I purchased a Dell Optiplex 390 computer that came with an i5 processor and one 4GB stick of 10600 1333mhz DDR3 RAM at 1.5v.
I upgraded the CPU to an i7 2600 and it works fine.
The specifications of the instruction manual say the maximum supported RAM is 8GB - which it says is 4GB for each of the two RAM slots. The instruction manual says the maximum supported RAM speed is 1333mhz.
However, I have repeatedly read online and seen on YouTube that the maximum supported RAM is 16GB.
And I have repeatedly read online that the maximum supported RAM is faster than 1333mhz. Multiple sources have said the computer is compatible with 12800 RAM speeds of 1600mhz, and even 15000 RAM speeds of 1800mhz.
I have read that crucial.com is one of the most reliable sources. I used this website to learn some things.
First, I used crucial.com on an HP laptop I have as a test. This HP laptop has instructions that say it has a maximum supported RAM of only 8GB. But, crucial.com shows a maximum supported RAM of 16GB of RAM of up to 1600mhz speed. This confirms exactly what I had read online for that laptop. This told me instructions are not always reliable, and it seemed to confirm crucial.com knows what it is talking about.
I then used crucial.com on the Dell Optiplex 390. I was surprised when crucial.com said the maximum supported RAM is 8GB. The options available for sale were all 4GB sticks of 12800 1600mhz RAM. The option of using a single 8GB stick of RAM was not available.
On the crucial.com website, it specifically shows an asterisk and said:
* Not to exceed manufacturer's supported memory
The instruction manual of the Dell Optiplex 390 points out that RAM is supposed to be 1.5v. However, all of the 4GB RAM sticks that crucial.com recommended were 1.35v. And the fact that the RAM that crucial was recommending was 12800 1600mhz DDR3 RAM is faster than what the instruction manual recommends. This again makes me think that the instruction manual may not always be correct. However, the fact that crucial.com supports the thought that 8GB is the maximum supported RAM makes me think it really is, even though other websites say otherwise.
Does anyone know for sure what the answer is?
I do not want to risk causing my desktop Dell Optiplex 390 mini tower to overheat or suffer a side effect from too much RAM or the wrong kind of RAM.
I know that increasing speed from the 10600 1333mhz RAM to 1600mhz 12800 RAM is not that big of a speed difference. But, I have been told that if I upgraded from the 10600 1333mhz to the 15000 1800mhz Viper 3 RAM, there would be a noticeable difference. Is that correct?
I use a lot of Handbrake for video compression, and I use a lot of Magix video editing software for video encoding. I do not play a lot of games.
I know this Viper 3 15000 1800mhz DDR3 RAM can potentially "overclock" to 1.8v, but I would not do that. I do not do any type of "overclocking" and I don't want "overpowering." That RAM simply caught my eye because it was over 1800mhz, which is obviously quite a bit faster than 1333mhz.
If anyone can tell me what the true limit for RAM is with a Dell Optiplex 390 with an i7 CPU, 2 DDR3 RAM slots, and an LGA 1155 motherboard, I would appreciate it.
I upgraded the CPU to an i7 2600 and it works fine.
The specifications of the instruction manual say the maximum supported RAM is 8GB - which it says is 4GB for each of the two RAM slots. The instruction manual says the maximum supported RAM speed is 1333mhz.
However, I have repeatedly read online and seen on YouTube that the maximum supported RAM is 16GB.
And I have repeatedly read online that the maximum supported RAM is faster than 1333mhz. Multiple sources have said the computer is compatible with 12800 RAM speeds of 1600mhz, and even 15000 RAM speeds of 1800mhz.
I have read that crucial.com is one of the most reliable sources. I used this website to learn some things.
First, I used crucial.com on an HP laptop I have as a test. This HP laptop has instructions that say it has a maximum supported RAM of only 8GB. But, crucial.com shows a maximum supported RAM of 16GB of RAM of up to 1600mhz speed. This confirms exactly what I had read online for that laptop. This told me instructions are not always reliable, and it seemed to confirm crucial.com knows what it is talking about.
I then used crucial.com on the Dell Optiplex 390. I was surprised when crucial.com said the maximum supported RAM is 8GB. The options available for sale were all 4GB sticks of 12800 1600mhz RAM. The option of using a single 8GB stick of RAM was not available.
On the crucial.com website, it specifically shows an asterisk and said:
* Not to exceed manufacturer's supported memory
The instruction manual of the Dell Optiplex 390 points out that RAM is supposed to be 1.5v. However, all of the 4GB RAM sticks that crucial.com recommended were 1.35v. And the fact that the RAM that crucial was recommending was 12800 1600mhz DDR3 RAM is faster than what the instruction manual recommends. This again makes me think that the instruction manual may not always be correct. However, the fact that crucial.com supports the thought that 8GB is the maximum supported RAM makes me think it really is, even though other websites say otherwise.
Does anyone know for sure what the answer is?
I do not want to risk causing my desktop Dell Optiplex 390 mini tower to overheat or suffer a side effect from too much RAM or the wrong kind of RAM.
I know that increasing speed from the 10600 1333mhz RAM to 1600mhz 12800 RAM is not that big of a speed difference. But, I have been told that if I upgraded from the 10600 1333mhz to the 15000 1800mhz Viper 3 RAM, there would be a noticeable difference. Is that correct?
I use a lot of Handbrake for video compression, and I use a lot of Magix video editing software for video encoding. I do not play a lot of games.
I know this Viper 3 15000 1800mhz DDR3 RAM can potentially "overclock" to 1.8v, but I would not do that. I do not do any type of "overclocking" and I don't want "overpowering." That RAM simply caught my eye because it was over 1800mhz, which is obviously quite a bit faster than 1333mhz.
If anyone can tell me what the true limit for RAM is with a Dell Optiplex 390 with an i7 CPU, 2 DDR3 RAM slots, and an LGA 1155 motherboard, I would appreciate it.