[SOLVED] If my RAM is limited by the mobo, can I add a slower memory to pair it?

[lakawak]

I have a pre-built that came with 3000 MHz RAM, but just one 8 GB stick. The cheapo motherboard however, limits it to 2666. I know when you are pairing memory, the best thing is to get the exact same model number. But I am finding out just how hard it is to find single stick to buy anymore. And I really don't want to buy two more stick and just have to discard the one that came with it or forgo the dual channel benefits. And I don't really want to deal with getting two sticks and then maybe selling the current on for cheap on Ebay. I'm already a little unhappy with this purchase just because in the random crapshoot that is pre-built, where you get whatever brand they have on hand for any component, I got shafted on pretty much every single one. Reviews and Q&A on the website mention many other people getting much more lucky than I did. Whereas I got the scrapings from the bottom of the barrel for everything. (I honestly may even use the "You claimed 3000 RAM and I and only getting 2666" as an excuse to return it to Best Buy if I see another one somewhere else on sale. I really think that is a shady practice by both Cyberpower and Best Buy to not mention to people that the advertised RAM will probably be limited. Not one gives a damn what the stick is capable of. They only care what it WILL deliver.)

So my question is, since the memory in there is already being decreased to 2666 Mhz, would it make any difference whatsoever if I paired it with a 2666 MHz stick? I already know there is little chance of getting a single stick of the same brand/model, but I still want to stick to as close as I can for all the specs. But I am also seeing more single sticks available in the lower speeds. So if there will be no difference at all, it opens up more options for me.

 

[geofelt]

Ram is sold in kits for a reason.
A motherboard must manage all the ram using the same specs of voltage, cas and speed.
The internal workings are designed for the capacity of the kit.
Ram from the same vendor and part number can be made up of differing manufacturing components over time.
Some motherboards, can be very sensitive to this.
This is more difficult when more sticks are involved.
You can sometimes compensate for errors by increasing the ram voltage in the motherboard bios.

My advice, buy a compatible 2 x 8gb kit and keep the old 8gb as a spare.

 

[thx1138v2]

One other thing to consider is RAM density. Vendors often use new RAM that comes out so they can have modules with the same quantity, e.g. 16GB, but fewer chips. That's what higher density can do for the manufacturer. So you will need to check the new modules and make sure they use the same number of chips as the old.

 

[Bob.B]

I have a pre-built that came with 3000 MHz RAM, but just one 8 GB stick. The cheapo motherboard however, limits it to 2666. I know when you are pairing memory, the best thing is to get the exact same model number. But I am finding out just how hard it is to find single stick to buy anymore. And I really don't want to buy two more stick and just have to discard the one that came with it or forgo the dual channel benefits. And I don't really want to deal with getting two sticks and then maybe selling the current on for cheap on Ebay. I'm already a little unhappy with this purchase just because in the random crapshoot that is pre-built, where you get whatever brand they have on hand for any component, I got shafted on pretty much every single one. Reviews and Q&A on the website mention many other people getting much more lucky than I did. Whereas I got the scrapings from the bottom of the barrel for everything. (I honestly may even use the "You claimed 3000 RAM and I and only getting 2666" as an excuse to return it to Best Buy if I see another one somewhere else on sale. I really think that is a shady practice by both Cyberpower and Best Buy to not mention to people that the advertised RAM will probably be limited. Not one gives a damn what the stick is capable of. They only care what it WILL deliver.)

So my question is, since the memory in there is already being decreased to 2666 Mhz, would it make any difference whatsoever if I paired it with a 2666 MHz stick? I already know there is little chance of getting a single stick of the same brand/model, but I still want to stick to as close as I can for all the specs. But I am also seeing more single sticks available in the lower speeds. So if there will be no difference at all, it opens up more options for me.

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[sizzling]

I know you don’t want to but in the long run it is best to get a 2x8gb kit. See the odd man out section here https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq...y-ram-and-xmp-profile-configurations.3398926/

 

[lakawak]

I know you don’t want to but in the long run it is best to get a 2x8gb kit. See the odd man out section here https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq...y-ram-and-xmp-profile-configurations.3398926/

At the point of all the things I would have to buy to make this computer right, I may just return it, playing the ignorance card and being outraged that the description said 3000 RAM and I got just 2666. I know why, but many people buying a pre-built might now. And even though I knew it was a possibility, it is still very shady on both Cyberpower and Best Buy's part. With needing to buy 2 sticks of RAM and basically discarding the one that came with it, and probably discarding the cheap ass WD Green SSD that is absurdly slower than the one I was using on my older one (Many people in the reviews reported getting a WD Black, and most seemed to get a WD Blue. Obviously these are just the people that reported what they got, and they are more likely to have gotten better ones, but still. WD Green are barely suitable for a boot drive in 2021.) Just like how some people got at least decent end Crucial RAM and I got lowest of the low end Adata. And I was afraid to even look at my power supply. Almost everyone was mad that they only got a 80+ Bronze while some did get Gold. Me? Not even Bronze. This computer WILL fail within a couple years. And I am someone that has had computers for 6-7 years on average. This is just my 5th computer since 1996. And two of those previous 4 still worked fine when they were replaced. They were just horribly obsolete due to the advancements made and therefore the increase in the demand on a computer that occured in the first 10 or so years of the internet's mainstream life.

Had I known the added costs would be over $100, I'd have simply upped my budget by $100. Saw one on Newegg that was about $125 more. Lesser CPU (still more than I need) but had 16 GB RAM installed. But it also sold out before I made my decision and with my Best Buy birthday month discount expiring, I didn't want to wait. So if I see a better deal during the 15 day period, that is what I may due.

And I am not even getting into the fact that the RGB won't work and Cyberpower has no idea why based on what I told them. Not cables that came loose in transit. And nothing they told me worked. I don't really care about RGB, but it is one more thing that is tacked onto the price of a computer that I am didn't get what I paid for.