

Reefa_Madness said:
As for running 24 gigs, as long as you have 12GB in each channel you will be able to operate in dual-channel. Check your manual to see which slots are recommended when running just two modules and populate these with the 8GB sticks, then add the 4GB sticks to the other slots.
Click to expand...

nope.. all sticks should be same size to run in dual channel.. 8gb + 16gb won't run in dual channel.
 
pendragon1 said:
will you use 24Gb? make more sense to me to match it all, I always try to. so 4x4 for 16gb. that's really all youll need for almost everything.
Click to expand...

I don't know. Right now just doing some basic stuff the computer is using like 6GB of the 8GB. I figure if I'm going to upgrade I might as well put as much as possible while keeping what I have.
 
I do CAD (Solidworks), though that's hardly ever taxing compared to doing 4K video editing in Premiere Pro. I've had my computer lag many times doing that.

I have two of these currently:
4GB ea
1600MHz
9-9-9-24
1.5V ver2.12

Resized_20180914_153357_4510.jpeg
 
c0brakai said:
I do CAD (Solidworks), though that's hardly ever taxing compared to doing 4K video editing in Premiere Pro. I've had my computer lag many times doing that.

I have two of these currently:
4GB ea
1600MHz
9-9-9-24
1.5V ver2.12

View attachment 104009
Click to expand...
ok and that falls into the etc part.
the ones I linked are what you linked to in op, id match them. not sure your 2600 is cut out for 4k video production, 1080p sure but 4k? also, afaik PP is more gpu/cpu dependent that it is ram.
also if your miss-match causes it to drop to single channel or give you issues it wont be worth it.
 
c0brakai said:
I do CAD (Solidworks), though that's hardly ever taxing compared to doing 4K video editing in Premiere Pro. I've had my computer lag many times doing that.

I have two of these currently:
4GB ea
1600MHz
9-9-9-24
1.5V ver2.12

View attachment 104009
Click to expand...

Those should be Elpida based modules. See image below. You won't be able to match these exact ICs in a 16GB modules, as these modules have 2Gbit IC whereas the 8GB modules would need 4Gbit ICs to populate the PCB. Next best thing is to try and match timings and voltage of your current kit when looking for the 16GB kit.
 

Attachments

  • Elpida BCSE 2Gbit IC & description.JPG
    Elpida BCSE 2Gbit IC & description.JPG
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Okay, thanks guys for the input.

Looking like I can make some improvement by sticking another 8GB in there of the same type, then upgrade to the next gen everything next year. Hopefully I can get by with some basic editing with this setup.
 
Araxie said:
^what pendragon1 said, also that's the way to keep Dual Channel working on, unmatched RAM sizes mean the machine will run in single channel (half of your current bandwidth which it's just terrible).. you can either go to 16GB or sell your current RAM kit and go big to 32GB.



nope.. all sticks should be same size to run in dual channel.. 8gb + 16gb won't run in dual channel.
Click to expand...

I'm going to test this when I get a chance. My understanding is the 2x8GB would run in dual channel and then 2x4GB would run in dual channel. Obviously if you mixed and matched with 1x8 and 1x4 it would be single channel.
 
2x4 and 2x8 if they work together will be dual channel and this is what I would try first.
Even three sticks is still kinda dual channel but with the third stick being on its own in single channel performance is somewhere between single and dual.

check task manager to work out how much ram you need.

Upgrading to a ryzen 2700 would more than half your render time.
But any new system will need ddr4 and if your current mb dies... so don't go spending to much on the current system.
 
dasa said:
2x4 and 2x8 if they work together will be dual channel and this is what I would try first.
Even three sticks is still kinda dual channel but with the third stick being on its own in single channel performance is somewhere between single and dual.
.
Click to expand...

Flex only works on system where the IMC it's driven by the mobo chipset and not into the CPU.. so, "flex dual channel technology" doesn't work anymore since nehalem on intel. other motherboards have the ability to map two dual channel slots and one single channel slot but at the expense of all modules being limited by the slower and smaller capacity one.. so even if he is lucky to have a mobo that support that feature (which certainly a P67 chipset wont) then the newer 2x8gb kit will run also as 2x4 so he will left with a total of 16gb of RAM with a high chances of crashing, BSOD, and a large etc of issues.

Certain workstation stuff allow for MCU + IMC such as IBM's power8 and power9 CPUs for onchip and offchip eDRAM purposes but again that's not typical.
 
Interesting may have to try this on my old p55 and 3770k.
Only 2 sticks of ddr4 for skylake system I'm afraid.

But here is somebody else it worked for with sandybridge.

https://forums.overclockers.com.au/threads/upgrade-8gb-to-16-on-current-rig.1236659/
Deus_Ex_Machina said:
Interesting. So ran Mankind Divided at 800X600 and it did show some slowdown

2600K @ 4.0Ghz

8GB Dual
Avg 110.2
Min 82.9
Max 141.5

12GB Single
Avg 102.4
Min 67.3
Max 126.8

12GB Mixed (I think. I shuffled the CPU fan and used the slot beneath as I believe this is required for mixed mode as per intel site)
Avg 101.0
Min 72.5
Max 128.1
Click to expand...
 
i was wondering the same thing today.

but I want to know how I can figure out if Ican use ECC Reg ram because its DIRT CHIP. I'm running a P6T with a Xeon so I wonder if it would work. I mean 24gb is like 65 bucks. Non ECC stuff is expensive sorta.
 
Bigbacon said:
i was wondering the same thing today.

but I want to know how I can figure out if Ican use ECC Reg ram because its DIRT CHIP. I'm running a P6T with a Xeon so I wonder if it would work. I mean 24gb is like 65 bucks. Non ECC stuff is expensive sorta.
Click to expand...

Yes, your board it's compatible with ECC registered RAM.. some people are even able to use ECC on certain Gulftown chips with latest bios for that motherboard..
 
I ended up buying two more sticks of 4GB of the same version from Corsair, to reduce the risk of incompatibility. I think 16GB will hold me over for a while.

Did we come to a conclusion as to whether or not you can mix two 4GB and two 8GB sticks and have it still work in dual channel utilizing all 24GB? Just out of curiosity..
 
I haven't had time to test the 3770k system yet and unfortunately it may be a while as its not my system anymore. Also from memory it doesn't post with the 2GB sticks of ram installed (one of those rare incompatibility issues) so best I could do is test with three 4GB sticks vs two.
 
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