Mixing different frequency DIMMs.

[Dem1se]

I currently have a 8gb 2400mhz (Corsair LPX) module in my ryzen 1600x PC, and I'm increasingly find the 8gigs to be insufficient.

I wanted to get more memory and looked into the price and realized that RAM prices have dropped significantly now,

and a 3000mhz 8 gigs module (Corsair LPX again) is half the price of what I paid for the first module.

 

So here's my question:

Can I just buy the 3000mhz one and run it in mix with my 2400mhz one.

 

Additional Info:

• a new 2400 and 3000 module both cost the same price, literally (ikr)
• I know ryzen benefits from higher freq memory, and thats why I'm kinda leaning into the higher freq option.

What kind of compromises am I look at if I get the 3000 mhz module? I know that it can run in that config mostly

but I was wondering about the quirks about the memory channel modes and what implications it has.

[Haro]

10 hours ago, Dem1se said:

Can I just buy the 3000mhz one and run it in mix with my 2400mhz one.

 

both will run at 2400, but mix and matching kits could and could not work, it could be iffy with some things like xmp, and it is not guaranteed to work.

but it should technically work, but both wil run at 2400.

[vanished]

Sometimes mixing different memory can cause issues, but assuming these work together (which they probably will), they will run at the same speed.  By default, this will be the speed of the current (slower) stick, but depending on how well it handles being overclocked, you could bump that up.  I doubt you'll be able to get them both to run at the speed of the faster one though.  If you can't, you'll have to decide if you are ok taking the speed hit and not using the new one to its full potential, or whether it's worth replacing the slower one as well so you can have faster memory.

[SFFDesigns]

As @TofuHaroto said both sticks will work at 2400 most likely, but honestly it's well worth getting a new kit of 2x8 3000MHz or higher, it'll make a big difference

[iBabySlapper]

I wouldn't do it on a 1st gen Ryzen CPU, since the memory controller is pretty iffy.

Though it should work.

[Dem1se]

Thanks for the instant response guys.

Both the sticks running at the same speed is a huge deal breaker, so I guess I'll have to get rid of the old one completely.

You've all also given me the push I needed to get a better memory setup.

Thanks!

 

[Tristerin]

Can you - yes easily enough the system will find a frequency and timings both can work with - which typically means loose timings, lowest common denominator frequency.

 

However you can overclock the 2400mhz kit potentially while downclocking the other kit.  Right now in my Ryzen first gen system I have a 3600mhz CL18 kit and a 2133mhz CL14 kit (for 4x8gb of DIMMs) running at 2666mhz CL18 because I need the extra RAM more often than not.

EDIT (Manually OCd to 2666mhz, 1.2v and I let the system pick the timings because on first gen its within margin of error for timings and benches from my experience)

 

I would at least shoot for that on first gen Ryzen (2666mhz).

 

If you enable XMP/DOCP you will have a bad time though, I do all of this manually

[Tristerin]

Last but not least, don't expect first gen Ryzen to just auto overclock beyond 2666mhz with XMP or DOCP and just work.  I have 4 first gen CPUs I get to tinker with in total (2 are mine, 2 are office PCs) and anything over spec I have done has to be manually dialed in, or its just not stable.