Solved Quick RAM Upgrade Question

[obidon]

I currently have 4GB of memory in my system, and I want to upgrade to 12GB.

I have 4 slots on my mobo in total with two filled (with 2GB sticks in each), and want to fill the remaining 2 slots with two modules of 4GB each for a total of 12.

Just want to make sure if this will work correctly with no issues. My mobo is in my system specs below and so is my current RAM type.

Does it matter what new RAM I get as long as it is the same type (DDR3) or do the other factors such as Manufacturer, Speed, and CAS Latency have to be the same too?

Thanks for the replies. All knowledge is welcome!

 

[chris1neji]

I know very small amount on this but from my previous experience you want to maximize the similarity to avoid getting instability issue. The main factor is DDR3, the second biggest factor is memory clock speeds in your case being 1333.

Buying from other manufactures or with different CAS timings, has very little impact. Especially if you do not overclock.

I do not know if you will still continue to gain the DUAL Channel Memory advantage though.

 

[quickdraw2011]

Use the Crucial System Scanner software to find out what type of memory is in your computer

Use this scanner. Just click on the above link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-channel_memory

 

[obidon]

Ok I did the scan. You can find the results here http://tiny.cc/i336aw

Now the only thing I'm confused about is where it says on the left hand side under memory

Each memory slot can hold DDR3 PC3-8500, DDR3 PC3-10600 with a maximum of 2GB per slot.*
*Not to exceed manufacturer supported memory.

Maximum of 2GB per slot? How is that even possible if there are only 4 slots and the maximum memory size is 16GB?

Also I thought my memory speed was DDR3-1333 but maybe I'm wrong now. Is there a way to figure out what my exact speed is?

 

[quickdraw2011]

Ok I did the scan. You can find the results here Memory upgrades from Crucial.com - Determine My Memory Needs

Now the only thing I'm confused about is where it says on the left hand side under memory

Each memory slot can hold DDR3 PC3-8500, DDR3 PC3-10600 with a maximum of 2GB per slot.*
*Not to exceed manufacturer supported memory.

Maximum of 2GB per slot? How is that even possible if there are only 4 slots and the maximum memory size is 16GB?

Also I thought my memory speed was DDR3-1333 but maybe I'm wrong now. Is there a way to figure out what my exact speed is?

What is the brand and model number of your PC?

 

[obidon]

I built it myself so it is a custom system as you can see in my system specs below.

 

[quickdraw2011]

I built it myself so it is a custom system as you can see in my system specs below.

\

I've never seen the scanner to be wrong. It appears, you can add a matched pair of 2GB sticks. Call Crucial tommorow, tell them the model and brand of Mobo you have. They will then confirm the amount you can add.

 

[obidon]

Alright I guess I will do that if no one can figure it out here.

I really hope I can add two more 4GB sticks for a total of 12GB. If I can only get a total of 8GB with my current configuration without having to throw away my current modules I will be pretty upset.

 

[quickdraw2011]

You could go to the mobo manufacturers website, find your model, and look up the specs.

 

[Britton30]

Your board will support up to 16GB, 4GB per slot. The scanner only reads what you currently have, not upgrade options.

Mixing brands and different RAM can possibly make your system unstable or perform badly. I would suggest a 16GB kit.

 

[chris1neji]

http://download.gigabyte.asia/FileList/Memory/mb_memory_ga-ep43t-usb3.pdf
That is supported memory according to GIGABYTE

"Memory modules listed below are for reference only. Due to massive memory models on the market, we can​

only verify some of them." Data = 2010/07/16

I am almost positive your system will have no trouble with RAM sticks over 2GB. I mean why else would they assume your motherboard can support 16GB of RAM when you only have 4 slots and they supposely support 2GBs.

Doing the math
4Slots (x) 2GB = 8GB Max supported???

The reason why the RAM scanner didn't quite suceed is 1) Your not using Corsair 2) They might have a limited database 3) You have a custom machine. They might use a algorith that relies on a database of products from major vendors like HP/Dell/Toshiba/Sony

Also Speccy is a good free tool to indentified your hardware, SF also has a tool
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/180324-system-info-see-your-system-specs.html

You can download both and confirm the type of memory you have.
Your Bios will also probably have information about your too.

 

[quickdraw2011]

Hi Britton30,

http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/viewscanbyid.aspx?id=58A0F0B031D926C3

Here is my scan results on this old computer, it does show the amount installed and the maximun amount I can install.

 

[Britton30]

Right Quickdraw2011, but it didn't show right for the OP's nor that it could use a faster RAM.

For yours you should be able to upgrade to 4GB
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...nfoCategory&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&product=426501

 

[obidon]

Your board will support up to 16GB, 4GB per slot. The scanner only reads what you currently have, not upgrade options.

Mixing brands and different RAM can possibly make your system unstable or perform badly. I would suggest a 16GB kit.

Yeah a 16GB kit is what I should get, but again since I already have two 2GB sticks buying a complete 16GB kit would make the sticks I have now go to waste.

I'm trying to find a way to utilize what I have already and still get a good upgrade out of it. 12GB right now is preferred, but if that will definitely make my system unstable then I guess I will just get two more 2GB sticks for a total of 8.

Anyway I can figure this out without having to call anybody up?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You will never know with absolute certainty until you try it, but memory mismatch issues are less common today than years ago. I guess the manufacturers are more likely to adhere to standards and quality control.

I doubt if you will have stability issues by adding two 4 GB sticks to your existing two 2 GB sticks IF you match the specs as much as possible, particularly regarding voltage. Make sure you get a high quality brand. Most likely you need non-ECC.

I'd just input the motherboard model number into the Crucial configurator (rather than use the scanner) and trust the output. Buy the cheapest pair of 4 GB sticks it comes up with, if the voltage matches your current two sticks.

If the speeds on the new sticks differ from the speeds of the old sticks, your PC may default to the lower speed.

 

[bobkn]

Your board will support up to 16GB, 4GB per slot. The scanner only reads what you currently have, not upgrade options.

Mixing brands and different RAM can possibly make your system unstable or perform badly. I would suggest a 16GB kit.

Yeah a 16GB kit is what I should get, but again since I already have two 2GB sticks buying a complete 16GB kit would make the sticks I have now go to waste.

I'm trying to find a way to utilize what I have already and still get a good upgrade out of it. 12GB right now is preferred, but if that will definitely make my system unstable then I guess I will just get two more 2GB sticks for a total of 8.

Anyway I can figure this out without having to call anybody up?

The Crucial upgrade page for your motherboard looks a little odd. It states that the board supports 16GB, but also says that the maximum DIMM size is 2GB. (Nothing to do with the scanner.)

However, the memory support list:

http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3316#sp

includes 4GB DIMMs, which is consistent with the 16GB max. (Unfortunately, the list doesn't say anything about compatibility with 4 slots.)

You may be able to get old and new RAM to play well together by setting the memory frequency, timings, and voltage manually in your BIOS setup. It may not matter whether the new RAM is 2X2 or 2X4 GB. If you're not willing to take a risk that it won't work, use 4 new ones. You'd be discarding about $20-25 worth of RAM, at current prices.

 

[James7679]

I hate to be argumentative, but, you can mix RAM. As long as you have them in the proper channels, all that will happen is that the system will default to the lower speed of the two sets. The reality is that any memory can play with any memory. Memory doesn't have feelings or emotions...it does what you tell it to do, and will run as long as you tell it to do the right thing. You will likely need to manually set timings,voltages and frequency for memory and the CPU, but it shouldn't be a problem.

What you will need to do is go into the BIOS and write down all of the settings for the memory you currently have. You need the timings, voltages, and the frequency of the memory and CPU. Once you have that, pull the old set out, put the new set in, and match the settings on the new set to what the old set is. Once you have done so, put the old set in and reboot. You can run Prime95 to test stability, but in my experience, it won't be an issue.

 

[obidon]

Well the deed is done. Pretty sure it shouldn't have issues since the voltages speed and latency seem to be pretty much the same. As long as I know I can get it to work (with some BIOS tweaking) and not have to RMA it I'm fine with that.

This is the pair that I ordered: http://tiny.cc/8p6abw

And this is the pair I currently have: http://tiny.cc/196abw

Hopefully it will just work out of the box as soon as I put the modules in.

Thanks for the help everyone, I'll keep you updated as to whether it works or not.

 

[chris1neji]

Please let us know when it arrives. I highly encourage you to do hardware test. It may take a day or two out of your life n ow but its much better than struggling to understand why you blue-screen or crash while gaming or doing any task. It till take long to figuere out what was the root of problem.... later on. J strongly urge hardware testing.

 

[obidon]

Alright I will definitely keep that in mind. Thanks for the info.