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Help! I'm about to order!?!

B

bobsaget

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Messages
4,403
As you can probably see, I need another stick of 512mb RAM. I have Kingston ValueRAM PC3200. What if I were to get some Kreton PC3200 512mb RAM and mix the brands together.

1. will this work?

2. will I see the same preformance as if I were to get matching RAM?


Thanks
 
Memory doesn't always play nice together in the same system, if it's different brands. If you want to be sure, buy the same memory.
 
Heh, I have mixed RAM. My stock chip is only 256MB to boot. My computer works fine, but it's old and maybe I'm just lucky. I have no idea what RAM my PowerSpec came with.
 
make sure the modules are identical, as in doublesided, singlesided, etc...
 
Originally posted by p0b0y
make sure the modules are identical, as in doublesided, singlesided, etc...
Click to expand...

well I'm running one Wilk Electronics PC2700 256 megs module and one Elixir PC 2100 512 megs module (this one is doublesided) and guess what - works perfectly fine... so, bobsaget, as long as you don't plan on running in a dual channel mode go for whatever ram you want...
 
Originally posted by fallsincluded
what the hell kind of ass backwards configuration is that?
Click to expand...

I got the 512 megs module for like $30 from a friend of mine... I still could easily sell it for at least twice as much... it did limit my oc but I went from 256 to 768 and I could sacrifice those 100 MHz...

I just wanted to point out that the memory doesn't have to be exact same brand, speed etc to run perfectly fine...
 
Okay, a little note to clear the confusion.

Forget dual channel.....the memory may still not work together in the same system. It's possible he may buy a different module, and it won't work at all...as in won't boot. This is not a discussion about dual channel or not.
 
Ive never had a problem mixing memory. So far with ddr at least ive mixed mushkin, kingston, samsung, a few off brands, and one other company, forget now. (over the course of maybe 10-20 pcs)
 
Originally posted by Wixard
Ive never had a problem mixing memory. So far with ddr at least ive mixed mushkin, kingston, samsung, a few off brands, and one other company, forget now. (over the course of maybe 10-20 pcs)
Click to expand...

Consider yourself lucky then. I've had a ton of problems working on about 100 PCs for friends, co-workers, etc. Someone would walk into Best Buy, pick up some memory and put it in. No boot. It would work fine with either chip, just not both. And most times, the people bought memory compatible with the board. It's a pretty well known fact that anytime you mix brands, there's no promise it will work across all boards.
 
i have always used mixed generic ram (until i got my officemax ram free with the 4 different MIR's) and never had problems, but i guess i am lucky.. if i was buying the ram though, and not using stuff that was given to me or pulled from other computers then i would at least attempt to get matching ram...
 
Originally posted by djnes
Consider yourself lucky then. I've had a ton of problems working on about 100 PCs for friends, co-workers, etc. Someone would walk into Best Buy, pick up some memory and put it in. No boot. It would work fine with either chip, just not both. And most times, the people bought memory compatible with the board. It's a pretty well known fact that anytime you mix brands, there's no promise it will work across all boards.
Click to expand...

Maybe you're just unlucky?
 
Originally posted by Wixard
Maybe you're just unlucky?
Click to expand...

No, it's pretty well known and documented that not all RAM plays nice with all other types of RAM. Anyone in the support field pretty much can tell you that.
 
Originally posted by djnes
No, it's pretty well known and documented that not all RAM plays nice with all other types of RAM. Anyone in the support field pretty much can tell you that.
Click to expand...

Ive never run into a ram compatability problem in the last 10 or so years. I have heard of issues, but they must be rare enough that they dont show up on the vast, vast majority of systems. At least in pennsylvania. Ive fixed everything from compaq 486's to dell p4's, in most cases older machines had mixed sdr ram. In newer cases when upgraded they contained mixed ddr.

Infact ive never seen a machine that was upgraded that had the same stick put in.
 
most of the time it will be compatible, but your ram will only be running as fast as the slowest stick in there, so buying faster ram won't do you any good, unless you take the slow stick out
 
Originally posted by Wixard
Ive never run into a ram compatability problem in the last 10 or so years. I have heard of issues, but they must be rare enough that they dont show up on the vast, vast majority of systems. At least in pennsylvania. Ive fixed everything from compaq 486's to dell p4's, in most cases older machines had mixed sdr ram. In newer cases when upgraded they contained mixed ddr.

Infact ive never seen a machine that was upgraded that had the same stick put in.
Click to expand...

Uhhhh, I live in PA. Secondly, it's much more common in DDR than SDR, so it's not a mater of how long you've been working on PCs. These forums have been littered with people complaining about it, so have other forums, and so have motherboard knowledge base sites. Just because YOU haven't seen the problem, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. All you have to do is look online a little.
 
Originally posted by djnes
Uhhhh, I live in PA. Secondly, it's much more common in DDR than SDR, so it's not a mater of how long you've been working on PCs. These forums have been littered with people complaining about it, so have other forums, and so have motherboard knowledge base sites. Just because YOU haven't seen the problem, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. All you have to do is look online a little.
Click to expand...

I listed the various brand name ram combinations ive mixed with DDR, varying speeds of each. And on varying chipsets (although 0 with pentium 4's)

If its much more common in ddr than sdr, youd think i would have run into something by now? As far as compatability goes, i ran into a problem once with an nforce2 igp board that didnt like a particular brand (even though it was listed to be compatable on nvidia site, it would blue screen when the drivers were installed)

I did look online, and the only relavent link i found related to tech tv saying incompatability was "very rare"

Expierience has everything to do with it. I can say based on what ive seen mixing ddr will rarely cause problems. The only constant in these configurations was that they were not overclocked.
Going by number of posts complaining of incompatabiltiy is imo not a good idea. If things are working properly chances are no one will post. So by default any support board will be littered with negative posts.
 
Originally posted by Wixard
Expierience has everything to do with it. I can say based on what ive seen mixing ddr will rarely cause problems. The only constant in these configurations was that they were not overclocked.
Click to expand...

Your just not getting what I'm saying here. Think of how many iterations of memory brands over 2 sticks, and then the number of chipsets on the market as well, from all the different brands. I'll give you an example. My Shuttle 845 shipset will not boot with my Corsair memory in it. But the Corsair works fine in my 845 chipset IT7-MAX2, IC7, and AI7. I have one stick of Kingston ValueRAM PC2700 that will work by itself in any of those systems, and one AMD system, but will not let any of those systems boot with any other stick in. I have a generic Spectek chip that will also not run with anything else I've encountered.

Kinda throws out your experience argument, doesn't it? Don't be so naive to think if you've never seen a problem, it doesn't exist. You should go into politics if you feel that way.
 
Originally posted by djnes
Your just not getting what I'm saying here. Think of how many iterations of memory brands over 2 sticks, and then the number of chipsets on the market as well, from all the different brands. I'll give you an example. My Shuttle 845 shipset will not boot with my Corsair memory in it. But the Corsair works fine in my 845 chipset IT7-MAX2, IC7, and AI7. I have one stick of Kingston ValueRAM PC2700 that will work by itself in any of those systems, and one AMD system, but will not let any of those systems boot with any other stick in. I have a generic Spectek chip that will also not run with anything else I've encountered.

Kinda throws out your experience argument, doesn't it? Don't be so naive to think if you've never seen a problem, it doesn't exist. You should go into politics if you feel that way.
Click to expand...

I didnt say it didnt exist. I said its rare (very) .

Ive not had kingston give me a problem with anything else. It may be your boards.

If crucial isnt working in your system at all, you may want to double check the ram compatability list.
 
Originally posted by TheMostWantedPolishTwin
well I'm running one Wilk Electronics PC2700 256 megs module and one Elixir PC 2100 512 megs module (this one is doublesided) and guess what - works perfectly fine... so, bobsaget, as long as you don't plan on running in a dual channel mode go for whatever ram you want...
Click to expand...

no way in hell that works dual channel....
 
Originally posted by p0b0y
no way in hell that works dual channel....
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I kinda doubt hes lying or bullshitting. Dual channel is a motherboard feature and not a ram one. There might be ram designed for dual channel i guess, but i dont think ive ever seen any.

If you arent overclocking elixer isnt bad memory imo.
 
Originally posted by p0b0y
no way in hell that works dual channel....
Click to expand...

This thread isn't about two brands working in dual channel. It's about getting two brands of DDR to work together in the same system...old style single channel. And to that, you never know. Most of the time it will work, but it's not impossible to find memory that doesn't play nice.
 
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