[SOLVED] Different Memory Buying question.

Jun 27, 2020
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Hello guys 18 months ago i build a pc, is this

cpu: ryzen 7 2700
gpu: Gigabyte GV-N107TWF2-8GD GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB GDDR5
motherboard: ASUS Prime X470-PRO
ram: F4-3200C16D-32GTZA ( G.Skill 32GB DDR4-3200 32GB DDR4 3200MHz)
power suply: EVGA SuperNOVA 750 P2, 80+ PLATINUM 750W,
samsung evo 970 as nvme disk

Now i want to put 32GB more ram

I use the PC mainly for virtualization.

The problem is the ram i have now( F4-3200C16D-32GTZA ) isnt availabble anywhere, i cannot buy it

So i did a quick reserch and...

https://pcpartpicker.com/products/memory/#U=4&Z=32768002&L=160&S=3200&sort=ppgb&t=14&page=1


all RAM Modules listed in the link are cl16 3200mhz 16gb, this means exact same speed latency and capacity like the ones i have now.

Its a problem if i buy different memory modules? Will work fine?

Also they tell me i should look into modules? like having same module brand fabricated would be good?
Im doing big research before buying trying to figure out everything but im pretty loosed. Someone can point me if any of the above would be fine, if i have to buy exact same model and what are the module fabrication brands?
 
Solution
You can. But now value comes into play. Many times 3200MHz ram is cheaper than 2933MHz or 3000MHz, simply due to competition. 3200 is by far the most popular speed, which drives prices down between vendors. Why spend more for less?

PCPartPicker Part List

Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16 Memory ($299.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($279.99 @ Newegg)

The Neo's are about the best you can get for Ryzen compatability, faster and cheaper than the Corsair popular ram.

mamasan2000

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When a company sells you a 2-stick kit of memory, they only guarantee that kit to work nicely together, nothing else. Buy a 2nd kit, it's anyones guess if it will work. Which is why they also sell kits with 4 sticks. Those are guaranteed to work together.
 

Karadjgne

Titan
Ambassador
4 stick - 1 kit: factory guaranteed stability, compatability, full rated function.
4 stick - 2 different kits: good luck. It'll either work, work after adjustment, or not work at all. No guarantee on anything, from anbody.

I suggest you purchase a 2 or 4 stick single kit on the size/speed you want, and if mixing with the old ram doesn't work satisfactory, sell the old kit, leaving you with a minimum of what you were after in the first place.

You have a Ryzen. For speeds higher than @ 2667MHz/2933MHz, best option is 2 sticks. Ryzens do not like 4 sticks at more than base rated speeds.


Single/dual RANK makes a difference, but don't confuse that with single/dual channel, they are NOT the same
 
Jun 27, 2020
8
0
10
4 stick - 1 kit: factory guaranteed stability, compatability, full rated function.
4 stick - 2 different kits: good luck. It'll either work, work after adjustment, or not work at all. No guarantee on anything, from anbody.

I suggest you purchase a 2 or 4 stick single kit on the size/speed you want, and if mixing with the old ram doesn't work satisfactory, sell the old kit, leaving you with a minimum of what you were after in the first place.

You have a Ryzen. For speeds higher than @ 2667MHz/2933MHz, best option is 2 sticks. Ryzens do not like 4 sticks at more than base rated speeds.


Single/dual RANK makes a difference, but don't confuse that with single/dual channel, they are NOT the same

this answer i think it helped, i will buy 2 x16gb from the same speed latency and from g.skill. also as suggested in the previous comment i will try to contact gskill support and ask in gskill forums.

If they dont work i will sell old ram and buy another 2 sticks from the new ram.

But i still have a question.
"You have a Ryzen. For speeds higher than @ 2667MHz/2933MHz, best option is 2 sticks. Ryzens do not like 4 sticks at more than base rated speeds."
this means ryzen dosnt like 4 memory slots at the same time?
you mean ryzen likes more 2x32GB than 4x16GB? im gonna have problems im i have 4? what type of problems?
the idea is to get 3200mhz ram.
 
Jun 27, 2020
8
0
10
When a company sells you a 2-stick kit of memory, they only guarantee that kit to work nicely together, nothing else. Buy a 2nd kit, it's anyones guess if it will work. Which is why they also sell kits with 4 sticks. Those are guaranteed to work together.
Im not hardware expert but then big companies what do? Like they sell them another memory types? cause if 2 years from now i cannot buy the same memory i bought + i cannot use another memory type... bad news for me i think
 

RealBeast

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nothing is failing with my current ram, just i need 32GB more ram.
I know that your current memory is fine but you apparently do not understand that memory comes in kits -- 2 or 4 sticks (occasionally 8) for consumers. They are only guaranteed to work as a kit. Period.

I have worked many times with G. Skill and on occasion they have helped me to trade up to 4 sticks from 2. Ryzens are far less forgiving with memory compared to Intel CPUs.
 
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Jun 27, 2020
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I know that your current memory is fine but you apparently do not understand that memory comes in kits -- 2 or 4 sticks (occasionally 8) for consumers. They are only guaranteed to work as a kit. Period.

I have worked many times with G. Skill and on occasion they have helped me to trade up to 4 sticks from 2. Ryzens are far less forgiving with memory compared to Intel CPUs.
Sorry RealBeast, as you can see my english level isnt good i misunderstood you.

How did you contact G.Skill? I did buy those 2 sticks back in 2018 in amazon.es
 

RealBeast

Titan
Moderator
Sorry RealBeast, as you can see my english level isnt good i misunderstood you.

How did you contact G.Skill? I did buy those 2 sticks back in 2018 in amazon.es
I use email from the closest site to you from THIS PAGE, which is their worldwide tech support.

You have to be persistent -- in other words keep emailing them and asking how they can help you until they actually help you by swapping some sticks or guaranteeing that something they tell you to buy will work. Save those emails, as they will make good on any promises made.

Good luck and stay healthy!
 
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Karadjgne

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But i still have a question.
"You have a Ryzen. For speeds higher than @ 2667MHz/2933MHz, best option is 2 sticks. Ryzens do not like 4 sticks at more than base rated speeds."
this means ryzen dosnt like 4 memory slots at the same time?
you mean ryzen likes more 2x32GB than 4x16GB? im gonna have problems im i have 4? what type of problems?
the idea is to get 3200mhz ram.


Ryzen series are not monolithic chips. There's 3 chiplets spread out underneath the cover. This was done for heat purposes. Infinity Fabric is the way those chiplets communicate, and the speeds at which they communicate are set by your ram data rate. Fclock = DR. This works very well when there's only 1 or 2 sticks at any speed rating. It's when there's 4 sticks, the IF gets to the point where it can't figure out if it's coming or going, which stick, where it is, it gets totally confused. This happens at higher speeds.

4 sticks is fine, if you keep the ram at 2667MHz or 2933MHz. The problems arise when trying to use 4 sticks and 3200MHz or better. It's not you, your ram, your motherboard, nothing you do can fix it, it's a quirk of Ryzen.

That means 2x16Gb, or 2x32Gb IF you want ram to run at 3200MHz. IF the probable speed drop to 2933MHz doesn't bother you, then by the way all means use 4 sticks instead.

This is by no means any hard fact. There are some few who might have actually succeeded in 4 stick 3200MHz, either due to silicon lottery, perfect ram timings/settings, help of a higher power, just lucky. But for almost all others, it's an almost sure thing. That's why it's suggested if you want 32Gb total, buy 32Gb total, in 2 sticks 1 KIT, so no matter what happens you will get at least 32Gb of 3200MHz. Mixing ram is pot-luck anyways, and add that to Ryzen and 4 stick at high speed, chances are very slim for it to work.
 
Last edited:
Jun 27, 2020
8
0
10


Ryzen series are not monolithic chips. There's 3 chiplets spread out underneath the cover. This was done for heat purposes. Infinity Fabric is the way those chiplets communicate, and the speeds at which they communicate are set by your ram data rate. Fclock = DR. This works very well when there's only 1 or 2 sticks at any speed rating. It's when there's 4 sticks, the IF gets to the point where it can't figure out if it's coming or going, which stick, where it is, it gets totally confused. This happens at higher speeds.

4 sticks is fine, if you keep the ram at 2667MHz or 2933MHz. The problems arise when trying to use 4 sticks and 3200MHz or better. It's not you, your ram, your motherboard, nothing you do can fix it, it's a quirk of Ryzen.

That means 2x16Gb, or 2x32Gb IF you want ram to run at 3200MHz. IF the probable speed drop to 2933MHz doesn't bother you, then by the way all means use 4 sticks instead.

This is by no means any hard fact. There are some few who might have actually succeeded in 4 stick 3200MHz, either due to silicon lottery, perfect ram timings/settings, help of a higher power, just lucky. But for almost all others, it's an almost sure thing. That's why it's suggested if you want 32Gb total, buy 32Gb total, in 2 sticks, so no matter what happens you will get at least 32Gb of 3200MHz. Mixing ram is pot-luck anyways, and add that to Ryzen and 4 stick at high speed, chances are very slim for it to work.
Main purposse is to virtualize.
I will ocasionally use as my computer/play/code/see netflix normal stuff.

I dont think ram from 2933MHz to 3200 MHz will make a huge difference, problem is i see stupid buy 3200MHz ram for use it at 2933MHz would make more sense to sell my current ram and buy 64GB from 2933MHz, no?
 

Karadjgne

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Ambassador
You can. But now value comes into play. Many times 3200MHz ram is cheaper than 2933MHz or 3000MHz, simply due to competition. 3200 is by far the most popular speed, which drives prices down between vendors. Why spend more for less?

PCPartPicker Part List

Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16 Memory ($299.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($279.99 @ Newegg)

The Neo's are about the best you can get for Ryzen compatability, faster and cheaper than the Corsair popular ram.
 
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