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RAM: higher capacity vs higher speed (self.pcmasterrace)

submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by ViscloReader to c/pcmasterrace

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I am going to upgrade my 8gb desktop pc. I have 2 free slots and 2 slots with 2x4gb 2400Mhz. I will buy 2x8gb with 3600 MHz. Should I put them together and have 24gb at 2400Mhz or should I remove the 2x4 in favor of the 3600Mhz.

I'm asking because I read that when you have 2 different ram speeds it will default to the lower one.

Edit: it's for gaming and I have a Ryzen 3 1200 with a b350m as a motherboard

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[–] chknbwl 21 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

The vast majority of games work just fine with 16gb RAM. I recommend running your higher speed modules as dual-channel and selling/repurposing your previous hardware.

Unless they are the same brand and specification, patchwork RAM tends to have compatibility issues leading to software hanging and potential crashes. YMMV.

ETA: Honestly you're more bottlenecked by your CPU. I'd recommend finding a used Zen2 chip if you can, such as the Ryzen 5 3600. I have a 3600x in my home desktop with a basic Coolermaster dry tower. I've never gone over 70°F/~21°C on fairly high settings of TW:3K. That should speak enough of Zen2's performance.

[–] HC4L 4 points 3 months ago

This.. also, use your motherboards QVL when selecting your new kit.