[SOLVED] Hp pavilion laptop memory confusion mixing two different capacities modules

[bshachek]

I have an HP laptop with 8 gb ram. It's a ryzen 5 4500u with 2 slots ,with 4gb ram each.
I want to upgrade my ram. Laptop specs says 8gb DDR 4 3200 mhz. They gave me the following specs to install.

DDR4-3200 dual-channel support DDR4-2400 dual-channel (DDR4-3200 bridge to DDR4-2666, DDR4-2666 downgrade to DDR-2400)
I dont understand the," DDR4-3200 bridge to DDR4-2666, DDR4-2666 downgrade to DDR-2400" What does it mean?

Supports the following configuration s

16 GB (8 × 2) ]
12 GB (8 + 4)
8 (4 × 2)
4 GB (4 × 1)



I have selected a module suggested by Crucial selection tool which recommends :
Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR4-3200 PC4-25600 • CL=22 1.2V. 8 gb abnd plan to install 4 gb,+⁸gb)

Also HP says I can combine 8+4 gigs ram modules. can it be done. Is this ram compatible. Can I mix 8+4 modules. Wil there be any slow performance. Thanks

 

[eszed556]

I'm not a RAM expert but I don't recommend mixing RAM kits. The 'downgrade' language is also a mystery to me.

Just get any 2 x 8GB dual channel kit sold together as 1 kit. The laptop should have a QVL (Qualified Vendor List) for supported RAM. Since your laptop currently supports DDR4 @ 3200MHz, get 2 x 8GB 3200MHz kit since RAM is cheap these days.

If you get an 8GB stick and with your current 4GB sick, the laptop will have 12GB RAM but will work at the slower of the 2 frequencies. So lets say you already have a 4GB stick @ 3200Mhz and you get an 8GB stick at 2666MHz, the the 8GB RAM will work at the slower speed.

So either get an 8GB stick at the same speed, same brand etc and hope it gets along well with existing components, or just get a new 2 x 8GB compatible kit. A kit is RAM sticks that are sold together as 1 SKU.

 

[bshachek]

Thanks for your detailed reply. I also doubted what HP said in its manual a configuration of 4+8 gb ram.
I have heard it'd run in the lower speed and only on single channel.

I bought 2 x 8 gb sticks from crucial using their memory selection
tool and my machine is running fast and smooth.