Duel Channel Same RAM different Speed

[Douglas_11]

I have a MSI z97 gaming 5 motherboard that supports duel channel and i'm upgrading my RAM which was only 1 stick of 8 gigs of memory. That one stick was HyperX Fury 8gb 1600 MHz. I want to add another stick and bought one, but got 1866 MHz instead. From what I can tell they are the exact same RAM, but one has 1866 MHz so it is faster than the other. Can I use them in duel channel?

 

[Multipack]

Probably, but you will only get the lower frequency (1600MHz) on both. Try and find out! Worse that can happen is they run in single channel.

 

[Rogue Leader]

Probably, but you will only get the lower frequency (1600MHz) on both. Try and find out! Worse that can happen is they run in single channel.

If installed in separate channel slots they will either work or they won't. There is no running them in single channel unless you physically move the memory to the same channel. And in the end if it didn't work right in dual, it won't in single. Its about compatibility of the speed and timings. Sometimes 2 of the identical memory won't work.

Douglas_11, try it, maybe you will get lucky and they will run at 1600 mhz. Maybe you wont and in that case the PC won't boot. Then you need to return the memory and at a minimum try and get the exact same model, or replace both memory DIMMS to get yourself to 16 gb.

 

[Multipack]

I dont understand what you mean. "No running them in single channel unless you physically move the memory to the same channel...?"

 

[Rogue Leader]

I dont understand what you mean. "No running them in single channel unless you physically move the memory to the same channel...?"

Motherboard have 2 or 4 memory slots. A board that has 2 the memory either works in dual channel or it doesn't work at all. A Board with 4 slots the channels are separated between the first 2 and last 2 slots. So you install your memory in Slot 1 and slot 3 and its either dual channel, or it doesn't work. If you install in slot 1 and 2 it runs in single channel, or it doesn't work at all.

 

[Multipack]

Ah I see. Yeah I realise that. I forgot some boards still have two RAM slots lol. But this board has four so I meant physically moving as opposed to it running in single channel in for e.g 1 & 3. So technically I said the same thing.

 

[Tradesman1]

If they play together at all, and placed in slots 1-3 from CPU or 2-4 it will be dual - if you place them in 1-2 or 3-4 then it's single (which you don't want. Again if they play, there's a good chance you can run both at the faster speed - you are not LOCKZED into the slower speed - that's a myth - you can make voltage and timing adjustments to run at the faster (again - if they play, no guarantees, always best to buy full amount in a single package